The first solar eclipse of 2022 will occur on April 30. There will be a narrow band of visibility over parts of Antarctica, the southern tip of South America, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Or, you can watch it online.
Solar eclipses occur when the new moon crosses the face of the sun from Earth’s perspective. (Never look directly at the sun with your eyes; instead, follow the safety guide later in this article to help you.)
Partial solar eclipses occur when the moon blocks only part of the solar disk. In this case, regarding 64% of the solar disk will be erased at most, according to NASA. The amount will vary depending on your viewing location.
There will be no total solar eclipses in 2022. However, another partial solar eclipse on October 25 will be visible from Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East and western Asia , according to NASA.
The next solar eclipse will be on April 20, 2023; this eclipse will be a hybrid eclipse, displaying both the characteristics of a total solar eclipse and a “ring of fire” or annular solar eclipse. The next total solar eclipse visible from North America will be on April 8, 2024; all of which will be visible from Mexico, the central United States and eastern Canada.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of the April 30 partial solar eclipse.
Partial eclipses last a bit longer than total solar eclipses. During total eclipses, we are subject to the very small shadow of the moon, which can briefly cover the entire face of the sun. Partial phases, however, last much longer.
While the visibility of the eclipse depends on your region, timeanddate.com has information on when the eclipse begins and ends around the world. The eclipse will be visible for the first time at 2:45 p.m. EDT (1845 GMT). The maximum eclipse will occur a few hours later, at 4:41 p.m. EDT (2041 GMT). Then the eclipse will end at 6:37 p.m. EDT (2237 GMT).
There will be live streams of the event if you, like most skywatchers, can’t catch it in person. Timeanddate.com will have a live blog (not a stream) available on this page; he has yet to release a timeline on when that will happen. Additionally, the YouTube channel Gyaan ki gareebi Live will start streaming at the start of the eclipse.
A partial solar eclipse often feels like the moon has “bitten” or taken a piece of the sun. You can picture this very clearly when you think regarding the geometry of the solar system: because the moon is closer to Earth than the sun, it can pass in front of us.
The size of the “bite” you see depends on your location. The largest magnitude will be approximately at the tip of South America and the surrounding ocean, according to timeanddate.com, so most earthlings will have to settle for a rather smaller “bite.”
When a total solar eclipse occurs, it is due to a happy coincidence. The diameter of the sun is 400 times larger than that of the moon, but the moon orbits 400 times closer to the Earth than the Earth orbits the sun. Every 18 months or so, the trajectories coincide in such a way as to allow for a total solar eclipse.
This particular solar eclipse will take place in largely uninhabited regions. It will include parts of Antarctica, the southern tip of South America, and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans; most of the viewing area will be above water.
As a result, there probably won’t be many live streams available for this event. Timeanddate.com will have a live blog (not a stream) available on this page. In addition, the YouTube channel Gyaan ki gareebi Live will launch a broadcast at the start of the eclipse.
WARNING: Looking directly at the sun can cause blindness and other forms of permanent eye damage if you do not wear proper eye protection.
To observe the sun or watch an eclipse safely, you must use special protective glasses or certified eclipse glasses. Basic sunglasses won’t protect you, even if they have UV protection. In fact, the surest way to observe an eclipse is through indirect methods, using an easy-to-grab pinhole camera with home gear.
If you want to use a camera, be sure to use special sun filters on your equipment. Your smartphone also needs protective filters, and if you use it, stick to a wide-angle single click to protect the camera.
NASA advises extreme caution when viewing solar eclipses, stressing that it is safe to remove your glasses only during the total phases of a total solar eclipse. For partial eclipses, keep glasses on at all times.
