Today’s post features that sweet little nougat found in the center of fine chocolates … in this case, the main feature of the Total Solar Eclipse … the awe-inspiring view of the sun’s corona, normally seen only during complete totality!
The image below is a single image, captured using a very long exposure of the brilliant light of the sun’s corona as it peaks out from the moon-covered sun:
Using such a long exposure, I was also able to capture “EarthShine”, the part of the moon that is unlit by the sun but slightly glowing/visible because it catches some sunlight reflected by the earth, during totality.
When I photographed the eclipse, I took “tons” of images of totality, widely varying the exposure. This was done so that I could work on compositing individual images of the sun’s corona, including the inner corona (near the sun’s surface), the middle corona (just outside the inner corona), and the far-reaching outer corona, with it’s many “streamers”. I am currently working on compositing some of these images, so that more detail in the corona’s structure can be seen. If I am successful in this, I will show those images in a future post.
Photographic Equipment Used:
Canon 5D Mark 3 camera body
Canon 500mm, f/4 IS lens
Bogen 3021 tripod and Wemberly gimbal head
ISO 400
Aperture f/8
Shutter 1/8 sec.
Image processed in Adobe Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Photoshop 2024
Today’s post features the early phenomena experienced during totality of the Great American Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 … the formation of the brilliant “Diamond Ring”, followed closely by the “breakdown” of the diamond ring into “Baily’s Beads”. I also have included some images of coming out of totality … the Baily’s Beads are once again seen (on the opposite side of the sun-moon surface), followed by the second Diamond Ring, as the sun begins emerging from darkness!
One of the most breathtaking features of a total solar eclipse is the “Diamond Ring effect”. This phenomenon occurs twice … just before, and just after totality. It is caused by the last tiny bit of sun peeking out from behind the sun, creating a bright point of light, resembling a sparkling Diamond, while the sun’s corona (the shell of thin gas that extends out some distance from the sun’s surface, normally visible only during totality) resembles the band of the diamond ring. This stage of the eclipse lasts only a few seconds, as the moon races to totally cover (or uncover) the sun!
The Diamond Ring immediately transitions into “Baily’s Beads”, going into totality (when coming out of totality, the Baily’s Beads happen first and the Diamond Ring immediately follows). Baily’s Beads occur whenever only a very small amount of light are visible at the edge of the moon. Named after scientist Francis Baily who first explained this phenomenon, the small amount of light appears as small beadlets of light … actually, they are seen as “beads” because the light passes through valleys on the moon’s surface, with each bead separated from the others by the moon’s mountainous landscape. Again, this phenomenon lasts only a few, brief seconds.
Here are some of the images I captured that show the Diamond Ring:
The Diamond Ring quickly transitions to Baily’s Beads:
After 4 minutes and 38 seconds of totality, the reverse stages are seen as the moon begins to uncover the sun (note that the Beads are not as well-defined on this side of the moon … likely due to less mountains/valleys on this portion of the moon surface):
Coming up … in the next post, I will highlight the sun’s chromosphere and solar prominences (some can be seen in the above images, but will be discussed in the next post).
Photographic Equipment Used:
Canon 5D Mark 3 camera body
Canon 500mm, f/4 IS lens, equipped with approved solar filter
(FOX40.COM) — Days after a solar eclipse was viewed by millions of people throughout the United States, some people fear there may be some damage done to their eyes. • Video Above: Opthalmologist describes how to properly view the solar eclipse
“We kind of get a little nervous in the office when something like this happens,” Dr. Paymaun Asnaashari of Arden Park Optometry in Sacramento told FOX40.com. “The solar eclipse was a once in a lifetime opportunity for some, but as amazing as it is, it can still have harmful effects.”
Experts issued several advisories about how to properly view the eclipse and avoid injury before it happened. After Monday’s celestial event, KTLA reported that the Google search for “eyes hurt” spiked. Although some people may have missed the safety memo, the damage done to a person’s eyes depends on how long a person looked up at the sun, according to Asnaashari.
“Think of it like like a sunburn. When a person is exposed to the sun for too long it can cause a temporary burn. The longer a person’s skin burns, the more damage is done,” Asnaashari said. “But unlike the skin, the eyes don’t have stem cells which help heal. The sun can destroy the eye cells that control vision, which is an irreversible loss.”
Asnaashari said the main condition to be on the lookout for is solar retinopathy which is permanent eye damage from sun.
“If a person experiences noticeable changes in vision that doesn’t improve, I would recommend to see an eye care professional,” Asnaashari said. “Retina damages requires a specific type of imaging to be able to see and diagnose it.”
On the bright side, Asnaashari said that if a person wore the proper protective gear while viewing the solar eclipse, their vision should go back to normal.
He added, “unless they bought something generic or something not up to standard for blocking U.V radiation, they are less likely to have permanent damage.”
Symptoms of solar retinopathy
The most common cause of solar retinopathy happens from looking at the sun, which happens with sun-gazing or viewing a solar eclipse, according to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. The retina does not have pain receptors, so injury isn’t felt when it happens, but tell-tale signs occur within hours of the developed damage.
•“Blind spot” in one or both eyes (scotoma). • Abnormal color vision (dyschromatopsia). • Twisting or warping of the central vision (metamorphopsia) • Seeing objects smaller than they actually are. • Headaches
Treatment for solar retinopathy
There isn’t a known treatment for solar retinopathy, according to AAPOS. Many people improve on their own between three and sox months without any treatment. Steroids have also reportedly been tried to improve and reverse symptoms, however, there is no proven effectiveness for solar retinopathy.
Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale celebrated Women’s History Month by hosting an event on March 27. Marine Col. Nicole Mann, a member of the Wailacki tribe of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, was invited to speak at the event…
The arrival of the total solar eclipse in the US has brought with it an impressive array of photographs as well. If you weren’t able to find a spot to view the eclipse in person—or if it was stuck behind uncooperative clouds—you can at least get a sense of its grandeur through these photographs taken at different points along its journey.
The path of totality began in Mexico on Monday morning, working its way up through Texas by early afternoon. By 4:40 pm ET, it will have left the US entirely and headed into Canada. If you’re in or near its path, make sure to put on approved sunglasses—or make your own pinhole—to view it for yourself. And if you happen to have pets or live near wildlife, NASA could use a hand figuring out how animals respond to the eclipse.
Otherwise, enjoy these incredible photos of a total solar eclipse in North America. The next one is 20 years away.
How animals will react to solar eclipses can only give hints of animal behavior because the relatively few studies of the topic are often conflicting. One study in 1560 cited that “birds fell to the ground.” Other studies said birds went to roost, or fell silent, or continued to sing and coo — or flew straight into houses. Dogs either barked or whimpered, or did not bark or whimper.
A study of the 1932 eclipse, which was thought to be the first comprehensive research conducted on the subject and included observations from the public, explained that it received “a good deal of conflicting testimony” from people who had observed mammals. It concluded that several animals showed the strongest responses: squirrels ran into the woods and cattle and sheep headed for their barns.
Meanwhile, we humans might freak out our pets just as much as the sudden darkness does:
Most animals will likely be confused by the darkness and will start their nighttime routines, said Dr. M. Leanne Lilly, a veterinary behaviorist at Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
But the way humans react to the eclipse — looking at the sky, expressing excitement or gathering in a group — could affect domesticated animals, like dogs or cats, because pets can act strangely when their humans are acting strangely, Dr. Lilly said.
“That can make any of our domestic animals feel like things are not as safe and predictable as they are supposed to be,” Dr. Lilly said, adding that any unusual human behavior can disturb pets because they are “domesticated to attend to us.”
“We might be the problem,” she said, with a laugh.
“Most animals will be overall unaffected by the eclipse, but pet owners may notice brief periods of confusion, and dogs and cats may exhibit fear and confusion,” said Dr. Katie Krebs, a veterinarian and professor at University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine.
Pets may hide, howl, pace or pant during the eclipse, Krebs said. As the sky darkens, some pets may start their nighttime routine early. The average indoor dog or cat is likely not going to be affected by the eclipse, said Dr. Rebecca Greenstein, veterinary expert with pet care company Rover.
From claims that food made during a solar eclipse will be poisoned to whether or not it’s safe to watch an eclipse if you’re pregnant – there is no shortage of rumors and myths making their way around social media.
Let’s get to the bottom of these things you might be hearing about or reading.
First, let’s understand what a solar eclipse is.
This is how NASA explains what a solar eclipse is:
“A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth that either fully or partially blocks the Sun’s light in some areas. This only happens occasionally, because the Moon doesn’t orbit in the exact same plane as the Sun and Earth do. The time when they are aligned is known as eclipse season, which happens twice a year.”
Now that we understand what a solar eclipse is, it’s time to get to the bottom of some things making their way around the internet.
1. A total solar eclipse can produce harmful rays that will cause blindness.
MYTH – According to NASA, “when the disk of the moon fully covers the sun, the brilliant corona emits only electromagnetic radiation.” In other words, being a million times fainter than the light from the sun itself, it’s simply not powerful enough to cause blindness.
However, if you plan on looking at the sun during a total solar eclipse, you will need to wear protective eyewear.
2. If you’re pregnant, don’t watch a solar eclipse because it will hurt your baby.
MYTH – Again, a total solar eclipse doesn’t produce harmful radiation. NASA says, “Although the electromagnetic radiation from the corona, seen as light, is perfectly safe, there is another form of radiation that travels to Earth from the sun.”
3. The moon turns black during a total solar eclipse.
MYTH – There’s this thing called “Earthshine” that actually makes the moon look black during a total solar eclipse. The folks at NASA can explain it better: “Most of Earth’s surface is actually in broad daylight off the path of totality, and from the moon it would be in full phase, shining down on the lunar surface at its brightest. So, during a total solar eclipse, the lunar surface will be dimly seen due to earthshine, surrounded by the much more brilliant corona of the sun!”
4. It will get colder during a solar eclipse.
TRUE – This actually happens. According to NASA, you could see a temperature drop of up to 10° Fahrenheit. However, this depends on cloud cover and humidity.
5. Food made during a solar eclipse will be poisoned by the sun.
MYTH – This one (while outrageous) is also false. There aren’t any harmful solar rays emitted during a total solar eclipse that will harm your food. Actually, if this were true, all the food in your pantry would be bad, too.
If you get sick eating food during a solar eclipse watch party, don’t hold the sun accountable. Maybe it’s whoever made the meal. (Just saying)
6. There’s a solar eclipse? Something bad is about to happen…
MYTH – We’re going to let NASA address this one… “A classic case of what psychologists call Confirmation Bias is that we tend to remember all the occasions when two things happened together, but forget all of the other times when they did not. This gives us a biased view of causes and effects that we remember easily, because the human brain is predisposed to looking for, and remembering, patterns that can be used as survival rules-of-thumb. Total solar eclipses are not often recorded in the historical record, but they do tend to be recorded when they coincide with other historical events.”
