Expectations For The 2024 Solar Eclipse In Augusta

It's been seven years since the last total solar eclipse happened over North America. But there's another coming soon. On April 8, 2024, we will experience another total eclipse, and it will be the last until 2044. While some may be able to see the full effects, when it comes to the solar eclipse in Augusta, we won't see the total phase.

There are two types of eclipses. There's a lunar eclipse, which happens when the Earth's shadow obscures the Moon.  Then there's the solar eclipse, where the Moon hides the Sun. When this occurs, the sun's light is fully or partially blocked, casting a shadow for those in its path.

According to NASA, we experience four to seven eclipses throughout the year. As for why we don't have an eclipse every month? "The Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun."

For the upcoming eclipse, we will experience a solar eclipse. While this particular eclipse is a "total solar eclipse," Augusta won't be in the path of totality. This means we won't experience the Moon fully covering the Sun.

Those in the path of totality, weather permitting, will experience a dark sky similar to dawn or dusk. And they may also see the Sun's corona (outer atmosphere), that's typically unable to be seen due to the Sun's brightness.

The upcoming eclipse takes place on Monday, April 8, 2024. According to TimeAndDate.com, the event will begin at 1:50 p.m. and finish at 4:23 p.m. for a total of 2 hours and 33 minutes.

The peak of the eclipse (meaning the time we'll see the max coverage in our area) will be at 3:08 p.m. Visibility of the eclipse will be dependent on the weather of course.

Since we will only see a partial eclipse in Augusta, the Moon won't completely cover the sun, and we'll see various stages of a cresent Sun throughout the window of time. It's important that if you plan to view the eclipse, you should do so safely.

The only time it is safe to view an eclipse without special glasses is during a total solar eclipse. And that should only be done during totality when the Sun is completely blocked by the Moon. For viewing the solar eclipse in Augusta, you will need eclipse glasses.

It's important to note that regular sunglasses are not adequate for viewing the solar eclipse. Not matter how dark the sunglasses are, they won't protect your eyes. You will need special eclipse glasses to safely view the event as it takes place. A quick search on Amazon brought up a lot of options starting around $5.

Another option is a solar viewer, which NASA says should comply with ISO 12312-1 international standard. When using eclipse glasses or a solar viewer, NASA recommends inspecting prior to use for any scratches or damage. And you should also supervise children using these items.

You should also never look at the Sun through a camera lens, telescope, or binoculars, even while wearing eclipse glasses or using a solar viewer.

There's also the indirect viewing method, where you wouldn't be looking directly at the sun. NASA says one way to do this is by using a pinhole projector, which has a small opening and projects the image of the Sun onto a nearby surface. They even have an easy way to make your own box pinhole projector. See that HERE.