Everything is ready for the spectacle of the total solar eclipse: the astronomical event of the year will be visible only from Central and North America, from Mexico to Canada, but it will also be possible to admire it from Italy thanks to various live streamings that will begin to starting from 7.00 pm Italian time. In the front row, the National Institute of Astrophysics, which on its Facebook and YouTube channels will broadcast the images taken by various telescopes for the entire duration of the phenomenon. The live broadcast is broadcast as part of the 'Il Cielo in Saoltto' series and starting from 8pm the experts will comment on the images.
For the occasion, the Virtual Telescope offers an international live broadcast, in collaboration with American and Canadian astrophotographers. following the eclipse from Michigan, Florida, New Mexico, Arizona and Ontario.
Today's eclipse will be an unmissable spectacle, first of all because to admire a similar event from Italy we will have to wait until August 2, 2027. It will also be the longest total solar eclipse among those visible from the United States since 1806: for those who are in the areas near the border with Mexico will be able to reach 4 minutes and 26 seconds, just under that of 1806, which lasted 4 minutes and 55 seconds. A longer eclipse also means a very dark eclipse: the greater darkness could make visible not only planets such as Venus and Jupiter, but also comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which will reach its closest point to our star on April 21 and which is currently located not far from Jupiter.
Finally, the eclipse occurs in conjunction with the period of maximum solar activity: this means that the solar corona, the outermost part of its atmosphere, will appear much larger, up to 5-6 times the diameter of the star itself, and its shape will resemble that of a sunflower or a Sun as it is typically drawn by children. The last time a total solar eclipse visible from North America coincided with maximum solar activity was February 26, 1979. The event will, therefore, be an important test for current theories about the behavior of the solar atmosphere , of crucial importance because it is responsible for the solar storms that can hit the Earth.
Inaf live broadcast
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