7. There’s no such thing as a total solar eclipse at the North or South Pole.
MYTH – The North and South Poles on Earth have the same chance of seeing a total solar eclipse than we do right here in Houston! Actually, the last time the North Pole saw a total solar eclipse was March 20, 2015 and the South Pole saw a total solar eclipse on November 23, 2003.
Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.
The last total solar eclipse that crossed the contiguous United States was in August 2017, according to NASA. Another one won’t cross again for 20 years.
Throngs of people are traveling to the Midwest and east, where the eclipse action will be the most dramatic.
And although California won’t experience the phenomenon of totality, there is still plenty to see.
Here is a quick guide:
The basics
Total eclipse: Midday darkness will be cast on a sliver of states, including Texas, Illinois, Ohio and New York — but there won’t be any “totality” in Los Angeles.
Partial eclipse: In Los Angeles, about half of the sun will be visibly covered by the moon, and in San Francisco, one-third will be.
The northernmost parts of the state will see the smallest amount of the eclipse, while cities to the south will experience more.
The timing
In Los Angeles, the action begins at 10:06 a.m. A substantial blocking of the sun will be obvious by 10:39 a.m. and will peak at 11:12 a.m. By 12:22 p.m., it will be over, according to the Griffith Observatory.
There will be a lot of events locally.
Safety, glasses, phones
Looking up: The first rule of a solar eclipse is, don’t look at the sun without specialized eclipse glasses or a solar viewer. It’s not safe. If you look up at the eclipse without protection, it will cause severe eye injury, according to NASA.
Taking pictures: Even taking photos on your phone can pose risks to your eyes. Casually including the sun in a photo for a quick snapshot isn’t really a safety issue for the camera. But experts have tips.
(FOX40.COM) — Sacramento may not experience the totality of the upcoming solar eclipse, however, the area will still feel the effects of a partial one.
“If you didn’t know it was coming, you might just write it off as an abnormally cool spring day,” said Raj Dixit, Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society.
Sacramento is expected to experience 45 percent coverage of the sun, according to Dixit.
“It’s going to appear like someone took a bite out of the sun, from the bottom,” Dixit said. “Imagine just the sun, but half as bright.”
The Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society reported that there are some similarities in what people will be able to see in Sacramento compared to 2017, the last time there was a total eclipse.
Residents of the Capital City should expect to witness the eclipse at 11:15 a.m. Experts said it will be accompanied by a noticeable drop in temperature – 1 to 2 degrees.
“Back in 2017, when there was another total eclipse, Sacramento had a better show,” Dixit said. “It was 79 percent covered, as opposed to less than 50. And you could definitely feel the temperature drop five degrees.”
No matter the degree of what will be seen, Dixit said people should soak in the eclipse because the next total eclipse won’t happen again for about 20 years.
It’s shadow time, baby! Soon, people living in North America will get to experience their first solar eclipse in almost a decade.
Even though the last solar eclipse in North America happened in 2017, the next one isn’t expected until August 2044, so seizing this moment is critical. More than just a peculiar shadow, the solar eclipse is a perfect opportunity to hang out with loved ones outside and meditate on humanity’s smallness compared to the vast universe.
And even if you don’t live in the path of totality or you aren’t one of the millions of people traveling to see the major event, there are multiple ways for you to join in and watch the total solar eclipse online.
What Is a Total Solar Eclipse?
“It’s an alignment of the sun, the moon, and the earth in such a way that the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth, blocking the sun’s rays from reaching the Earth’s surface,” says Noah Petro, an Artemis III project scientist at NASA. If you’re in the path of totality, then you will see the moon completely cover the sun. Outside of the main path? You may still see a partial eclipse, where the moon covers a slice of the sun.
Despite the involvement of the moon, a solar eclipse is not to be confused with a lunar eclipse. During those, the moon passes into the shadow of Earth and turns a dark red color. Lunar eclipses are visible for most of the entire hemisphere that’s facing the moon at the time.
When Is the Solar Eclipse?
Passing through portions of North America, the total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, April 8. Depending on where you are in the path of totality, the solar eclipse will happen in the afternoon and potentially last around four minutes. For more specifics, refer to NASA’s map detailing the exact time different US cities will experience the total eclipse.
What about a partial eclipse? For example, even though I’m based in San Francisco, far outside the path of totality, I should still see a small portion of the sun covered between 10 am and noon. Check out this handy link to see when it occurs wherever you’re located.
Where Will It Be Visible?
While the total solar eclipse is primarily happening in Mexico and the United States, a small section of eastern Canada is also along the path of totality. To see what it might look like in different locations, check out this fantastic website created by a retired mathematician that simulates the solar eclipse.
Three major Mexican cities where you can see the total solar eclipse are Mazatlán, Durango, and Torreón.
There are numerous locations across the US where you can potentially experience totality. A few of the locations include Dallas, Texas; Russellville, Arkansas; Carbondale, Illinois; Greenwood, Indiana; and Buffalo, New York.
Weather Update, April 7, 4:00 AM ET: The weather forecast in the story below still largely holds, but things are more unsettled in the southern US, with forecasts now calling for thunderstorms from Dallas up to Indianapolis. So, keep that potential danger in mind (and keep an eye on forecasts) when making eclipse plans.
Elsewhere, the best chance of good viewing along the path of totality is still in northeastern parts of the US (Buffalo, NY, Burlington, VT), along with southeast Canada (Niagara Falls and Montreal), according to Accuweather. In the Midwest (Cleveland), there’s a higher chance of rain than before (58 percent), but no storms currently predicted.
Original story continues below
On April 8, a solar eclipse will darken the skies. This is a rare astronomical event: The last North American total solar eclipse was on August 21, 2017, and there won’t be another on visible on the continent until 2044. The path of totality — where the sun will be fully blocked by the moon — covers over 30 million people in the US, Canada and Mexico.
Those lucky folks may see the sun’s corona and a “diamond ring” — both dramatic sights. Other regions will experience partial eclipses, with the level depending on how close you are to totality. Watching the moon eat into the sun, even a bit, is still a spectacular sight.
So, which cities and regions will experience totality, and when? What’s the weather forecast in those areas? And if you do have a clear view, how can you safely watch and record the event?
Where in the US will you experience the solar eclipse totality, and when?
The good news is that many major centers are in the 100-mile-wide band of totality, so millions of people will be able to see a full solar eclipse. It follows a northeast path, so Mexico’s Pacific coast will get the first views in Mazatlan starting at around 10:57 AM PDT (total eclipse starting at 12:07 PDT), followed by the city of Torreón (all times local).
The total eclipse moves into the United states at 12:10 PM CDT (Eagle Pass, Texas), then hits Austin, Fort Worth and Dallas — three out of five of the most populous Texas cities. From there, it moves into Little Rock, Arkansas, followed by select parts of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana (including Indianapolis).
NASA
Ohio cities Dayton, Toledo and Cleveland get the full show, followed by Erie, Pennsylvania, then Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse in New York along with Maine. Canada is in on the fun too, with parts of southern Ontario (Hamilton, Niagara Falls) and Quebec (Montreal) getting the totality, along with New Brunswick, PEI and finally, Bonavista, Labrador at 4:03 PM NDT (Newfoundland Time).
If you’re elsewhere on the continent and can’t travel, know that the closer you are to the band of totality, the more the sun will be obscured by the moon (this map shows how much of the eclipse you’ll get depending where you are on the continent).
An impressive list of major centers are within 200 miles of totality, so they’ll get a 90 percent or better eclipse (Houston, St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Toronto, New York, Boston).
Anyone in the US south, midwest and northeast should get a decent spectacle, as will folks in Canada’s southeast and Atlantic coast. Even if you’re not in those regions, you might still see (and can capture) a mini eclipse.
How long with the 2024 solar eclipse last?
From the beginning when the moon first starts to cover the sun (partial eclipse) until the end when the two bodies part ways is a good long time – up to two hours and forty minutes in Dallas, and 2:18 in Caribou, Maine.
However, totality itself is brief, with the duration dependent on how close you are to the center of the totality band and the time of day. It’s at just under four minutes in Dallas, less than three minutes in Presque Island, Maine and a mere minute and 12 seconds in Montreal. As such, you’ll need to be ready and hope that the skies are clear during that brief window.
What’s the weather forecast in my area?
It’s still early for an accurate forecast, but a week is enough to get a general idea by region. Suffice to say, April isn’t the ideal month for clear skies. That said, an eclipse can still be visible through light cloud cover, and even if it’s thick, the sky will grow dramatically dark.
Unfortunately, the odds of precipitation are indeed above average across most of the band of the eclipse. Forecasts predict that the chances for clear skies are better the farther northeast you live, the opposite of historical trends.
To wit, Dallas has showers forecast throughout the day (58 percent), which would mean continuous cloud cover and no clear view if that holds. That improves a bit when you get to Indianapolis (partly cloudy, 24 percent chance of rain), with things better still in Buffalo, New York (partly cloudy, 11 percent).
Things are looking good right now in Montreal, though, with mostly sunny skies and only a 9 percent chance of rain, and the same goes for Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Niagara Falls also figures to have decent weather during the eclipse (mostly sunny, 18 percent) and is in the path of totality, which has led to the city declaring a state of emergency out of caution. Officials estimate that a million people could pour into the area, creating potentially dangerous crowds.
How can I watch the solar eclipse at home?
Staring at the sun is obviously dangerous for your vision, and doing so during an eclipse can be just as harmful. Even though you may not feel discomfort immediately, you may damage your eyes via an affliction called solar retinopathy. That can lead to serious consequences like eye pain, blind spots, blurred vision and more.
American Astronomical Society
To view it safely, you must purchase a pair of approved solar eclipse glasses based on an international safety standard called ISO 12312-2 (regular sunglasses won’t do). That dictates the maximum luminous transmittance, along with the range of permissible wavelength transmittance (UVA, UVB and infrared).
There’s certainly still time to grab a pair if you don’t have them already. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has many recommendations for manufacturers and vendors, both online and at retail chains.
Warby Parker, for one, is offering free glasses (limit two per person while supplies last). You can also find them at Staples, Lowes and Walmart, or online at B&H and multiple science and astronomy stores.
The AAS advises against searching for the lowest price on Amazon or eBay, however, in case you get a bad knock off. “Before you buy a solar viewer or filter online, we recommend that you make sure that (1) the seller is identified on the site and (2) the seller is listed on this page,” it says on its Solar Eclipse Across America site.
How to watch the solar eclipse safely without glasses
Canadian Space Agency
It’s possible to view an eclipse without glasses via indirect means, as well. The simplest way is by punching a small round hole in a piece of thick paper or cardboard, then positioning it so the sun shines through the hole onto the ground or a flat surface (you can also attach a piece of foil with a hole, as NASA shows here). That will project an image of the Sun’s disc, letting you see the eclipse in real time.
