On Monday, April 8, 2024, parts of the United States saw the rare total solar eclipse. So many people waited outside with their protective glasses, just to witness the unbelievable sight.
The 2024 solar eclipse was so popular, it began trending on social media and had excessive media coverage throughout the day. With the popularity of this rare event, many are wondering when the next time they’ll have a chance to catch this remarkable sighting.
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2024 Solar Eclipse Was ‘One In A Million’
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A Pennsylvania resident spoke to CBS, expressing, “I think it’s really cool to be able to witness and have totality where I live. I think it’s really one in a million, you know? I’m also really excited for a bunch of new people to get to come into Erie and kind of see what we have to offer other than just the lake, the summer stuff, and all the stuff that everybody already knows about.”
Those who were not in the totality range were willing to drive hours to see the total solar eclipse.
Another resident said, “I thought it was pretty neat. The kids were thinking it was going to be a lot darker out, so I think they were a little surprised by that, but I think it was a pretty cool experience.”
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When Is The Next Solar Eclipse?
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The 2024 total solar eclipse has come to an end, but there will be an annular solar eclipse that will be visible in South America on October 2, 2024.
NASA says on March 29, 2025, a partial eclipse will be visible in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean, plus, on September 21, 2025, there will be a partial eclipse in parts of Australia, Antarctica, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The next total solar eclipse won’t occur until August of 2026, and it will be visible from Greenland, Iceland, and Spain.
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When Will The United States See Another Solar Eclipse?
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For those in the U.S. who didn’t have a chance to witness the rare total solar eclipse, you’ll have to wait until August 2044 to see the next one. The path and totality will be different from 2024’s. Next time it will only pass through Montana and the Dakotas.
Another eclipse, set for 2045, will have a coast-to-coast path of totality.
While the 2024 eclipse may be over, there are several other exciting events to see, including several meteor showers ahead. The Lyrid meteor shower will occur later this month and is expected to peak April 21-22.
Astronomy fans can also look forward to the Eta Aquariids, peaking May 4-5; the Perseids, peaking August 12-13; and the Geminids, peaking December 13-14.
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People Share Their Total Solar Eclipse Experience
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Many took to social media to share photos, videos, and their experience of seeing the total solar eclipse on April 8, including Bobby and Carrin Carlisle, who traveled from Atlanta to Mazatlan, Mexico to see the rare happening.
“The whole thing, it happened, 4 and half minutes. It felt like it was 25 seconds,” Carrin told The Weather Channel. “Everyone started screaming to begin with. And then totality happened, and we looked over the ocean, and the colors on the ocean, you didn’t even know where to look.”
She added, “It was so, almost overstimulating, just wanting to see everything. And people were hugging, and kissing, and yelling, and it was just, it was an amazing experience.”
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Allison Wrabel, who watched from Strongsville, Ohio, told the outlet, “Neighbors were shooting off fireworks and people were cheering, it was like a cooler Fourth of July.”
Adding, “The lighting was so different than a sunset or at night because the coverage happened so quickly and you could still see the sun from areas that weren’t in totality.”
Always Protect Your Eyes During A Solar Eclipse
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One of the most important things to consider when trying to look at the rare solar eclipse is to protect your eyes. While there is no safe dose of solar ultraviolet rays or infrared radiation, according to an ophthalmologist (retinal specialist) Dr. Yehia Hashad, it is important to be cautious because “a very small dose could cause harm to some people.”
“That’s why we say the partial eclipse could also be damaging,” he told CBS. “And that’s why we protect our eyes with the partial as well as with the full sun.”