It's been nearly seven years since a total solar eclipse traced a path over the US – but if you thought you'd seen everything in 2017, astronomers are quick to remind us that these celestial events aren't exactly alike.
The 2017 eclipse began in Oregon and ended in South Carolina, while this year's eclipse will move in the opposite direction, beginning in Texas and covering more ground.
More people will be able to see the 2024 eclipse because the path of totality, or locations where people will witness the moon’s shadow completely covering the sun, will be wider.
This is all because of the moon.
The moon’s distance from Earth varies as it orbits our planet. And during the 2017 total solar eclipse, the moon was farther away from Earth and caused the area of totality to be narrower, extending from about 62 to 71 miles (100 to 114 kilometers) wide. But the moon will be closer to our planet during this year’s event, so the path its shadow will follow over North America is expected to stretch about 108 to 122 miles (174 to 196 kilometers) wide.
April’s eclipse will also have a longer period of totality than 2017 because of the moon’s proximity to Earth. Totality is one of the shortest phases of an eclipse, and its duration is dependent on the viewing location. Observers closest to the center of the path will experience the longest totality, and the length of that window decreases closer to the path’s edge.
In 2017, skygazers glimpsing the longest totality experienced it for 2 minutes and 42 seconds near Carbondale, Illinois.