The same pinhole principle would let you use anything with perforated holes, like a colander, projecting dozens of tiny eclipses on a surface. Trees can do the same thing, casting weird leaf shadows with little solar eclipse chunks out of them.
Benjamin Seigh/Wikimedia
For a bit better experience, you can build a crude box projector. With that, the sun shines through a hole in tin foil onto a white card, and you can look through a larger hole at the card, with the sun behind you. The Canadian Space Agency explains exactly how to make that.
Never, ever view an eclipse directly through a pair of binoculars or a telescope, as that’s a guaranteed way to damage your eyes. That said, you can use a pair of binoculars or a telescope to project the sun onto a piece of paper, as shown in this video.
How to take photos or video of the solar eclipse
Unfortunately, you can’t just point your smartphone or camera at the sun to record the eclipse, as the brightness will overwhelm the sensor and ruin the image (and possibly damage the sensor). Luckily, you can shield your camera just as you do your eyes.
The cheapest way to do that is to buy an extra set of eclipse glasses, then cut out an eyepiece from one and tape it over the smartphone (or other camera) lens. That will reduce the light levels enough to see detail in the sun throughout the partial eclipse and totality.
You can also purchase dedicated smartphone solar filters like the VisiSolar Photo Filter, which are designed for cameras and not direct viewing. Another choice is the Solar Snap Eclipse App Kit, which also offers an app that aids in photographing the eclipsed sun. It’s advisable to also wear solar glasses when setting up your smartphone or camera to protect your eyes.
If you’re shooting the eclipse with a dedicated mirrorless or DSLR camera, you’ll need either a mylar, 16-stop ND (neutral density) or hydrogen alpha solar filter. Again, do not look directly into a DSLR’s optical viewfinder at the sun if the lens doesn’t have one of those filters attached (the electronic viewfinder on a mirrorless camera is safe).
To photograph the eclipse with a smartphone, turn the flash off and put the camera into ultrawide or wide mode so it stays in frame. Do NOT look directly at the sun to line up your camera if you’re not wearing solar eclipse glasses.
Don’t use the digital zoom to try to make the eclipse bigger, as you’ll lose resolution (you can zoom in later in your photo editing app). Once focus is set on the sun, use your smartphone’s focus lock feature so that it doesn’t “hunt” for focus and blur the eclipse.
During totality, the “diamond ring” effect only lasts a split second, so use the burst mode of your camera or you’ll likely miss the shot. And try to capture RAW (rather than JPEG) images to keep the maximum detail possible for later editing. Some iPhone and Android smartphones have RAW capability built-in, if not, you can use a third-party app.
If you decide to capture video, you’ll need a filter as well, of course. But you should also use a tripod, as shooting handheld will induce blur and result in a shaky video. Even a cheap tripod will do the trick, along with a simple smartphone holder. Capture the highest resolution you can (4K or even 8K) at the highest quality possible. You’ll also capture any cheering, shouting, etc. — a precious souvenir you can look back on again and again.
More resources
There are plenty of government and private sites with more information about the eclipse, starting with the AAS’s eclipse site, detailing things like eye safety, imaging, resources and even a totality app — an “interactive map that shows what you’ll see at any location in North America for the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024.”
A total solar eclipse is coming to North America on April 8. The Great North American Eclipse, as it has been dubbed, will be visible across 13 US States, plus parts of Mexico and eastern Canada. But it will not look the same for everybody.
For those living along the path of totality—the projection of the moon’s shadow on the Earth’s surface—the celestial event is bound to delight. For everyone else, experiencing the total eclipse will require extensive planning … which, if you’re organized, should’ve already happened, but let’s face it, it probably has not.
I, for one, was considering Lexington, Kentucky, as my viewing venue. I had read that the eclipse there would be “deep partial,” but having never before witnessed a solar eclipse, I wasn’t sure whether that was good enough. My quest to find out led me to a nifty solar eclipse simulator that helps users visualize what April’s solar eclipse will look like from any city, town, mountain peak, or desolate patch of land in the northern hemisphere. To feed your imagination as you “try out” various locations, the simulator lets you set choose one of more than 50 landscapes to match the vibe you’re looking for—a city skyline, a snowy mountain range, or a placid lakefront. You can drag a slider on a timeline and watch the sun and the moon glide across your screen until they become one as the sky turns a dusky shade of blue.
The tool, which is based on centuries-old astronomical calculations as well as modern data, was built by Dan McGlaun, a retired mathematician from Purdue University and a self-professed geek who has been chasing eclipses since he was 10 years old. To date, McGlaun has witnessed 15 eclipses from incongruous places like airplanes and cruise ships. “I went to Kenya for an 11-second eclipse and it was the best day of my life,” he says.
The solar eclipse simulator is a side feature of McGlaun’s main website, through which he sells eclipse safety glasses. (These protective shades are an absolute must if you’re planning to look up at the sky during the eclipse.) But it only takes a minute on the phone with McGlaun to understand that the simulator is an absolute labor of love and the safety glasses business exists to fund it.
In 2017, McGlaun built a smartphone app that allowed people to choose an eclipse-viewing location on a map of the US to find out whether their chosen spot was in the path of totality for the eclipse during August of that year. Now, he’s furthered his effort to “evangelize eclipses” by building a more complex simulator, this one with an educational bent.
