Harry is a U.K.-based senior staff writer at Live Science. He studied marine biology at the University of Exeter before training to become a journalist. He covers a wide range of topics including space exploration, planetary science, space weather, climate change, animal behavior, evolution and paleontology.
On April 8, millions of people across North America looked up to the sky as the moon temporarily blocked out the sun during the total solar eclipse. The historic cosmic event, which was also seen from space, was special because of the length of totality — the period when the sun's light was completely obscured — which lasted up to 4 minutes, 28 seconds.
New comet discovered One of the biggest surprises during the total solar eclipse was the discovery of a tiny"sungrazer" comet named SOHO-5008, which was first spotted by an amateur astronomer just hours before the event began. Animals acting oddly For humans, the eclipse is a special event that we can understand and predict in advance. But for animals, totality is a massive shock, and this surprise can trigger some rather interesting behaviors. At the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, lots of animals — including gorillas, tortoises, elephants and bonobos — mistook the darkening sky for dusk and went to return to their indoor areas, CBS News reported.
Network services and cybersecurity company Cloudflare reported that, during the eclipse, internet usage across the path of totality fell as people looked up to the sky. Across the U.S., internet usage dropped by 8% during the eclipse. However, in certain states — including Vermont, Ohio, New Hampshire, Maine, Indiana and Arkansas, parts of which were in the path of totality — internet usage decreased by at least 40% during totality.
Planets can be seen during the eclipse only if they are near our home star in the sky. The extended period of totality experienced by most eclipse observers also increased the chances of seeing the planets.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
4Warn Weather “Night” declared for Wednesday, April 10 into Thursday, April 11The WTVY 4Warn Weather Team has declared a 4Warn Weather “Night” for late Wednesday, April 10 into early Thursday, April 11 due to the threat of severe weather for the Wiregrass area.
Read more »
Weekly Horoscope:April 7 - April 13See what this weekly horoscope has in store for you, including the drama brought by the solar eclipse.
Read more »
April 2024: Every New Movie and TV Show Added to Streaming Services on April 1stThe start of the new month brought tons of new titles to streaming services.
Read more »
4Warn Weather “Night” declared for Tuesday, April 2 into Wednesday, April 3The WTVY 4Warn Weather Team has declared a 4Warn Weather “Night” for late Tuesday, April 2 into early Wednesday, April 3 due to the threat of severe weather for the Wiregrass area.
Read more »
Live Webinar on April 18: Unraveling ADHD Procrastivity: How to Outsmart Procrastination and Improve ProductivityRegister below for this free webinar on productive procrastination on Thursday, April 18, at 1pm ET. Sign up and you will receive the free webinar replay link as well!
Read more »
Everything Coming to Max in April 2024All eight Harry Potter movies are returning to Max in April.
Read more »