Find out how to follow the total solar eclipse in April

O total solar eclipse on April 8 will not be visible in Brazil. However, NASA (United States Space Agency) will make several broadcasts available for the whole world to follow the event.

The phenomenon will begin at 4pm (Brasília time) off the coast of Mexico, and will end at 5pm (Brasília time) on the Atlantic coast of Canada. See which lives will be available .

Main transmission

It will provide views from different angles with expert commentary, live demos, and more. Click here to access the broadcast in English.

There will also be a version of same broadcast in Spanish.

Broadcast with telescope views

Viewing from different telescopes. According to information from NASA, weather permitting, live images of the eclipse will be provided from various locations, including a view of the partially eclipsed Sun. Stream link.

Broadcast of launches

NASA will launch three probes during the eclipse to study how the sudden drop in sunlight affects our atmosphere. Takeoffs will be between 3:40 pm and 5:05 pm (Brasília time) and the rockets are scheduled to leave 45 minutes apart.

Mission coverage will begin 10 minutes before the scheduled launch time, 3:30 pm (Brasília time). Live link.

The phases of a total solar eclipse in El Molle, Chile, in July 2019.

What is a solar eclipse?

Eclipses happen when an object in space, such as a planet or Moon, passes through the shadow of another celestial body in space. On Earth, we can see the lunar and solar.

Solar occurs when the Moon is positioned between the Sun and the Earth, preventing light from reaching some points on our planet. Being in a place where it is total, it is possible to see the Moon blocking almost all the Sun's rays, making the day as dark as the night.

Total solar eclipses happen every 18 months and last a few minutes, while partial solar eclipses — in which the Moon does not completely cover the Sun — occur at least twice a year somewhere on Earth.

The phenomenon is classified into three types:

  • Total solar eclipse: Visible only in a small area of ​​the Earth, when the person is in the center of the Moon's shadow, when it hits the Earth. For a total eclipse to occur, the Sun, Moon and Earth must be completely aligned.
  • Partial solar eclipse: It happens when the Sun, Moon and Earth are not exactly aligned. The Sun appears to have a dark shadow on a small part of its surface.
  • Annular solar eclipse: This is when the Moon is furthest from Earth and appears smaller. Because it does not block all view of the Sun, the Moon looks like a dark disk in front of the star.
  • Hybrid solar eclipse: When there is more than one type of solar eclipse on the same day, it is the rarest type there is.

Source: CNN Brasil

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