The next Total Solar Eclipses after April 8, 2024? All you will need to know.
The total solar eclipse that is supposed to happen on April 8th, 2024, is not here yet but the one thing many major outlets such as magazines and websites are getting wrong is that the next total solar eclipse in North America will happen after 20 years, that is on the date 23rd August 2044. Even NASA’s website states that “After the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, the next solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be on August 23, 2044.” Just to inform you contiguous refers to the 48 neighboring states and D.C. in the United States. We now know this to be untrue as the next total solar eclipse in the United States will occur on March 30, 2033, and that would mean it would happen exactly nine years after April 8.
Today, we will give you a glimpse into what you need to know about the next three total solar eclipses that will happen in 2033, and 2044, and also the “Greatest American Eclipse” that will happen in the year 2045.
Solar Eclipse April 8, 2024
Due to some divine coincidence, the moon and the sun appear to us to be the same size in the sky. When the moon blocks the glare of the sun, the sun’s outer atmosphere or corona will be briefly visible to us. This eclipse will start at sunrise over the Pacific Ocean and then cut through Mexico and cross the United States from Texas to Maine. Much of North America will only be able to view a partial solar eclipse, however, viewers that are within the deepest shadows such as a band sliding from Mazatlan, Mexico, to the Newfoundland coast which is near Gander, Canada can also experience a total solar eclipse.
People who live inside or are viewing the eclipse inside its path may notice a slight drop in temperature, a quiet shift of winds, the appearance of bright planets in the sky, and also the wildlife and birds going quiet for a while. The path of the total solar eclipse varies from 108 to 122 miles and many cities lie inside its path.
Assuming that the sky is clear you will be able to see a diamond ring form just a few seconds before and after the total eclipse as the sun’s edge slips in and out of view. You should wear green clothes or a combination of green and red as they will appear brighter. It will be an especially dark eclipse and will last for nearly 4 and a half minutes. That means it will be 2 minutes longer than the Great American Eclipse of 2017.
The following total solar eclipse in North America after April 8, 2024
The next total solar eclipse in North America after 2024 will occur on Wednesday, March 30, 2033. When the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and in the process partially conceals the image of the sun for a viewer on the Earth, a solar eclipse appears to happen. A total solar eclipse takes place when the apparent diameter of the moon is much larger than the Sun’s, therefore blocking all the direct sunlight from reaching Earth and in turn turning the day into darkness for a while. This totality only occurs in a small path across the Earth’s surface, but the partial solar eclipse is still visible over a large surrounding area that could reach up to thousands of kilometers wide.
The total solar eclipse will be visible in Nome, Alaska, Utqiagvik, Alaska, and the Chukchi Peninsula in the mid-morning hours. The total solar eclipse on March 30, 2033, will be the last of 55 umbral eclipses of Solar Saros 120 as the first one in 1059. These places will be able to bear witnesses for a total of one hour or so after sunrise. It will last for exactly 2 minutes and 37 seconds. Also, remember that the aurora borealis could also be visible in some places due to the darkness early as it is the peak season for aurora borealis.
Following Total Solar Eclipse in the Contiguous United States
August 22-23, 2044, a total solar eclipse will last for a maximum of 2 minutes and 44 seconds. On the evening of August 22, totality will be visible across these places: –
- Northwestern Greenland
- Northern and western Nunavut
- Central Northwest Territories
- Extreme southeast Yukon
- Eastern British Columbia which includes Dawson Creek and Fernie
- Most of Alberta including Edmonton, Calgary, and Lethbridge
- Extreme southern Saskatchewan including Swift Current
- The northeastern half of Montana, Glacier National Park, and Great Falls will also be inside the totality
- Western North Dakota including Williston, Minot, and Dickinson
- Extreme northwest South Dakota
You can expect to have huge crowds in Banff National Park and Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. Areas outside the path of totality will get a partial solar eclipse only. A partial solar eclipse will be visible on August 22, 2024, in all parts of the following.
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
The following Coast to Coast Total Solar Eclipse in North America
It will occur on Saturday, August 12, 2045, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. This one will be the fourth longest eclipse of the 21st century with a magnitude of 1.0774 occurring just one hour after perigee. The solar eclipse shall be visible to people throughout much of the continental United States and the totality path will run across California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Over the Bahamas, the total solar eclipse will be at its greatest. After that, it will continue over the Turks and Caicos Islands, Cuba, Dominic Republic, Haiti, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil.
Over many major cities such as Salt Lake City, Reno, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Nassau, Santo Domingo, Belem, Sao Luis, and Recife, the path of totality of the solar eclipse will be visible. Little Rock will also have its second total solar eclipse visible in over 21 years. It should last for at least 6 minutes along the part of the path that starts at Camden, Alabama then crosses Florida, and finally ends near the southernmost Bahama Islands. Over the Atlantic Ocean east of Fort Lauderdale and south of Freeport, Bahamas, the duration of the totality of the solar eclipse will be 6 minutes and 5.5 seconds.
It is good to remember that the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, had a very similar path of totality over the United States. This eclipse will be a member of the semester series, an eclipse in a semester series repeats almost every 177 days and 4 hours. You can expect huge amounts of crowds at the Kennedy Space Center where the totality will last the longest in the United States.
Therefore, we should know that solar eclipse occurs not just in the United States. They take place every 18 months more or less and the next one is happening in Greenland, Iceland, and Spain on August 12, 2026.