It took less than a minute of tinkering for me to understand that I would not be spending April 8 in Lexington, Kentucky, for the simple reasons that a partial eclipse—however “deep”—was nowhere near as impressive as the total eclipse I saw (on my screen) in places like Dallas, Texas, or Mazatlan, Mexico. Other notable locations in the path of totality are Russellville, Arkansas; Carbondale, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Erie, Pennsylvania; Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse in New York; northern Vermont; central Maine; central New Brunswick, Canada; and central Newfoundland, Canada.
In other anecdotes, onlookers have reported birds that stop singing, crickets that stopped chirping, or bees that return to their hive, reduce their foraging, or suspend their flight during total darkness. But there are also studies that deny that some of these behaviors occur or can be attributed to the eclipse.
Therefore, NASA scientists plan not only to systematize observations but also to document what people hear and see under the shadow of the moon.
“The Great North American Eclipse”
NASA has created the Eclipse Soundscapes citizen science project to collect the experiences of volunteers. It was inspired by a study conducted nearly 100 years ago by William M. Wheeler and a team of collaborators. At that time, the Boston Natural History Society invited citizens, park rangers, and naturalists to report on the activities of birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and fish during the summer eclipse of 1932. They collected nearly 500 reports. In their final report they note that some animals exhibited nocturnal behaviors such as returning to their nests and hives or making nighttime vocalizations.
The current NASA study will add observations made during the annular solar eclipse of October 14, 2023 and the total solar eclipse of April 8. The latter will be visible first in Mexico in Mazatlan, then in Nazas, Torreon, Monclova, and Piedras Negras. These localities will be located directly in the umbra of the eclipse and, therefore, their inhabitants will perceive it as total. In nearby regions it will be experienced as a partial eclipse, with less darkness. It will then enter the United States through Texas, passing through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Finally, it will travel across Canada from southern Ontario and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. Astronomical estimates point to the Mexican port of Mazatlan as the best place to observe the 2024 event, which will experience totality at about 11:07 am local time.
A sparrow experiencing a partial solar eclipse in Jize Country, Hebei Province, China, June 21, 2020.Future Publishing/Getty Images
How You Can Help
In the United States, 30 million people live in the area where the eclipse will be perceived as total. If you add in the Mexican and Canadian public, the potential for collecting experiences is immense. That’s what NASA wants to take advantage of.
The project foresees several levels of volunteering: apprentice, observer, data collector, data analyst, and facilitator.
Short-term rentals located in the eclipse’s path of totality are seeing a significant spike in bookings around the astronomical event. That’s according to data from AirDNA, which tracks the daily performance of over 10 million Airbnb and Vrbo properties.
The total eclipse is set to take place on Monday when the moon will pass between the sun and earth, casting a temporary darkness on parts of North America. NASA estimates 31.6 million people live in the path of totality of what will be the first total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States since 2017, with the next one not until 2044.
And people will be flocking to the path of totality, which cuts across 15 states from Texas up to Maine, so they can witness the rare sight.
Dallas, Indianapolis and Cleveland are among the biggest cities in the path of totality and all three boast a short-term rental occupancy above 90% for Sunday night, per AirDNA. Here’s a full look at the short-term rental occupancy of the 25 biggest cities in the path of totality on the eve of the eclipse, with all above 77%:
AirDNA senior VP of analytics Jamie Lane told CNBC on Thursday that short-term rentals in the path of totality are 92% occupied on average the night before the eclipse, with many cities fully booked. For comparison, one week before and after that, the occupancy levels in those locations are around 30 or 40%, according to Lane.
“We’re seeing people travel from all cross the country,” Lane said. “April’s typically not a high season for demand in many of these areas. So this really is a boom for demand in what’s typically a low-demand period.”
The 92% average is the highest short-term rental occupancy level for cities in the path of totality since the start of 2023, per AirDNA, beating out Memorial Day of last year (83.7%). But, as Lane explained, the supply and prices of those rentals aren’t what you would expect for a high-demand time.
“We typically see a large increase in supply around special events like F1 and the Super Bowl, and we’re really not seeing that,” Lane said. “We’re seeing actually a slight decline of existing hosts that are actually taking their unit off for that night and saying, ‘You know what, I’ve got a second home, the eclipse comes once in a blue moon, I want to stay and use that.’ That’s pushing occupancies to the record levels that we see.
“Rates, while up, aren’t up maybe as much as you’d think. We’re seeing rates only up about 18 percent on average.”
Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy provides tips on how to get the best photos of the total solar eclipse whether you’re using a phone, camera or telescope.
If you live in the US and missed the last total solar eclipse in 2017, good news! You’re about to get another chance. There will be a total solar eclipse passing through Texas and the Midwest states on April 8. Remember that in a solar eclipse, the moon’s shadow falls on the Earth. If you’re in this shadow, it’s going to look really weird. But also awesome.
Even if you’re not in the path of totality, you can still see something. All of the continental states will get at least a partial eclipse. (Check out the map here at NASA’s eclipse page.) And do I need to tell you this? Never look at the sun without special glasses, even when it’s mostly blocked by the moon. You may still be able to get some safe solar viewers before the big event.
But there’s another way to view the solar eclipse without glasses: using a pinhole projector. It’s super simple to make and easy to use. All you need is something flat like a piece of cardboard. Then you poke a hole in it with a pin. That’s pretty much it. When light from the sun passes through the hole, it will project an image onto some flat surface (like a sidewalk).
