For a total eclipse of the sun to occur, the planets must align, literally. Indeed, the Moon must be optimally positioned between us and the Sun to block the rays emitted by the latter. If it is a little too far to the side or a little too far from us, then it is a partial or annular eclipse, a less impressive spectacle, but not uninteresting.
However, even when all the ingredients are there, not everyone has the right to attend. Indeed, a solar eclipse is only visible from specific locations on the globe, depending on the distance between the Earth, the Moon and the Sun. A localized event therefore, which can also be very rare in certain regions and depending on the time. In France, the last total occultation of our star took place on August 11, 1999, and the next will occur on… September 3, 2081. A real exercise in patience.
See you at 7 p.m. for a broadcast on YouTube
This Monday, April 8, it is our friends across the Atlantic who will have this privilege, for the second time since the start of the millennium. The shadow of our satellite will travel 185 km, from western Mexico to the far east of Canada, a journey that will take several hours. Our friends in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon will not be treated to a total solar eclipse, but will still experience an obscuration of our star of up to 99% around 5:43 p.m. (i.e. 9:43 p.m. Paris time).
If you haven’t had time to book a plane ticket to North America, all is not lost. NASA has pulled out all the stops so that everyone can enjoy a little of the event, and will broadcast images of the eclipse from the viewpoints of different observatories, mainly located in the United States. The agency warns, however, that the retransmission “will be modified depending on weather conditions, the evolution of the eclipse and the availability of the broadcast“.
Visit NASA’s YouTube channel from 7 p.m., as well as a dedicated page where you can follow the status of the eclipse live.