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Columnist and Space

I might be an astrophysicist, but I'm still learning about stargazing

I have two degrees in astronomy, so you'd think I would know what I'm doing when it comes to looking at the sky. I don't, but I'm trying to change that, says Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

3 April 2024

Silhouettes of people observing stars in night sky. Astronomy concept.; Shutterstock ID 586441904; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

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ON 8 APRIL, a total solar eclipse will be visible from various parts of North America. The path in which this will occur runs from Mexico, diagonally across the US and into the Atlantic region of Canada. Eclipses like this, where the moon moves directly between the sun and Earth and blocks out light, happen almost every 20 years. But our planet is a big place, and these events can’t be seen everywhere. Only about once every 400 years is one visible from any given spot on Earth. Which is to say, those of us in or near the…

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