Solar Eclipse 2024: What is total solar eclipse? What happens to Earth, Sun and Moon's alignment in Surya Grahan?

Solar Eclipse 2024: The year's first Surya Grahan (Solar Eclipse 2024) will happen today (April 8, 2024, Monday) . This is a total solar eclipse which will have a central duration of 04 minutes and 28 seconds. The solar eclipse will be visible in America, Mexico, Canada, and various North American countries, along with Costa Dominica and French Polynesia.

However, this solar eclipse will not be seen in India.

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Those who want to witness this celestial event can do so through the live streaming on NASA's official website or YouTube channel.

One is advised not to watch it with naked eyes but with eclipse glasses.

NASA has solar eclipses in four categories: total, annual, partial, and hybrid, each offering unique viewing experiences.

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Since today's solar eclipse is total, know what is it, how is it different from other types and what happens Earth , Sun and Moon's alignment in Surya Grahan.

What is total solar eclipse? 

When Moon totally blocks out Sun, we have a total solar eclipse.

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It's a breathtaking spectacle where the daytime sky turns dark and Sun's outer atmosphere becomes visible to us.

This stellar event is distinct from those other solar eclipses– annual, partial, and hybrid, which involve Moon covering Sun only in part.

These total solar eclipses are celestial sights to behold.

What happens to Earth, Sun and Moon's alignment in solar eclipse?

In a solar eclipse, alignment of Earth, Sun, and Moon fall into a single straight line.

This is the time when Moon turns into a celestial shield, prohibiting sunlight from falling on Earth.

By doing so, it ends up casting a shadow on Earth, briefly plunging us into a midday twilight.

We get to witness solar eclipses when Moon slides right between Earth and Sun, thereby casting a transient shadow on our planet.