2024 Total Eclipse - NASA Science (2024)

FAQs

Why is the 2024 eclipse so special? ›

Why was the 2024 total solar eclipse so special? The 2024 total solar eclipse was a major event. Totality could last twice as long as in 2017, depending on the observer's location. It was also the longest totality on land for over a decade, so eclipse-chasers from around the world flocked to the path of totality.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of the Sun on April 8, 2024, a few minutes before totality in Dallas. Astronauts on the International Space Station also had an exclusive view of the eclipse from 261 miles above Earth.

In Luke 23:44-45 of the New American Bible Revised Edition — the Bible translation heard at U.S. Catholic Masses — the verses explicitly refer to a solar eclipse preceding Jesus' death: “It was now about noon and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon because of an eclipse of the sun.”

This eclipse could indicate the end of transient relationships that have come to their natural end, thus allowing new and more meaningful relationships to sprout. It will motivate you to develop new aspects of yourself and experiment with different things.

Natural phenomenon

The Gospel of Luke account states "and the sun was darkened" However, the biblical details do not accord with an eclipse: a solar eclipse could not have occurred on or near the Passover, when Jesus was crucified, and would have been too brief to account for three hours of darkness.

Several passages from the Christian Bible state that in the last days, there will be signs from God shown in the sun, moon, and stars. Many people of the Christian faith believe that the upcoming eclipse is another tell-tale sign of their savior's imminent return, judgment, and more.

This passage appears to refer to both a solar eclipse (sun turned into darkness) and a lunar eclipse (moon turned into blood). It is generally understood to be a prophetic statement about signs preceding the Day of the Lord, a day of divine, apocalyptic judgement at the end of the world.

🤔 During the solar eclipse, the APEP mission will study disturbances in the electrified region of Earth's atmosphere known as the ionosphere that can impact satellite communications. To do this, NASA will launch three sounding rockets at specific times into the ionosphere.

The red burst is a rare occurrence called a solar prominence. A solar prominence is something that typically can't be seen with the naked eye, and we were only able to see it because the moon was blocking the sun. The prominence is plasma that can be described as bursting out from the sun's surface.

Why can't you look at a solar eclipse? ›

Exposing your eyes to the sun without proper eye protection during a solar eclipse can cause retinal burns (solar retinopathy). The retina has no sensitivity to pain, and since the effects of retinal damage may not appear for hours, there is no warning that an injury to your eye has occurred.

2024 is a Leap Year, which means here is an extra day in February. Why do we have leap years? It takes approximately 365.25 days for Earth to orbit the Sun — a solar year. When added, four 0.25 days roughly equal one full day.

A solar eclipse can only happen during a New Moon. The Moon's orbit is titled 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. Therefore a solar eclipse is a relatively rare phenomena and a Total or Annular eclipse even more rare, with the Hybrid eclipse the rarest of all.

“The moon passes directly in front of the sun, which casts the moon's shadow on the Earth's surface,” explained Bradley. In any given location on Earth, a total eclipse happens only once every hundred years or so. For selected occasions, they can occur as little as a few years apart.

While solar eclipses occur about two to four times per year, NASA reports a total eclipse only happens once every 100 years or so in any given location on Earth.