Written by Sarah BrygelReporter Features
Getty ImagesScientists, eclipse chasers, and festival-goers alike are anticipating a total solar eclipse in April.
a Total solar eclipse — which occurs when the moon intersects the sun, blocking it from view — will occur on April 8, 2024. The eclipse will first be visible in Mexico before making its way across the United States and exiting North America on Newfoundland’s Atlantic coast. .
What makes the April 2024 solar eclipse so unique?
According to NASA, this event will be different from… Total solar eclipse in the past. Scientists say that the sun’s corona (its outer layer) will be more visible than the last total solar eclipse (in 2017) due to the increasing activity of the sun at the time of the event. The 2024 eclipse will also be visible for about two minutes longer than the 2017 eclipse.
Since the 2017 eclipse, as well as the annular solar eclipse on Oct. In 2023, more people are aware of the upcoming event. However, she says there are other reasons why this event will be special: “I hope to see a corona that will be large and dynamic, with jets (coronal mass ejections), prominences, and a bright, crowded chromosphere.”
“Also, there is a small chance that the comet will be visible with binoculars during a total eclipse. It may be far from the eclipsed Sun, but it may be visible.” She adds that after the total solar eclipse in April 2024, observers will not be able to see another eclipse until 2044, which makes this one even more enticing.
The path of totality is also longer, which means the eclipse will be longer Visible to more people From the last total solar eclipse. About 31.6 million people live along the total 200-mile (322-kilometer) route, more than double the number of people who will be able to see the event since the last event of its kind.
Getty ImagesEven people who live elsewhere will be able to see the eclipse in some form: “In April, 99 percent of people who reside in the United States will be able to see a partial or total eclipse from where they live,” NASA said on its website. website. “Every contiguous US state, as well as parts of Alaska and Hawaii, will experience at least a partial solar eclipse.”
This highly anticipated astronomical event involves more than just scientists and eclipse chasers Counting down the days. While it will be easier for more people to view the total eclipse without having to leave home than in previous years, experts believe there will be an increase in travel ahead of this spectacle. The Great American Eclipse predicts that one in four Americans will occur You are expected to take a trip During the eclipse, it will be within the path of the total eclipse on April 8. With this in mind, travel agents help travelers figure out where to stay Capture the best views.
Events held to help travelers enjoy the eclipse, such as cruises that move along the path of totality, are not difficult to achieve, says Misty Bellis, director of global relations at US-based travel agency network Virtuoso Travel. “We’ve seen that some of the highest demand has been in south Texas and northern Mexico, and those areas in the path are poised to see a surge in travel,” she says. “There has been heightened interest for over a year as people prepare for this phenomenon that will not strike the United States again for another 20 years.”
At Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet, Texas, a five-day music festival will be held the week of the eclipse. The event is appropriately named Texas Eclipse Festival It will include artistic, space and technological performances and experiments. Ari Eizenstadt, an international futurist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, will lead the festival’s space program. He says the event will revolve around the idea of reminding people “that we are in space and we live on a planet.” In addition to live music, the event will include curated space experiences, a “Visions of the Future” area, yoga and more to bridge the gap between space and Earth. Eisenstat says 11 astronauts, including people from Blue Origin, NASA and SpaceX, will be featured speakers at the event.
Other festivals are scheduled during eclipse week in locations such as Bloomington, Indiana, which will host Shadowfest; and Jessieville, Arkansas, where the 2024 Total Eclipse Festival will be held, featuring live music, camping, zip lining and crystal digging.
Getty ImagesSafety measures for viewing the eclipse
With so many potential viewers this year, White advises all viewers to wear ISO-certified eclipse glasses – except during the total eclipse. But she says that, unfortunately, there are uncertified glasses on the market.
“We have evidence of a bunch of counterfeit glasses that contain this,” she explains, adding that Great American Eclipse discourages people from buying eclipse glasses from sites like Amazon. She points people out American Astronomical Society (AAS) which has a list of safe suppliers for wide-eyed observers.
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