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00:05 Total solar eclipses are one of the most exciting astronomy events to witness,
00:10 but they don't always occur at the same place.
00:12 Unless you're able to travel,
00:14 they are rare for most people to see around the world.
00:17 A solar eclipse happens when the moon moves between Earth and the sun.
00:21 When this happens, the moon casts a shadow over our planet.
00:25 The shadow's inner region, the umbra,
00:27 is where you can see a total eclipse.
00:29 The outer region known as the penumbra is where you have a partial eclipse.
00:34 This can only happen during a new moon phase.
00:36 The moon comes to this phase about 13 times a year,
00:40 but we don't see 13 solar eclipses a year.
00:43 That's because the moon orbits our planet at a five degree angle and its orbital path wobbles,
00:48 which is enough to make a huge difference in how often eclipses happen.
00:52 During its wobbly journey,
00:54 the moon sometimes is too high or too low in its orbit,
00:57 so its shadow misses Earth entirely.
01:00 Not only does the moon have to be perfectly aligned between Earth and the sun,
01:04 but its orbit must also be aligned,
01:06 which only happens twice a year,
01:08 and that's just for a solar eclipse of any kind.
01:11 A total solar eclipse occurs about once every 18 months or twice every three years.
01:17 In North America, the next solar eclipse after 2024 will not be until March 30th,
01:22 2033 when it's over remote areas of Alaska.
01:25 Reporting for AccuWeather, I'm Melissa Konstanzer.
01:28 (chime)
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