If you did this on a normal day you’d see a circular dot of light. You might think that’s because the hole is round. But during the eclipse you will see a crescent shape caused by the moon passing in front of the sun. It’s both awesome and safe for your eyes.
Actually, you don’t even need to make a pinhole viewer—they already exist all around us. If you stand under a tree, the small spaces between the leaves will act as pinholes to project a bunch of little crescent images. Here’s a picture I took during the 2017 eclipse:
Images of a solar eclipse projected through the gaps in overhead leaves.
Courtesy of Rhett Allain
Fun With Pinholes
Just for fun, here’s a question for you. Most pinholes are round (because pins have cylindrical shafts). But what if you replaced the circular hole with a square one? What shape would a round sun project onto the ground? Would it be a circle? Would it be a square? Or maybe it would be a squircle! What about a triangular hole? What would happen then?
I actually have a card from PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) that demonstrates this with three holes—circular, triangular and square. Check it out.
“ISO 12312-2 specifies the properties that a solar viewer should have in order to protect your eyes from injury and provide a comfortable view,” AAS says on its website.
For starters, make sure you have the proper protection by following the recommendations mentioned above. If you plan to take photos, here’s a guide and equipment needed to protect you and your gear from the sun.
The Virginia Department of Transportation is reminding travelers to keep their eyes on the road during April’s solar eclipse.
Virginia is positioned to see a partial solar eclipse, as much as 87 percent eclipsed in Northern Virginia, as the moon blocks part of the sun on Monday, April 8.
If your afternoon plans include viewing the eclipse, here are some reminders from VDOT:
Do not pull over and park on the shoulders or ramps of highways to view or photograph the eclipse
Choose a safe location to stop and see the celestial event
After choosing a safe viewing location, be sure to exit your vehicle cautiously
If not stopping to view the event, motorists should anticipate reduced visibility and are encouraged to turn on their headlights.
Drivers should not wear eclipse sunglasses while driving.
There will also likely be congestion along highways as the sky darkens and even after the event as travelers return to the roads, VDOT says.
You’re probably a little behind if you haven’t hashed out your eclipse plans at this point. But, we still have some pointers if you’re looking to enjoy the eclipse…
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For a very brief period of time, we’ll be shrouded in darkness during the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8th. It will be visible almost all over the United States and is an extremely rare celestial event that won’t happen again till 2044. If you’re wondering how to experience the upcoming eclipse safely, we’ve rounded up a few products to help you out and laid out a few important facts.
Can you look directly at the sun during an eclipse?
Absolutely not. According to NASA, it’s only safe to view the sun without any safety gear “when the Moon completely obscures the Sun’s bright face – during the brief and spectacular period known as totality.” Since this can be hard to pinpoint, having a pair of eclipse-safe glasses handy is very important. Eclipse-safe glasses comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard, which means they’re safe to use to directly view the sun.
What are the best solar eclipse glasses?
Here are a few of the best solar eclipse glasses that come directly recommended by the American Astronomical Society (a direct NASA partner) and where you can buy them:
VisiSolar Solar Eclipse Glasses
American Paper Optics Original Eclipsers
Warby Parker Solar Eclipse Glasses
Once you receive your eclipse glasses, check to see that they’re not damaged or scratched. If that’s the case, dispose of them immediately and don’t use them, according to NASA.
Can I look through a camera with my solar glasses?
No. This can cause serious injury to your eyes, according to NASA. You’ll want to get solar filters for your cameras or binoculars to make them safe to use. Once you have a solar filter on the lens, you won’t need your eclipse glasses, NASA says.
Here are a few solar filters worth investing in:
VisiSolar Solar Eclipse Smartphone Photo Filter Lens (Pack of 2)
DayStar Filters 70mm White-Light Universal Lens Solar Filter
How else can I protect myself during the solar eclipse?
Apart from guarding your eyes, you’ll also want to protect your skin from bright sunlight. This means applying sunscreen or wearing a hat to prevent getting sunburnt.
Anything else I’ll need for the solar eclipse?
You might want to invest in a lawn chair or cooler while you wait for the eclipse – especially if you’re going out to a public park to enjoy the phenomenon.
Coleman Broadband Mesh Quad Camping Chair
GCI Outdoor Rocker Camping Chair
Coleman 316 Series Insulated Portable Cooler
* By clicking on the featured links, visitors will leave Localish.com and be directed to third-party e-commerce sites that operate under different terms and privacy policies. Although we are sharing our personal opinions of these products with you, Localish is not endorsing these products. It has not performed product safety testing on any of these products, did not manufacture them, and is not selling, or distributing them and is not making any representations about the safety or caliber of these products. Prices and availability are subject to change from the date of publication.
On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, the moon will pass directly between the Earth and the sun, producing a total solar eclipse. Across North America, skies will darken, temperatures will drop, and pets will absolutely lose their minds. But for maximum results, viewers will need to be inside the “path of totality,” i.e., the darkest part of the moon’s shadow, which will move diagonally through the U.S. from Texas to Maine.
New York City is not within this path. Neither is Boston, Philadelphia, or D.C. The largest easternmost city that will see the full benefits of the eclipse — and therefore present the most convenient vantage for eclipse hunters from major seaboard cities — is Rochester, New York.
“We’re expecting anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 people,” says Rachel Laber Pulvino, a spokesperson for the tourism agency Visit Rochester. That’s not just wishful thinking. Half a million people visited Greenville, South Carolina, when it was similarly positioned for the last North American total eclipse in 2017. The influx could more than double Rochester’s population. (There are roughly 211,000 people in the city proper, but about a million live across the six counties that make up the Greater Rochester area.)
