Total Solar Eclipse 2024: When And Where To Watch The Celestial Event In India?

2024 is going to witness its first Total Solar Eclipse in April. Like always it is going to be an exciting event for the stargazers as it gives them the opportunity to watch the celestial phenomenon live. This time eclipse will have several factors at play that can account for a larger viewing base. However, will it be visible in India? Read on to know.

What is Total Solar Eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs approximately every six months, during the eclipse season in its new moon phase when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Earth's orbit.

When is a Total Solar Eclipse

The first celestial event of this year is on April 8. The path of totality will be around 185 km (115 miles) wide, allowing more people to experience the event. The moon will be 3,59,515 km away from the Earth, implying its conical shadow on the planet will have a larger diameter, states Space.com.

Total Solar Eclipse will follow a southwest-to-northeast as the path of totality will cross Mexico and a small part of eastern Canada. According to NASA, if clear skies prevail, 14 to 15 US states will be able to catch a glimpse of the event. Mexico’s Pacific coast is the first location to see the totality phase at around 11:07 AM PDT (around 11:37 pm IST).

Then it will enter the US in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire and Maine.

Will a Total Solar Eclipse be visible in India?

No, the celestial event will not be visible in India so there will be no Sutak for this Surya Grahan. In fact, none of the four eclipses of the year will be visible from the Indian subcontinent.