Why is the solar eclipse special? Why the April 2024 event is so interesting.

Editor's note: An updated cloud forecast for the April 2024 total solar eclipse is in. Read the latest eclipse forecast and news as of Wednesday, April 3.

The sky is filled with breathtaking wonders, but one occurring on April 8 is causing people to plan trips in droves, prompting fears of snarled highways and generating headline after headline.

The total solar eclipse on April 8 is causing such a stir because the rare event — where the shadow of the moon will plunge a narrow strip of land into darkness in the middle of the day — is an astronomical experience like no other that will be unusually accessible to millions of people.

April's total solar eclipse will fall over more places in the U.S. than the total eclipse before and after it. And the broad length of the path of totality – where Americans have the best shot of getting a clear view – is "much wider" than it was for the eclipse in 2017, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

A total solar eclipse is also far more impressive than a lunar or an annular solar eclipse. During an annular eclipse, the moon covers the Sun but leaves an outside ring some call a "ring of fire" — it darkens the sky instead of plunging Earth into a night-like darkness, which is what happens during a total solar eclipse. And a lunar eclipse – the appearance of a red moon – happens when the moon passes into the Earth's shadow, according to NASA.

"The eclipse in 2024 could be even more exciting due to differences in the path, timing, and scientific research," reads a post from NASA. And like past similar natural phenomena, the eclipse is expected to elicit a strong emotional reaction from the people who see it, including from those who identify with its cultural significance.

Total solar eclipses over the US are rare: The next one won't happen for 20 years

The next visible total solar eclipse to cross over the U.S. after April will come in more than two decades on Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA.

And that eclipse won't be as accessible as the 2024 one: The path of totality in 2044 will only touch the states of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota, according to the Planetary Society, a nonprofit involved in research, public outreach and political space advocacy. Another total eclipse will pass over the U.S. in 2045 that will be more accessible to Americans, including for people who live in California, Florida and Nevada.

Solar eclipses are rare in part because they can only occur during a new moon and when "the moon's orbit is tilted five degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun," according to the National Weather Service.

This eclipse will pass over millions of people and be a short drive for millions more

NASA estimates 215 million adults in the U.S. saw the 2017 solar eclipse either in person or electronically and even more people will likely see April's eclipse.

The eclipse's path of totality will pass over cities like Dallas, Cleveland and Buffalo, New York. And those places will attract sky gazers from all over the country.

Searches for short-term Airbnb rentals around those areas have surged. Transportation officials in areas along the path of totality are warning residents and travelers that the eclipse could create dangerous and busy traffic conditions on roads around places with the best view.

Clouds could ruin total eclipse:This map shows how likely that is by city.

Total solar eclipses are awe-inspiring experiences

This year's total solar eclipse is expected to cause emotional reactions.

A study of the social effects after an eclipse shows people who viewed the 2017 eclipse in its path of totality experienced feeling like part of a collective more than those who were outside of that path.

Researchers found "that astronomical events may play a vital collective function by arousing awe and social tendencies that orient individuals toward their collectives." They used Twitter, now X, data from millions of users to come to their conclusion.

More:10 solar eclipse fun facts to share with your friends

After a total solar eclipse in Australia last year, The Guardian reported on a range of emotions among people who experienced the natural phenomena. One woman was near tears.

The silence and darkness during the eclipse will also create uncertainty for animals.

Interpretations of a total solar eclipse vary across cultures, experts say.

April's total solar eclipse:Will bring a surreal silence and confuse all sorts of animals

"Across the ages, cultures from around the world have interpreted eclipses in myriad ways," reads a post from the San Francisco based nonprofit organization The Exploratorium. "Sometimes eclipses cause fear, awe, or a sense that the cosmic order has fallen out of balance."

"A recurring and pervasive embodiment of the eclipse was a dragon, or a demon, who devours the Sun," reads the post, for example. The ancient Chinese and Incas, for example, used different tactics to "help the Sun fight off the dragon" during an eclipse, according to the nonprofit organization.

Contributing: Gabe Hauarui, Eric Lagatta, Elizabeth Weise, Cheryl McCloud; USA TODAY Network

Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez.