The celestial spectacle of a solar eclipse is a sight to behold. But the total solar eclipse coming on April 8, 2024, is set to be an especially rare and exciting event. Let’s explore why this particular eclipse is so special.

A Rare Celestial Event

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will travel from Texas to Maine, shrouding the U.S. in darkness for the first time since 2017. This will be the first total solar eclipse in the continental U.S. in 7 years. The last one occurred on August 21, 2017. It crossed the country from Oregon to South Carolina, and millions of people viewed it successfully. Before that one, you have to go back to February 26, 1979. And it will be 20 years until the next one: August 23, 2044.

Longer Duration and More Active Sun

Compared with the last total eclipse that crossed the United States, in 2017, this year’s total eclipse will last longer, the sky will fall darker, and the sun itself will put on a much livelier show. The moon will be at a point in its orbit that’s comparatively close to Earth in April, making the moon appear particularly large. As a result, for anyone fortunate enough to make it to the path of totality — where the moon completely blocks out the sun’s disk — it will be an especially dark eclipse that will last for nearly 4½ minutes. That’s almost two minutes longer than the Great American Eclipse of 2017.

What’s more, the sun will be close to solar maximum in 2024. That’s the peak of its roughly 11-year activity cycle. As a result, lots of bright, petal-like streamers of plasma will extend from the solar corona, the sun’s outer atmosphere. The increase in solar activity also ups the chances of a coronal mass ejection, a large puff of hot gas trapped in a loop of magnetic field that’s blasted away from the sun’s surface. A longer time to observe the eclipse and a more active sun will make it both a better show and a boon for scientists who have more telescopes, sensors and satellites available to study the sun than ever before. Even viewers without other equipment should be able to see the streamers and a coronal mass ejection, if it occurs.

Accessibility to the Bulk of the U.S. Population

“There’s nearly 32 million people [who will be] inside the path [of totality],” says cartographer Michael Zeiler. That’s about 2½ times as many as during the 2017 eclipse. And “the major East Coast metros from Baltimore to Boston are all about 200 miles from the path of totality.” That means that the path of totality is going be very accessible to the bulk of the U.S. population, says Zeiler, founder of GreatAmericanEclipse.com. The eclipse will be visible to some degree in every U.S. state as well as portions of northwestern Mexico and southeastern Canada.

The 2024 solar eclipse is set to be a major event. Totality can last twice as long as in 2017, depending on the observer’s location. It’s also set to be the longest totality on land for over a decade, so expect eclipse-chasers from around the world to visit the path of totality. Observing a solar eclipse is a unique experience that leaves a lasting impression. With the right preparation, you can safely enjoy this celestial event and gain a deeper appreciation for the wonders of our universe.