On April 8, a total solar eclipse will sweep across North America. The path of totality — a 115-mile (185-kilometer) wide route where the moon will cover 100% of the sun‘s disk — stretches through Mexico, 15 U.S. States and Canada.
It is shaping up to be one of the most watched total solar eclipses ever with over 31 million people living within the path of totality alone. With all the juiced-up anticipation for the celestial event, there is a huge amount of pressure to get “E-day” just right. The key to a successful viewing experience is preparedness (and a little bit of luck) as bad weather or traffic problems could put a serious dampener on your day.
On Tuesday (March 26), NASA is holding a briefing with representatives from scientific and transportation agencies to share valuable information about the upcoming eclipse. The webcast will begin at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) and you can watch it live here at Space.com courtesy of the agency or on NASA TV
Related: What happens if it’s cloudy for the April 8 solar eclipse?
Those taking part in the briefing include:
- NASA Administrator Bill Nelson
- NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy
- NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free
- Kelly Korreck, eclipse program manager, NASA Headquarters
- Shailen Bhatt, administrator, Federal Highway Administration
- Elsayed Talaat, director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Weather Observations
If you’re unable to see the total eclipse in person you can watch the total solar eclipse live here on Space.com. And keep up with all the actions with our total solar eclipse 2024 live updates blog.
Remember to safely view all of the solar eclipse, you must use solar filters. Only those in the path of totality will be able to remove them briefly to see the sun’s corona with their naked eyes. Those not in the path of totality must keep them on the entire time.
Everyone observing the partial phases of this eclipse — and for those outside the path of totality, that’s the entire event — will need to wear solar eclipse glasses while cameras, telescopes and binoculars will need solar filters placed in front of their lenses.
Our how to observe the sun safely guide tells you everything you need to know about safe solar observations.
Dr. Sarah Adams is a scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to all. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
