Solar eclipse frenzy hits North America
- A total solar eclipse will blot out the sun over much of North America on April 8
- North America won’t see another coast-to-coast total solar eclipse for 21 years
Eclipse mania is sweeping across North America as a breathtaking celestial event on Monday promises a rare blend of commerce, science – and celebration.
The moon’s shadow will land on Mexico’s Pacific coast at 2.07pm ET (2.07am Tuesday Hong Kong time), then speed northeast across a 15-state swathe of the United States and on to Canada, exiting the continent over Newfoundland just under an hour and a half later.
Festivals, viewing parties, and even a mass wedding are planned along the eclipse “path of totality”, where the moon will completely obscure the sun’s light for up to a few minutes – if rain clouds don’t play spoilsport, which could be the case in the southern and central US.
“Eclipses have a special power,” Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said recently. “They move people to feel a kind of reverence for the beauty of our universe.”
This year’s path of totality is 185km (115 miles) wide and home to nearly 32 million Americans, with an additional 150 million living less than 320km from the strip. Those further away can still enjoy a partial eclipse, or follow a webcast provided by US space agency Nasa.
