Planning for the April Eclipse

(Plain Text Version)

Of all the things one can see in the sky, the total eclipse of the Sun has the reputation of being the most spectacular.  In this event, day turns into night as the Moon covers the bright face of the Sun.  During this time, the outer region of the Sun, called the corona, is visible.  Unfortunately, a total solar eclipse is visible only to people on a narrow strip of land.  For the rest of the world, the Sun is covered only partially, or not at all.

Fortunately, residents of the continental United States will soon have a chance to see a total eclipse without making a long journey.  On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Mexico, 15 states of the USA, and 6 provinces of Canada.

On-Line Planning Aids

To find out where you can experience this beautiful event, many planning tools are available on line.  Here is one:

Go to: timeanddate.com/eclipse

Select “Path Map“ under “April 8, 2024 …”

The darkest band is the zone where the total eclipse will be visible.  Let’s try Toledo, Ohio.  Navigate to Toledo and click on any place in the city.  A small table will pop up with information about the view from that location.  Note the words: “Total Solar Eclipse”, which we want!  Another important item is “Duration of Totality”.  It will be 1-2 minutes, depending on the location. 

Next, try a location near the red dotted line inside the dark band.  The duration of totality will be close to 4 minutes.  This would be a good place to check out, because totality would be long and the sky would be very dark at the mid-point of totality.

Finally, try a place outside the dark band, like Adrian, Michigan.  The pop-up indicates: “Partial Solar Eclipse”.  At this location, the Sun will almost disappear and the sky will be somewhat dark. 

For a good experience, more detailed planning is needed.  My ideal location would be a large grassy area with a good view in all directions.  It would be away from any kind of lights which may turn on when the sky gets dark. 

More and More Resources

Here is one website which gives a good description of the eclipse experience, plus links to more good information: https://eclipse.aas.org/eclipse-america-2024

Some Basic Plans

Since we have such a wealth of information available, I will just make a brief summary:

Pick a place to view the eclipse and consider alternatives to avoid cloudy skies.

Make hotel reservations, if needed (I have found that some rooms are still available).

Gather whatever you need to be comfortable, like lawn chairs, snacks and water bottles.

Get some reliable eclipse glasses.

In the next edition, I will summarize the amazing things one can expect on eclipse day!

#RealSimpleAstronomy