This is a lucky turn of events for my beloved hometown, which is usually touristproof thanks to its bad weather and an economy that hasn’t been the same since Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb pulled up stakes. But while decades of Rust Belt decay have had their costs, they’ve also taught Rochester to be proud when it has something worth celebrating. (If you ever need to kill five hours, just ask a Rochesterian about garbage plates, Genesee Cream Ale, or the bronze statue of local hero Philip Seymour Hoffman that we accepted with relish after it was apparently rejected by New York.) So now that the city is officially a matter of astronomical importance — or at least it will be on eclipse day for three minutes and 38 seconds beginning at 3:20 p.m. — you can bet that Rochester will make the most of this opportunity.
With less than a month to go until showtime, the talking points have been dispersed — from the Wegmans on Latta Road to the Wegmans in Pittsford Plaza, from the George Eastman House to the House of Guitars — and practically anybody with a 585 phone number can tell you how momentous the eclipse will be. But let’s start with Hilary Olson, president and CEO of the Rochester Museum and Science Center. “Whenever people have a shared experience, it’s almost always negative: Where were you on 9/11, or when a celebrity died, or during the COVID lockdown? But this is a shared experience that we’re all going to have that’s super positive,” she says. “And for Rochester, it’s unprecedented. We’re going to have more people than we’ve ever had visiting the area. We live in a very special time.”
As such, Rochester is preparing to unleash the greatest eclipse celebration that Western New York has ever seen. The RMSC will host a three-day festival featuring planetarium shows and presentations from celebrity astronomers; the museum has printed up half a million eclipse glasses so nobody fries their eyeballs. The conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has composed new space-themed music that will debut in an April 7 performance at the Blue Cross Arena. Rochester businesses are cashing in with eclipse-themed beer (“Totality Black Lager”), wine (“Cosmic Rosé”), and brunch menus (“Crescent Crab Benedict”). There will be eclipse viewing parties across the city: You can meet an astrophysicist at the Seneca Park Zoo; get an autograph from Mittsy, mascot for the Rochester Red Wings, at Innovative Field’s “Solarpalooza”; or take in the “Alpacalipse” at the Lazy Acres Alpaca Farm.
Ted Shaffrey/AP
The planning for all this began seven years ago with an local eclipse hunter named Debra Ross. Her daughter begged her to take an 800-mile road trip to Kimmswick, Missouri to catch the 2017 eclipse, and Ross was forever changed by the experience. “In the minute and a half that we were in totality, I understood what it was all about. You can feel yourself in the universe with your body,” she says. In a cosmic stroke of luck, Ross was about to begin a job as the chair of Visit Rochester. (She has since taken on a planning role with the American Astronomical Society.) “I thought, Well, I know everybody in Rochester, so I’m starting an eclipse task force. I began every monthly Visit Rochester meeting by asking, ‘What’s happening on April 8, 2024?’ Total solar eclipse.’”
The other thing that might happen that day is gridlock traffic. In 2017, highways near the path of totality were clogged when eclipse viewers split for home immediately after the sun reappeared. “It was a nightmare,” says Olson. “There was a bridge from Kentucky to Ohio that was backed up for 17 hours.” Due in part to these concerns, Rochester-area schools will be closed on April 8, so buses won’t get caught in the mess. (This is unusual to say the least. When I was growing up, school in Rochester was almost never canceled, not even for bomb threats, water-main breaks, or blizzards that would’ve shut down New York City for a month.)
The Rochester eclipse task force is also hoping it can ease traffic by enticing visitors to stick around until April 9. “We’re trying to get people to stay over Monday night,” says Jim Stack, executive director of the Genesee Transportation Council. “Hotels are doing two-night minimums, there are cultural events” — including a concert by the country singer Dylan Marlow that will kick off immediately following the eclipse — “and we’ve come up with the hashtag #TakeTuesdayToo.”
But of course, the real nightmare scenario would be gray skies. Rochester is one of the cloudiest cities in the U.S. What happens if half a million people show up for the eclipse and can’t see it? “The difference would be significant,” says Olson. “If it’s cloudy, the sky would still get dark, but you wouldn’t be able to see that crescent sun as it goes into totality.”
“Take a look at this,” says Stack, dropping a picture into our Zoom chat. “That’s a satellite photo of the U.S. on April 8, 2023. People say, ‘Rochester will be cloudy, so go to Texas for the eclipse.’ But last year, Texas had significantly more clouds.”
That may not necessarily mean much next month. “From this far out, we can only use history as a guide, and in early April, it’s difficult to have sunny weather here,” says Scott Hetsko, meteorologist for the Rochester ABC affiliate WHAM-TV. “The last two years we’ve had blue skies on April 8, but statistically that wouldn’t bode well for this year. It will just depend on the wind and moisture on the day.”
Still, this will be the last total eclipse in North America until August 23, 2044, so anybody who wants a chance to see it should probably make their reservations now. Most of Rochester’s hotel rooms are already spoken for between April 7 and 9, and even the downtown Hampton Inn, which at press time has one suite available, is charging $700 a night. “I look at some of the hotel rates,” says Stack, “and think, for that place? Over on Ridge Road, or by the mall on 390? Are you kidding me?”
“It’s exciting,” says Edie, a concierge at the city’s nicest hotel, the Inn on Broadway, which has been fully booked since last April. “People don’t usually come to Rochester unless they have a purpose, and it’s nice to have a purpose.”
