Eclipse 2024: Most Impressive Images from the Day

Images that are out of this world ... The moment we’ve all been waiting for ...  

The total solar eclipse on April 8th was spectacular, cutting a path across the U.S. from Del Rio Texas to northern Maine. Before it hit the U.S. the eclipse was visible from Mexico!

Over 32 million people experienced the path of totality... with millions more traveling to see the celestial event. 

Darkness during totality lasted an average of 3 ½ and 4 minutes long, almost twice as long as the last North American eclipse in 2017. During totality, onlookers were treated to the sight of the sun’s outer corona and Baily’s beads, or bright pockets of light around the moon. 

Even those outside of the path of totality were able to experience the eclipse – tiny crescent shadows danced across the ground as the moon blocked part of the sun  

For both the new moon and orbit alignment conditions to happen at the same time is not as rare as you think ... total solar eclipses happen roughly every 18 months.  But with 70% of Earth covered by water, it makes the chance of a solar eclipse over land a rarer occurrence. The next total solar eclipse happens over Earth in August of 2026 but will be visible only to those in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. 

The next time the stars align for a total solar eclipse for much of the lower 48 won’t be for another 21 years ... on August 12, 2045, when the shadow will cut a path from northern California to Florida. 

If you want to watch the eclipse in its duration again, head over to NASA's recording. The Eclipse traveled across the U.S. in 88 minutes, at about 1900 miles per hour!