Total solar eclipse, the best photos

Exploration and discovery
Eclissi totale di Sole, 8 aprile 2024

An extraordinary event visible from Mexico, the United States and Canada, the only “black sun” of the year.

The much-anticipated total solar eclipse of 8 April 2024 began at 12:39 local time on the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean and partially started on the coast of Mexico near the city of Mazatlan, where thousands of people gathered.

What you will find in this article:

The total eclipse of the sun

More than four minutes of total darkness were experienced in Texas, starting at 14:40 (20:40 in Italy), plunging the landscape into a darkness akin to night. Temperatures in the area dropped dramatically. In a matter of minutes, the area went from oppressive humidity to cold.

The perfect alignment of the Earth, Moon and Sun caused the lunar disc to completely obscure the Sun’s photosphere (the region where the vast majority of solar radiation originates). This allowed us to observe the Sun’s corona, the outermost part of its atmosphere, with the naked eye. In the following images it appears as a whitish halo around the darkened disc.

Against a dark background, the Moon slowly moves in front of the orange Sun. The Sun appears smaller until it’s a thin crescent. A bright flash of light appears, then white streams of light fill the image around a dark circle. The Moon then slowly moves off the Sun again. Photo: © NASA
The entire occultation phenomenon in a photo sequence taken from the Indonesian island of Ternate, from the beginning (top left) to the end (bottom right). Photo: © REUTERS/Beawiharta
The entire occultation phenomenon in a photo sequence taken from the Indonesian island of Ternate, from the beginning (top left) to the end (bottom right). Photo: © REUTERS/Beawiharta
In Bangkok, Thailand, a partially obscured sun peeks through a cloudy sky. A partial eclipse was visible to residents of Australia, southern China, other parts of south-east Asia, Alaska and Hawaii. Photo: © REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
In Bangkok, Thailand, a partially obscured sun peeks through a cloudy sky. A partial eclipse was visible to residents of Australia, southern China, other parts of south-east Asia, Alaska and Hawaii. Photo: © REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
The eclipse as seen from Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: © RON JENKINS/GETTY IMAGES
The eclipse as seen from Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: © RON JENKINS/GETTY IMAGES
The total solar eclipse Photo: © JOSH EDELSON GETTY IMAGES
The total solar eclipse Photo: © JOSH EDELSON/GETTY IMAGES
Here is the eclipse photographed by Alaska Airlines flight crew in the skies over Anchorage, Alaska. The airline has rescheduled some of its flights to ensure that passengers travelling on ASA 870 from Anchorage to Honolulu can enjoy the show at high altitude. Some astronomers and eclipse enthusiasts booked tickets. Photo: © Anchorage flight attendants Rachael C. & Sofia S.
Here is the eclipse photographed by Alaska Airlines flight crew in the skies over Anchorage, Alaska. The airline has rescheduled some of its flights to ensure that passengers travelling on ASA 870 from Anchorage to Honolulu can enjoy the show at high altitude. Some astronomers and eclipse enthusiasts booked tickets. Photo: © Anchorage flight attendants Rachael C. & Sofia S.
On the Ampera Bridge over the Musi River in Palembang, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia, the light of the eclipse is reflected on a woman's hand. Photo: © REUTERS/Nova Wahyudi/Antara Foto
On the Ampera Bridge over the Musi River in Palembang, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia, the light of the eclipse is reflected on a woman’s hand. Photo: © REUTERS/Nova Wahyudi/Antara Foto
Before total darkness, Ternate, Indonesia. Photo: © REUTERS/Beawiharta
Before total darkness, Ternate, Indonesia. Photo: © REUTERS/Beawiharta
The "black sun" seen from a beach in Ternate, Indonesia. Photo: © REUTERS/Beawiharta
The “black sun” seen from a beach in Ternate, Indonesia. Photo: © REUTERS/Beawiharta
The view of the phenomenon from Ternate, Indonesia. Photo: © Jeff Dai/SpaceWeather.com
The view of the phenomenon from Ternate, Indonesia. Photo: © Jeff Dai/SpaceWeather.com
A solar prominence visible to the naked eye at maximum darkness in Ternate, Indonesia. For a few minutes, the temperature dropped from 33 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius and the humidity rose from 73 percent to 85 percent. Photo: © Donald S Gardner/SpaceWeather.com
A solar prominence visible to the naked eye at maximum darkness in Ternate, Indonesia. For a few minutes, the temperature dropped from 33 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius and the humidity rose from 73 percent to 85 percent. Photo: © Donald S Gardner/SpaceWeather.com
The cone of the Moon's shadow projected onto the Earth: the photo was taken by the Japanese geostationary satellite Himawari-8. Photo: © wang wenhui/SpaceWeather.com
The cone of the Moon’s shadow projected onto the Earth: the photo was taken by the Japanese geostationary satellite Himawari-8. Photo: © wang wenhui/SpaceWeather.com
The final stage in Mazatlan, Mexico Photo: © HECTOR VIVAS/GETTY IMAGES
The final stage in Mazatlan, Mexico Photo: © HECTOR VIVAS/GETTY IMAGES
The partial eclipse as seen from Niagara Falls Photo: © ADAM GRAY/GETTY IMAGES
The partial eclipse as seen from Niagara Falls Photo: © ADAM GRAY/GETTY IMAGES

Video from NASA

Sources and Data

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