On April 8, 2024, a solar eclipse occurred passing through several North American countries, including the United States and Mexico. In order to prevent eye problems while looking at the eclipse, observers had to wear special glasses to protect their eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, thus obscuring the sun’s rays and forming a full shadow such as an umbra. A partial eclipse also contains a shadow known as a penumbra. In order for a solar eclipse to occur, two things must happen.  The sun, moon, and earth need to form a straight line, and the moon has to be between the sun and the earth. Standing in the right place at the right time is necessary to fully observe the solar eclipse.

There are about two solar eclipses that happen each year. It is expected that the next solar eclipse will happen on March 29, 2025 and the total solar eclipse visible from the lower 48 states will occur on August 22, 2044, about 20 years from now. There is also a lunar eclipse occurring on September 18, 2024, so stay tuned for that!