In a few hours, the 2024 total solar eclipse will occur, a unique astronomical phenomenon that can be observed in places in Mexico, the United States and Canada, and partially in other areas. In any case, and thanks to the Internet, fans or the curious will be able to watch it live from anywhere in the world through broadcasts by organizations such as those offered by NASA.

As you know, solar eclipses occur when observed by an observer from Earth The moon hides the sun. This phenomenon is natural and known for centuries, although it caused horror in ancient cultures who did not know the reason why their Sun went dark in a matter of minutes. Especially when, in the case of total eclipses, she ‘disappeared’ completely and ‘day turned to night’.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth and completely blocks the face of the Sun as seen from our perspective on Earth. People viewing the eclipse from locations where the moon’s shadow completely covers the sun (known as the path of totality) will experience a total solar eclipse. In these cases and weather permitting, you will be able to see the “spooky” crown of the Sun, certainly the most stunning on a visual level. (Eye protection is strongly recommended.)

The 2024 total solar eclipse will run from Mazatlan in the Mexican Pacific to the east coast of Canada in a variable band (quite wide) that will reach 196 kilometersFor example, in Dallas, Texas (one of the largest cities where you can enjoy this phenomenon), the moon will begin to move in front of the sun at 12:23 PM CDT (7:23 PM in Spain). This will be the beginning of the partial eclipse phase, and an hour later, at approximately 1:40 PM CDT, the total eclipse phase will begin when the Moon completely blocks the Sun.

If you live in the path of the eclipse, consider yourself lucky and take advantage of an opportunity that you may not be able to repeat in person. And if not, don’t worry because you can conveniently see this heavenly coincidence from anywhere in the world. For example, NASA en Español will be doing three hours of live viewing of the eclipse (from 19:00 in Spain) through special cameras located at different points of its trajectory and will discuss it with experts and astronomers. You can see it on his YouTube channel.

Another good place to see the 2024 total solar eclipse will be the Virtual Telescope Project website, which will be broadcasting the entire event live and online thanks to its collaborators.