Total solar eclipse 2024: What time, where and how to watch it

People in cities in Mexico, the US and Canada will be able to see the Moon cover the Sun on April 8

A composite of seven photographs showing the movement of the moon during the total solar eclipse as seen from Bloomington, Indiana. AFP

A woman looks through a viewing device at the eclipse on the observation deck of Edge at Hudson Yards in New York. Reuters

Members of the Cincinnati Reds use special glasses as they watch the solar eclipse before a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Cincinnati, Ohio. AP

Restaurant workers in Manhattan take a break to view the solar eclipse in New York City. AP

The Moon eclipses the Sun during a total solar eclipse as seen in Bloomington, Indiana. AFP

Visitors watch the eclipse move into totality in Bloomington. Bloomberg

Solar prominences during the eclipse as seen from Dallas, Texas. Photo: NASA

A statue of George Washington has been prepared for the eclipse in Houlton. Getty Images / AFP

The solar eclipse, as seen from Niagara Falls State Park in New York. AFP

The sky darkens at Niagara Falls State Park. AFP

A woman watches the total solar eclipse outside the Exploratorium in San Francisco, California. AP

An aeroplane flies past the total solar eclipse as seen from the Hoosier Cosmic Celebration at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. Reuters

Spectators use special glasses to watch the solar eclipse near Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. AP

The diamond ring effect as well as Bailey's Beads are seen as the Moon eclipses the Sun in Fort Worth, Texas. Getty Images / AFP

A man sets up his telescope ahead of the eclipse in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Canadian Press / AP

A woman looks skyward at the Edge at Hudson Yards observation deck in New York City. AFP

The total solar eclipse as seen from Eagle Pass, Texas. Reuters

Sun spots seen during the beginning phase of the total solar eclipse in Arlington, Texas. AP

A man and his daughter view the Sun through a telescope ahead of a solar eclipse at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. AP

A Guinness World Record adjudicator poses with some of the 309 participants of the largest group of people dressed as the sun before the total solar eclipse in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Reuters

People gather at Niagara Falls State Park to view the eclipse in New York. AFP

A rainbow forms over Niagara Falls as people wait for the solar eclipse. Reuters

A sign near Niagara Falls warns drivers about the solar eclipse. Getty Images / AFP

A partial solar eclipse as seen from Mazatlan, Mexico. Reuters

An amateur astronomer prepares a telescope in Mazatlan. AP

A visitor adds a pin to a map displaying where eclipse seekers are visiting from in Russellville, Arkansas. Getty Images / AFP

A dog gets in on eclipse preparations in Russellville. Getty Images / AFP

People dressed as aliens walk through the main square in Houlton, Maine, ahead of the eclipse. Getty Images / AFP

Children eat ice cream in the village of Makanda, Illinois, ahead of the eclipse. Reuters

A sign in Fredericksburg, Texas, reminds parents and pupils that school is closed for the solar eclipse. Getty Images / AFP

People assemble to view the total solar eclipse in Eagle Pass, Texas. Reuters

Viewing sunglasses displayed for sale in Bloomington, Indiana. Bloomberg

A couple from Dallas prepare to view the eclipse near Ennis, Texas. AP

Look up on April 8: a solar eclipse is coming to North America.

The celestial phenomenon is expected to be visible from Mexico's Pacific coast before skies darken over Texas and 14 other US states. It will then wrap up over parts of north-eastern Canada.

Here, The National tells you all you need to know about the rare event:

What is a total solar eclipse?

An eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, entirely covering the Sun's face along a small path across our planet's surface.

This is called the “path of totality”.

The daytime sky turns dark, akin to dusk or dawn. Birds start to roost and nocturnal animals have been known to wake up, tricked into believing night has arrived.

In places on the path of totality, people will be able to view the Sun's corona – its outer atmosphere – that typically is not visible due to solar brightness.

People observing from outside the path of totality will see a partial eclipse in which the Moon obscures most of the Sun's face but not all of it.

What's the eclipse path?

According to Nasa, the eclipse will begin over the South Pacific, with its path reaching Mexico's Pacific coast at about 11.07am local time before entering the US through Texas.

Its path then takes it through another 14 states: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, a tiny part of Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, a small part of Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The path then enters Canada through Ontario and journeys through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton, exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5.16pm local time.

A partial eclipse is due to be visible for people in all 48 contiguous US states, Reuters reported.

What are the best spots to see the eclipse?

Major cities and their metropolitan areas lay within or near the path of totality, making many densely populated areas some of the best spots to view the eclipse.

These include San Antonio, Austin, Waco, Fort Worth and Dallas in Texas; St Louis in Missouri; Detroit in Michigan; Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in New York; and Toronto and Montreal in Canada.

How long will the eclipse last?

The full eclipse will last longer than usual because the Moon will be 360,000km from Earth, one of the year’s closest approaches. The closer the Moon is to Earth, the bigger it appears in the sky from our perspective, resulting in an especially long and intense period of Sun-blocked darkness.

Totality will last the longest over Mexico at 4 minutes, 28 seconds.

Elsewhere along the track, such as in Syracuse, New York, totality will last only 90 seconds.

How can you safely watch an eclipse?

Experts warn it is unsafe to look directly at the bright Sun without using specialised eye protection designed for solar viewing. Viewing an eclipse through a camera lens, binoculars or telescope without making use of a special-purpose solar filter can cause severe eye injury.

They advise using safe solar-viewing glasses or a safe hand-held solar viewer, noting that regular sunglasses are not safe for watching the event. The only moment it is considered safe for people to remove eye protection during a total solar eclipse is the brief time when the Moon completely blocks the Sun's surface.

Will there be a comet during the eclipse? Will other planets be visible?

During totality, some people may be able to spot a comet along with four planets: Jupiter will be to the left of the Sun and Venus to the right, and then Saturn and Mars will be to the right of Venus. Three other planets will be in the vicinity but virtually impossible to see with the naked eye.

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is swinging past Earth, as it does every 71 years. It will be near Jupiter during the eclipse.

“There is lots to see and not that long a time,” Anita Cochran of the University of Texas at Austin told AP.

When was the last total solar eclipse in the US?

The US has not experienced a total solar eclipse since August 2017.

A “ring of fire” solar eclipse crossed a part of the country in October.

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next total solar eclipse will not be until 2026, when it will graze the North, touching Greenland, Iceland and Spain.

The next one in 2027 will march across Spain and northern Africa, with totality lasting 6.5 minutes.

North Americans will have to wait until 2033 for another total solar eclipse but it will be limited to Alaska. In 2044, western Canada, Montana and North Dakota will have front-row seats. And in 2045, the US will once again experience a coast-to-coast total solar eclipse.