SAN DIEGO — There’s a major celestial event happening soon and astronomers, photographers, and regular watchers of the sky are flocking to parts of the U.S. and Mexico to take it all in. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will trace a narrow path of totality across 13 U.S. states.
While San Diego is not directly in the path of totality, we will still be able to see a partial eclipse for more than 2 hours.
What is a solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse is when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun by passing between it and Earth.
People in the moon's shadow will experience a total eclipse, meaning the sky will darken like dusk or dawn. They’ll see what’s called the sun's corona or outer atmosphere which is usually blocked by the sun's bright face.
Why is a solar eclipse considered such a special event?
We spoke with the Fleet’s resident astronomer and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at San Diego City College, Dr. Lisa Will about the importance of this eclipse. “If you’re lucky enough to be in the path of totality it will get dark outside animals quiet down, birds quiet down because diurnal creatures are like oh, it's night time, it’s an actual effect, the temperatures drop if you’re in totality,” Dr. Will said.
To say she’s excited might be an understatement. She has plans to venture to Indiana to get a glimpse. “This is a thriving tourist industry actually,” said Dr. Will. Many others have booked flights years in advance to be somewhere along the path of totality.
Hotels are booked up in states like Maine. In Ohio, the Dept. of Transportation will have gas nozzles ready. They expect millions of people to get stuck on their roads.
Dr. Will recalls, “The last was August 2017 and you could actually see the traffic jams on Google Maps.”
The Omni in Texas has special room rates and viewing parties. They even issued a disaster declaration in one small Texas town because of the large crowds they are expecting.
And what might be the most epic way to watch… some airlines have flights directly along its path.
The eclipse visibility in San Diego
So here in San Diego, we’ll still get to see 55% of the eclipse. “You’re going to see beautiful, little crescent suns,” Dr. Will said.
It will look similar to October 2023 when hundreds gathered to watch the partial viewing. And in true Fleet fashion, they’ll have another educational and entertaining party at Balboa Park for this viewing. The Fleet has your eyes covered with plenty of glasses available and plenty of people who can offer their expertise.
Here’s how it all times out in San Diego:
You’ll get to see the partial solar eclipse on Monday, April 8th:
- Beginning at 10:03 a.m.
- Reaching its peak at 11:11 a.m.
- Then it’ll come to an end at 12:23 p.m.
That is 2 hours and 20 minutes where we can all unite for one celestial mission. A mission that has people around the world coming to North America to look to at the skies.
Important to protect your eyes
An important part of all of this is protecting your eyes, so make sure you get glasses that are certified by ISO.
As the eclipse is happening, the rays of the sun can damage your eyes.
But there is a brief moment when it's ok to view with the naked eye and that’s during the exact moment of totality, which is expected to last between 3.5 to 4 minutes, depending on where you are. “During totality, it is safe to look at sun briefly but I always caution against that, unless they have someone warning them to look away," Dr. Will said.
The next solar eclipse
The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be August 23, 2044.
WATCH RELATED: San Diegans gather for Ring of Fire eclipse at Fleet Science Center (Oct 2023):