Total Solar Eclipse: Full Recap

When Is the Next Total Solar Eclipse?

Well, if you live in the United States, the bad news is you'll have to wait.

The next total solar eclipse won’t occur for another 20 years and according to NASA, the next one visible in the United States won't be until Aug. 23, 2044.

However, there will be a number of partial eclipses as early as next year — but you'd have to travel to see them.

Eclipse Ends Over North America

The April 8 total solar eclipse has come to an end as it finished passing over Canada. Maine was the last state in the United States to experience totality.

Naked Cowboy and More Celebrate the Eclipse in N.Y.C.

People in New York City gathered to watch as the solar eclipse passed over the Northeast on April 8.

Path of Total Solar Eclipse Ends in Canada

The path of the total solar eclipse has ended as the sun passed over Newfoundland at 3:46 p.m. EST, CNN reported. Meanwhile, the partial solar eclipse will last until 4:47 p.m. EST.

Total Solar Eclipse Has Headed to the Northeast

The total solar eclipse has headed east. According to CNN, Erie, Pennsylvania, experienced totality at 3:16 p.m. EST, while in Buffalo, New York, totality happened at 3:18 p.m. EST.

A View from One of PEOPLE's Own in Texas

"We were pretty concerned in Texas about cloud cover but they mostly held out and we got these beautiful little wispy clouds leading up [to] the total eclipse," says Anna Lazarus Caplan, a writer-reporter for Human Interest and Sports at PEOPLE.

"The light began to change gradually and it did get cooler," she adds. "You could hear birdsong too. It was eerily quiet and the only movement in our neighborhood were the Amazon and UPS trucks which seemed not to get the memo."

Tornado Watch Issued in Texas in Path of Totality

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of eastern Texas and northern Louisiana, including in some areas that are in the path of totality, according to the National Weather Service.

See the First Photos of the Total Solar Eclipse

The first photos of the total solar eclipse in Mexico and Texas are starting to pour in.  See it here in Fort Worth, Texas, and Mazatlan, Mexico.

Total Eclipse Begins

The first views of the total solar eclipse began in Mazatlán, Mexico — and the eclipse is now moving along the path of totality, with eclipse watchers in Texas just minutes away from breathtaking views. 

105-Year-Old Eclipse Chaser Looking Forward to Seeing His 13th

LaVerne Biser has spent more than 60 years traveling to see solar eclipses, but this year, the Texas resident won't have far to go at all.

“I’ve seen 12 of ‘em and I always want to see the next one,” he told PEOPLE ahead of the big day, which he plans to watch in Plano, about an hour’s drive from his home, alongside his daughter.

Continue reading more about Biser's story.

President Biden Reminds Americans to Wear Their Solar Glasses

President Joe Biden took a moment on April 8 to warn Americans about the importance of staying safe. The post included an image of Bidden wearing, you guessed it, a pair of eclipse glasses.

"An eclipse is worth marveling at," the president said in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). "But don't be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear." 

What Happens If You Look Directly at the Eclipse Without Glasses?

If you look directly at the solar eclipse without protection, you could permanently damage your eyesight.

“Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury,” NASA warned ahead of the rare event.

Even just “a few seconds of viewing” can permanently burn retina tissue – and once it’s destroyed, “it cannot regenerate, resulting in permanent central vision loss,” according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Continue reading the full story here.

How to Spot Fake Solar Eclipse Glasses

Before you view today’s solar eclipse, make sure you have the right glasses on hand.

The buzz and hype leading up to the major rare event have led to fake or counterfeit eclipse glasses hitting the marketplace, according to the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in a March 22 release. 

The organization warned that these fakes don’t have the special protection to “block all” of the “sun’s ultraviolet (UV), visible and infrared (IR) light,” compared to the proper and legitimate eclipse glasses. Thereby, using such counterfeit devices to see the eclipse can result in “severe” eye injuries – among them “temporarily impaired vision” and “permanent blindness.”

Continue reading the full story here.

Partial Solar Eclipse Now Visible in Mexico

The day’s excitement has already begun for some people in Mexico with a partial solar eclipse now visible in Mazatlán, which is located on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Full totality is expected at 2:06 p.m. EST and will last for about four minutes, per CNN.

You can see a live steam from the beach here.

What Time Will It be Visible in Your Area?

Below is when each city in the path of totality will begin to experience the totality of the eclipse. For a more detailed chart on start times, visit NASA. 

Dallas, Texas, 1:40 p.m. CDT

Idabel, Okla., 1:45 p.m. CDT

Little Rock, Ark., 1:51 p.m. CDT

Poplar Bluff, Miss., 1:56 p.m. CDT

Paducah, Ky., 2:00 p.m. CDT

Carbondale, Ill., 1:59 p.m. CDT

Evansville, Ind., 2:02 p.m. CDT

Cleveland, Ohio, 3:13 p.m. EST

Erie, Pa., 3:16 p.m. EST

Buffalo, N.Y., 3:18 p.m. EST

Burlington, Vt., 3:26 p.m. EST

Lancaster, N.H., 3:27 p.m. EST

Caribou, Maine, 3:32 p.m. EST

Once in Canada, the total solar eclipse will start in Brantford, Ont. at 3:17 p.m. and conclude its path of totality in Perth-Andover, N.B. at 4:35 p.m., per CBC News.