A total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth every 18 months, however this April 8 eclipse is of special significance because it will pass over many populated territories. (Shutterstock)

Tomorrow, Monday, April 8, millions of people across the North American continent are anticipating one of the rarest cases of a total solar eclipse.

From the Pacific coastal state of Mazatlan in Mexico, to the eastern coast of Newfoundland in Canada, the moon will completely block the sun and cast its shadow on the Earth, turning day into night within minutes.

It is known that the Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon, but it is also about 400 times farther away, which means that the two disks appear to be approximately the same size to us, which allows eclipses to occur when the Moon is aligned between the Earth and the Sun.

Given the fact that the Moon completes its orbit around the Earth almost every month, one might think of the possibility of an eclipse occurring every month, but this is not the case because the Moon’s orbit around the Earth is inclined by about five degrees with respect to the equator, which makes the Moon appear as if it is passing over the Sun or Under it every month, and therefore total eclipses are considered rare because they require a precise angle of inclination of the Moon sufficient for complete coverage of the Sun.

The total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow path extending from the Mexican state of Mazatlan to the Canadian island of Newfoundland, passing through the United States of America, starting with the state of Texas and ending with the state of Maine, while the partial eclipse will be visible in all 48 neighboring American states. (Al Jazeera)

What is special about this eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth every 18 months. However, this April 8 eclipse is of special significance due to the sheer amount of populated land that the eclipse will pass through, allowing more than 40 million people to view it. It will last for 4 minutes and 28 seconds, which is a rather long period compared to most total solar eclipses.

The duration of the eclipse depends on the orbits of both the Earth and the Moon, and these orbits are not completely circular. When the Earth is farther from the Sun, the Sun appears to occupy a smaller space in the sky, and thus the Moon can then completely block its rays for a longer period. Conversely, when the Moon is closest to Earth, it appears larger and can create a greater obstruction to the sun's rays.

From another angle, the presence of the observer near the equator may help in maximizing the speed with which the Earth rotates this person, which slows down the relative speed of the moon’s shadow and makes the duration of the eclipse longer relative to this observer. The eclipse is also longer when both the sun and the moon are above the horizon line. Directly, not near the horizon, and the horizon is the imaginary line that separates the surface of the Earth from the sky.

These mentioned factors help explain why the upcoming eclipse will be longer than most other solar eclipses, although it is far from setting a record, as the Earth’s distance from the sun will be only slightly farther than average, but the moon will be only one day away from it. The perigee stage, which represents its closest point to the Earth, and the path of the eclipse begins from a place very close to the equator, although it ends in the far north.

In this regard, it is noteworthy that the longest total solar eclipse recorded is 7 minutes and 28 seconds, which occurred on June 15, 743 BC, and occurred in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya and Somalia in Africa, according to NASA calculations.

In modern history, the western Philippines witnessed the longest eclipse in 1955, which lasted 7 minutes and 8 seconds, even though the weather was cloudy at that time along most of its path.

It is expected that more than 150 years from now, the total eclipse that will cross the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of French Guiana on July 16, 2186, will set a new record with a duration of 7 minutes and 29 seconds.

On the other hand, Comet 12P/Bones-Brooks, also known as “Devil’s Comet.” It will be about 25 degrees away from the sun during the eclipse, and its size may reach “+4.7” times, and it will also be relatively close to Jupiter, which itself will be visible with the naked eye at that time. In the end, seeing this comet may be possible during the total eclipse using... Endoscopes.

It is worth noting that this coincidence constitutes a unique case, given that the period of this comet is 71 years and it will not pass through our sky again before the year 2095.

An image of Comet 12P/Bones Brooks dated 3/26/2024, which can be seen during the upcoming solar eclipse (NASA)

The preparations of scientists and researchers are in full swing

NASA will launch three rockets during a total solar eclipse to study how the Earth's upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight is blocked for a short period of time on part of the planet. NASA intends to launch the first 45 minutes before the eclipse occurs, the second during it, and the third 45 minutes after the peak of the eclipse. .

These periods are important for collecting data on how the Sun's sudden disappearance affects the ionosphere, which forms a region of the Earth's atmosphere ranging between 55 and 310 miles (90 to 500 kilometers) above the Earth's surface. The importance of this region lies in the fact that it is an electrified area that reflects and refracts radio signals, thus affecting satellite communications. Therefore, our understanding of the ionosphere and developing models to help us predict disturbances is crucial given our great and increasing dependence on communications in our current world.

A picture of the three rockets scheduled to be launched by NASA during the upcoming solar eclipse with the work team (NASA)

As the eclipse's shadow sweeps across the atmosphere, it creates what can be likened to a rapid sunset, causing large-scale atmospheric waves and small-scale disturbances to affect various radio communications frequencies. Collecting data on these disturbances will help validate scientists' current models, which help us... To predict and improve potential disruptions to our communications, especially high-frequency communications.

It is worth noting that NASA will broadcast a live broadcast of observing the total eclipse on YouTube, which you can watch by clicking on the link here.

Source: Al Jazeera + websites