A total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of North America today – including northern Mexico, the United States, and parts of Canada. It’ll give the public a rare opportunity to witness the Moon passing between the Sun and the Earth. However, it’ll also lead to some strange sights and sounds here on Earth as well. Here’s what you can expect to see.
According to scientists at the School of Physics and Applied Physics at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale:
- This eclipse will be a long one, as eclipses go. There will be four minutes of totality, which is when the Sun is completely blocked. The relatively lengthy duration of the eclipse means it will get much darker than during the briefer, total eclipse of 2017.
- The surface of the Sun is currently highly active, more active than in 2017, so a larger corona may be visible.
- The Moon blocking the Sun’s light casts a shadow. It forms a tail, called the “path of totality.”
- The spectacle has a narrow geographic path of totality across a band of North America. It enters the U.S. in Texas at 1:27 p.m. Central Daylight Time. It will include parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Major cities in the path include San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Rochester, N.Y.
- For several hours before and after the total eclipse, a partial eclipse will be visible, with the Moon partly obscuring the Sun.
- You should wear proper eclipse glasses before and after totality to reduce the risk of eye damage. If you are not in one of the cities that will experience the eclipse in totality, keep your glasses on at all times. As soon as the Sun vanishes from your solar glasses you can remove them for the four minutes of totality. Replace the glasses as the Sun reemerges. Use binoculars during totality, to better view the small, red jets of hydrogen around the corona.
- Approaching totality, you’ll hear birds squawking and making strange sounds, a few stars will be visible in the sky, and the temperature will suddenly drop.
- Check the weather where you intend to view the eclipse. Mexico and Texas are the most likely locations to have clear skies. According to predictions for April 8, Quebec has a less than 15 percent chance of being clear that day.
Live Streams:
Special Events Marking The Eclipse
Many cities, especially those in the path of totality, are preparing for the spectacle with unique viewing sites and experiences including spa packages, sound baths, guided meditations, dinner parties, and more. Universities are preparing educational experience packages.
Hotel reservations started booking up early. Texas has the most hotel rooms, by far.
- Best place to get married — Russellville, Arkansas: The town of 30,000 is expected to host an additional 60,000 people for the eclipse. There is an eclipse marriage ceremony during totality. This is also an official site for NASA broadcasting.
- Best places to camp: There are numerous campsites in the Ozark Mountains. Booneville, Arkansas has a variety of camping options and a music festival on April 8. In Paris, Arkansas, at the base of Mount Magazine State Park, has RV and tent campsites. This is the highest point in the state.
- Greatest NASA presence: NASA is taking over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (home of the Indy 500) for the day, with broadcasts, STEM activities, and astronauts.
- Best museums: Indianapolis is also the site of the world’s largest children’s museum, which is hosting an Eclipse Extravaganza. The Indianapolis Museum of Art is hosting a display entitled Total Eclipse of the Art. Rochester, in upstate New York, is holding the three-day Roc the Eclipse Festival, filled with hands-on activities, speakers, music, food, and more. The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester will mark the eclipse with a three-day celebration themed around playing with light.
- Most picturesque: Niagra Falls, N.Y has one of the most iconic waterfalls in the world and visitors will be able to view the eclipse from there.
Is There A Psychological Effect Of Viewing A Total Eclipse?
Psychologists say that the feeling associated with experiencing a total eclipse is awe.
What is awe? Psychologists and eclipse-viewing veterans struggle to define the word. The Oxford Dictionary says awe is “a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.”
Total eclipse viewers often become chasers, on all continents of the globe. These individuals say each experience is as powerful as the first. Some eclipse chasers who document their experiences include:
- Dacher Keltner – Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder
- Kate Russo – Being in the Shadow: Stories of the First Time Total Eclipse Experience
- Daniel Makepeace – The Eclipse Guy
Some of their attempts to describe their experiences include:
- “It challenges how you think about the world.”
- “Absolutely floored me. Wiped my slate clean.”
- “Feeling euphoric, I understood why eclipse-chasers pursue them.”
The best descriptor may be “ineffable.” Seize the experience. The next total eclipse over the United States is in 2044.
This article contains Amazon affiliate links in which we receive a commission from Amazon if a purchase is made.