10 Best Places to Watch the April 8 Solar Eclipse

A total solar eclipse is expected in the next few days, a rather rare event, of great interest for astronomers and scientists but also decidedly spectacular.
The day becomes night for a few minutes and only in these moments is it possible to observe the crown of the star, which on other occasions is hidden by the blinding light of the solar disk.
In fact, the alignment of the Sun, Earth and Moon leading to a total solar eclipse can occur even twice a year, but is usually only visible from particular and not easily accessible points such as the Poles.
On April 8, 2024, however, the eclipse will be observable from many cities, so much so that in recent days there has been a great movement of scientists and curious people so as not to miss the phenomenon.
We anticipate that, unfortunately, this year's eclipse will not be visible from any European city.
There are some consolations, however.
Meanwhile, the cities from which the phenomenon will be visible are not difficult to reach and the idea of leaving is not even remotely comparable to a journey to the Poles.
Not surprisingly, many people are traveling from all over the world.
Secondly, we can take advantage of technology to enjoy the eclipse directly from home thanks to streaming services, often complete with comments and explanations for enthusiasts.
Finally, there won't be a long wait for a solar eclipse visible from Italy.
In the meantime, let's see the 10 best places to watch the eclipse of April 8, together with some advice.
Where to watch the April 8 solar eclipse 1)Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico 2) Nazas, Durango, Mexico 3) Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico 4) Radar Base, Texas 5) Kerrville, Texas 6) Lampasas, Texas 7) Hillsboro, Texas 8) Sulfur Springs, Texas 9) Russellville, Arkansas 10) Cape Girardeau, Missouri Solar eclipse visible from Italy 1) Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico The solar eclipse of April 8 will be visible in much of Mexico.
The first choice is the city of Mazatlán, which was also among the main travel destinations for the 1991 solar eclipse.
According to the local time zone, the eclipse will begin at 09:51:28 am and end at 12 :32:11 pm, peaking at 11:09:39 am, for a total eclipse duration of 4 minutes and 18 seconds.
The dedicated NASA event will be held in Mazatlán, which will be broadcast on the agency's channels in English and Spanish.
2) Nazas, Durango, Mexico We remain in Mexico, but we move to Nazas, where the solar eclipse of April 8 will begin at 11:58:24 am and end at 02:39:42 pm, with the maximum point at 01 :17:17 pm (always in local time zone).
The total eclipse will have an effective duration of 4 minutes and 28 seconds.
3) Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico In Mexico, the solar eclipse will also have excellent visibility in Piedras Negras.
Here, according to local time, the alignment will begin at 12:10:08 pm and end at 02:51:17 pm, but the peak with total eclipse will be at 01:29:37 pm and will last 4 minutes and 25 seconds .
4) Radar Base, Texas We move to Texas, but without going too far from Mexico.
Radar Base, the best city in the United States to watch the solar eclipse, is located right on the Mexican border.
Here, the eclipse will begin according to local time at 12:10:26 pm and end at 02:51:30 pm, with the total peak at 01:29:53 pm.
There will be 4 minutes and 27 seconds to watch the phenomenon.
For those who want to watch it in streaming, it is good to know that many BBC correspondents who will broadcast the event live are located here.
5) Kerrville, Texas As for Texas, the solar eclipse on April 8 will also be clearly visible from Kerrville, where it will reach its peak at 01:34:17 pm and total coverage will last 4 minutes and 25 seconds.
The alignment will begin much earlier, at 12:14:43 pm and will be completely finished at 02:55:29 pm (again, according to local time).
6) Lampasas, Texas The total eclipse of April 8 will also be observable in Lampasas, starting at 12:18:03 pm, ending at 02:58:23 pm and maximum at 01:37:35 pm (local time) , for a duration of 4 minutes and 24 seconds.
7) Hillsboro, Texas As in Mexico, even from Texas the solar eclipse can be watched from different areas, but as we go down the ranking its duration decreases, albeit imperceptibly.
According to local time, the eclipse in Hillsboro will begin at 12:21:23 pm, end at 03:01:16 pm, peaking at 02:40:53 pm.
The total solar eclipse here will last 4 minutes and 23 seconds.
8) Sulfur Springs, Texas In Sulfur Springs the solar eclipse will begin at 12:25:38 pm (local time) and end at 03:04:52 pm.
The maximum point will be at 01:45:04 pm and the total eclipse will last 4 minutes and 21 seconds.
9) Russellville, Arkansas From Texas we fly to Arkansas and in particular to Russellville, where the solar eclipse on April 8 will last 4 minutes and 11 seconds, with the peak at 01:52:10 pm according to the time local.
The phenomenon will begin at 12:33:08 pm and will definitively end at 03:10:46 pm.
10) Cape Girardeau, Missouri Closing the ranking of the 10 best places to watch the eclipse on April 8 is the city of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where you can witness the peak at 03:10:46 pm (local time) and The total eclipse will last 4 minutes and 11 seconds.
Here, the phenomenon will begin at 12:33:08 pm and end at 03:10:46 pm.
Solar eclipse visible from Italy The total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024 will only be clearly visible from parts of the United States and Mexico, while other areas, such as the United Kingdom, could be lucky and witness the partial phenomenon.
No hope for Europe, even if it will be possible to follow live streaming and virtual events.
In addition to NASA, many astronomical observatories will broadcast the event live (including on YouTube), as will US and Mexican broadcasters.
Italians will have to tune in between 6.38pm and 9.55pm (Italian time) on April 8 to watch the event.
For a solar eclipse visible in our area, we need to wait until March 29, 2025, which will be a partial eclipse, when the phenomenon can be observed in the North West.
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