Into the darkness: the April 2024 solar eclipse
At 3:29 p.m., April 8, 2024, masses of students piled onto Briggs Field, Killian Court, and the Lobby 7 steps to view the solar eclipse.
Photo courtesy of Amber Peng
Caroline Chea–The Tech
Omar Orozco–The Tech
Omar Orozco–The Tech
At 3:29 p.m., April 8, 2024, masses of students piled onto Briggs Field, Killian Court, and the Lobby 7 steps to view the solar eclipse. Solar eclipse glasses were exchanged and pinhole experiments were attempted as the sky darkened to a slight gray. If you were unaware there was an eclipse, you would have simply thought it was a cloudy day as opposed to a partial solar eclipse where 92.6% of the Sun was blocked by the Moon (the Cambridge peak).
From MIT, you could see a small sliver of the Sun peek out behind the Moon. In the path of totality, the Moon was centered in front of the Sun, blocking its light (photosphere) and allowing the viewer to see the Sun’s corona (outer atmosphere). There was complete darkness around you, which lasted a few minutes. This eclipse was particularly exciting to look at as the Sun is in its “active” period, which occurs in the middle of the process where the Sun’s magnetic poles flip. There were more chances to see streams of the corona and magnetic loops!
Given that a total eclipse requires exact alignment between the Earth, Moon, and Sun, they are quite rare. The next total solar eclipse is expected to occur on August 12, 2026, with its path of totality covering areas in the North Atlantic (Greenland and Iceland) and Europe (Spain to Russia). Parts of North America (New England) will experience a partial eclipse. For the continental U.S., the next total solar eclipse won’t happen until August 22, 2044, with a following coast-to-coast eclipse on August 12, 2045.
Eclipse glasses are worn to protect your eyes because even only a few of the Sun’s rays are still powerful enough to damage your eyes. You are especially vulnerable during an eclipse because some of the wavelengths that trigger pain receptors in your eyes are blocked. As a result, you will not have your normal reflection to look away from, allowing damage to occur.
If you are experiencing any eye pain, retinal soreness, headaches, or anything else out of the ordinary after the eclipse even though you wore glasses, please see a doctor, as knockoff glasses are out there. A full list of trusted manufacturers can be found on the American Astronomical Society website.
For the next eclipse, an experiment you can try is making a pinhole camera, which projects the Sun’s eclipse shape. All you need is a tiny hole through a piece of paper and a surface to project onto (a sidewalk works!). In effect, you have created a small lens that focuses and projects the Sun’s light, allowing you to see its shape.
Also, if you are traveling to view the eclipse, prepare yourself for traffic delays as people move toward the path of totality and return home to view the eclipse. Since eclipses only happen once in a blue moon, take your chance when you get it.