On Monday, April 8, the sky’s most dramatic event occurs as the path of a total solar eclipse sweeps across the U.S. and the 2024 eclipse begins. At such times, the Moon is directly between the Sun and Earth, and it casts its shadow on our planet.
Because the Sun is large, the Moon’s shadow has two parts. If you’re under the outer, lighter shadow — called the penumbra — you will see a partial eclipse. But that’s not the best place to see it. Ideally, your goal should be to stand beneath the Moon’s darker, inner shadow — the umbra. That’s where day will turn into night, where several planets will become visible, and where the corona — the Sun’s normally invisible outer atmosphere — will shine forth in all its glory.
The Moon’s penumbra first touches Earth at 11:42 a.m. EDT and last contacts it at 4:52 p.m. ...
