FLORIDA — On Monday, April 8, skywatchers will get to witness a rare celestial delight and something that will not be seen again over North American skies for more than 20 years: A total solar eclipse.

Well, more of a partial total solar eclipse. Florida will not be in the path to see the total solar eclipse, but the Sunshine State will see a good bit of it, according to Dr. Yanga Fernández.

“It definitely depends on where in Florida you are. From Orlando, at maximum 58% of the sun's area will be covered. Another way of saying it is that the moon will make it 65% of the way across the sun's diameter at maximum. It's still pretty dramatic,” stated Fernández, a professor of physics at the Planetary Sciences Group at the University of Central Florida.

And it is a dramatic thing to see. Fernández explained the celestial dance that happens between the sun, moon and Earth.

“It is a phenomenon where the moon appears to pass in front of the entire sun. It requires very precise alignment between Earth, the moon, and the sun, and in fact only a fraction of Earth's surface gets to experience a given total eclipse. There is a total solar eclipse somewhere on Earth about once a year, but often it happens at an inaccessible or inconvenient place,” he stated.

And it is true, we do not get to witness a total solar eclipse often. The Earth, sun and moon need to be in their respected positions, explained Dr. Denija Crnojevic.

“For a total solar eclipse to happen, we have to have a precise alignment between the Earth, the moon, and the sun,” stated Crnojevic, who is an assistant professor of physics at the University of Tampa.

This does not happen all the time because the sun and moon change positions in the sky throughout the year, Crnojevic noted.

Plus, a few other things must fit into place, such as the phases of the moon and the distance of it from Earth also changes, which creates a different type of eclipse. For this solar eclipse, Earth's lunar sister will be in the new moon phase.

“Finally, the moon's distance from the Earth also varies, and when the moon is at its closest, it will appear large enough in the sky to fully cover the sun; if more distant, it will appear smaller on the sky, and a so-called annular eclipse can happen,” Crnojevic stated.

An annular eclipse — when the moon is furthest away from Earth and does not fully cover the sun, also known as “a ring of fire” — was last seen in October 2023. And the next annular eclipse is Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.

And before that annular eclipse, there will be a partial lunar eclipse on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.

2017’s total solar eclipse

The last time Floridians saw a solar eclipse was in 2017. Just like last time, this total solar eclipse will not be in the path of totality, Crnojevic said.

The 2024’s eclipse’s path will pass over parts of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada. Those in the American states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine (and small parts of Tennessee and Michigan) will be lucky enough to be in the path of totality.

But as Fernández said, Florida will see a percentage of the total solar eclipse, just like last time.

“They will be fairly similar. In Central Florida, the 2017 one was also partial, just like April's, but from our vantage point more of the sun was covered up. So, if you saw the one in 2017 from this area, then this one in April will have a bit less of the sun blocked. But, it's still an interesting thing to see!” according to Fernández.

How to view the total solar eclipse

A partial solar eclipse will be over North America in January 2029 and the next total solar eclipse will be in August 2045.

The start of the eclipse should be at around 1:46 p.m. ET, peaks at 3:03 p.m. ET and ends at 4:17 p.m. ET.

President of the Central Florida Astronomical Society Frank Kane said that while Florida will not be in the path of totality, what we can see of the total solar eclipse will be something to witness but he advises safety first.

“A partial eclipse is still cool to see, but be sure to have a safe set of eclipse glasses on hand. Make sure they conform to the ISO 12312-2 standard and are free of any holes or gaps,” he advised. “… we have seen knockoff solar glasses around that are not safe, and you need to be careful. Check for any damage on your glasses as well.”

For those eager to view the eclipse with a telescope or to capture it with a camera, Kane advises that it is important to protect yourself and your equipment.

“It's crucial to have the right solar filters to protect your valuable equipment, and to have a solid, well-rehearsed plan for how you intend to capture it. Take some filtered images of the sun from home, and practice figuring out the right aperture, exposure time, and focus,” he noted.

He also suggested a few other things for those using a telescope or camera, such as practicing how to track the eclipse, picking the right lens for what you want to see and practice ahead of time with your gear so you are familiar with it.

And speaking of gear, he stresses the importance of protecting it.

“If you are photographing the eclipse outside of totality, be sure your solar filter is at the front of your optics. If direct sunlight hits anything inside your telescope, lens, or camera, it can cause permanent damage. It's crucial to use a filter that tightly fits on the outside of your telescope or lens, and is free of any pinholes, gaps, or damage,” he advised.

For those who do not have equipment to look at the eclipse, Kane offers a fun alternative.

“A neat thing you can do during a partial eclipse without glasses is to look at the shadows of a palm tree — you might see little projected images of the sun with a little bite taken out of it!” Kane explained.

The eclipse beginning, peak and end times