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On April 8, a  drew a , throwing swaths of the United States, Canada and Mexico into darkness in the middle of the day. 

A when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking our view of the sun as it passes. It's called a total solar eclipse when the moon completely blocks the light of the sun. These events are rare, and can only be for short periods of time. 

The path of totality for the 2024 total solar eclipse stretched from Texas to the East Coast. Dallas, Texas; Buffalo, New York; and Burlington, Vermont, were among the areas with the best views.

Total solar eclipses are rare, and ones that are visible from the United States are even rarer.

The events occur every one to three years somewhere around the globe, but are often only visible from Earth's poles or from the middle of the ocean. 

A number of factors go into enjoying a total solar eclipse. Viewers need clear skies to ensure the phenomenon isn't blocked by clouds, and only those within the path of totality will see the full effect of the sun being blotted out. Those outside the path of totality can still observe a partial eclipse, when the moon covers some, but not all, of the sun, .  

The last total solar eclipse was in 2021 and was only visible from Antarctica. The period of totality lasted just one minute and 54 seconds, .

The from North America was . Parts of the United States from Oregon to South Carolina were able to witness the rare phenomenon. , the last total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. was in 1979, when just five states were in the path of totality. 

The next total solar eclipse will be on Aug. 12, 2026, . This eclipse will be viewable from the Arctic, eastern Greenland, northern Spain and Iceland. 

Those looking to see a total solar eclipse in the United States will have to wait significantly longer. A won't occur in the contiguous U.S. until August 2044.