The total solar eclipse of 2024 is gaining a lot of attention from avid space fans to amateur onlookers across the globe. If you’re in the path of totality then consider yourself lucky because you won’t have to contend with other travelers rapidly searching for accommodations.
It’s estimated that up to 4 million people will travel for this event. If you’re looking to plan a whole family getaway centered around the event or even if you just want to figure out how to watch the whole thing from your neck of the woods then, you’re in the right place. Scroll through for all you need to know to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse.
When is the total solar eclipse
A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, completely blocking the face of the Sun. The sky darkens and it can look like dusk in the middle of the afternoon—that darkness is what’s referred to as the path of totality.
On April 8, 2024 the total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of the US, Canada and Mexico. Although the phenomenon occurs every year, it’s not always visible from North America. The last time it occurred was in 2017 and, according to NASA, it won’t be visible again until 2044.
Which states are in the path of totality
It’s estimated that the path of totality will first hit Mexico at 11:07 am PDT (pacific daylight time). From there it will travel into Texas and make its way through a few lucky states. That’s not to say that you can view it from every corner of the state—some cities will have a better view than others. The duration of totality is typically just a few minutes long so planning your trip is key!
List of states in the path of totality:
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Missouri
Illinois
Kentucky
Indiana
Ohio
Pennsylvania
New York
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine
If you’re interested in catching the different phases, partial visibility and totality, check out this time chart that outlines the exact times the eclipse will hit different cities.
How to catch a glimpse of the eclipse
Whether you’re an umbraphile who’s been waiting years and years for this day or you just want to see what all the fuss is about, there are different ways you can catch this spectacular event. Here are a few cities throwing a notable bash to mark the event:
1. French Village, Missouri
Solar Strings, the Missouri eclipse festival, runs April 5th to the 8th and is held in the beautiful Ozarks. It’s a family-friendly camping experience with live music and plenty of space to catch the total solar eclipse.
2. Burnet, Texas
The Texas eclipse festival will be held at Reveille Peak Ranch from April 5 to 9. You’ll be in the path of totality and you’ll also be immersed in science talks, interactive art, live music and so much more.
3. Hot Springs, Arkansas
Atlas Obscura’s Eclipse Festival is a four-day celebration, April 5 to 8, at the Valley of the Vapors. You’ll have a full viewing experience alongside live music. There’s also related events with astronomers, artists, philosophers and more.
4. Indianapolis, Indiana
The Indy Eclipse Weekend, April 5 to 8, brings special performances, films, lectures and gatherings all related to the scientific phenomenon. If that’s exciting enough, there’s also a food truck festival!
5. Burlington, Vermont
Burlington promises eclipse enthusiasts a small-town-meets-big-celebration experience. The weekend leading up to the big event is chock-full of eclipse activities including watch parties, artisan markets and festivals.
How to view the eclipse safely
Normally, looking directly at the sun can be damaging to our eyes, but on the day of the eclipse, when totality hits, there’s a brief period where you can do so. During the partial phases, you’ll need special solar-safe glasses.
Homemade glasses with dark filters, no matter how dark, are not enough to protect your eyes. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has a special AAS Solar Eclipse Taskforce that already has a vetted list of manufacturers that produce safe products with which to view the eclipse safely. Unless you’ve got a telescope with a solar filter laying around somewhere, solar safe glasses are the way to go. (Need some suggestions? We’ve linked Taskforce-approved options below!)
The STAR library network, managed by the Space Science Institute, is offering free glasses, informational materials and eclipse-related activity ideas to libraries across the country. Check with your local library to see if they signed up!
Traveling the day of the eclipse
If you happen to be traveling that day, make sure to pack your solar safe glasses! Traveling by car, plane or boat—you’ll need specialty glasses in order to safely view the partial-eclipse. There are also specialty flights offered specifically for eclipse viewing and other regularly scheduled flights that could still offer a great view.
During totality, the skies darken and the temperature can drop a few degrees. If you’re planning on traveling to watch the solar eclipse 2024, don’t forget to bring a jacket!
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The body of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei — who died after being set on fire by her partner in Kenya — was received Friday by family and anti-femicide crusaders, ahead of her burial a day later.
Cheptegei’s family met with dozens of activists Friday who had marched to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital’s morgue in the western city of Eldoret while chanting anti-femicide slogans.
She is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in yet another case of gender-based violence in recent years.
Viola Cheptoo, the founder of Tirop Angels – an organization that was formed in honor of athlete Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in 2021, said stakeholders need to ensure this is the last death of an athlete due to gender-based violence.
“We are here to say that enough is enough, we are tired of burying our sisters due to GBV,” she said.
It was a somber mood at the morgue as athletes and family members viewed Cheptegei’s body which sustained 80% of burns after she was doused with gasoline by her partner Dickson Ndiema. Ndiema sustained 30% burns on his body and later succumbed.
Ndiema and Cheptegei were said to have quarreled over a piece of land that the athlete bought in Kenya, according to a report filed by the local chief.
Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month before the attack. She finished in 44th place.
Cheptegei’s father, Joseph, said that the body will make a brief stop at their home in the Endebess area before proceeding to Bukwo in eastern Uganda for a night vigil and burial on Saturday.
“We are in the final part of giving my daughter the last respect,” a visibly distraught Joseph said.
He told reporters last week that Ndiema was stalking and threatening Cheptegei and the family had informed police.
Four in 10 women or an estimated 41% of dating or married Kenyan women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by their current or most recent partner, according to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022.
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rare Bronze-Era jar accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old visiting a museum was back on display Wednesday after restoration experts were able to carefully piece the artifact back together.
Last month, a family from northern Israel was visiting the museum when their youngest son tipped over the jar, which smashed into pieces.
Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.
The jar has been on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa for 35 years. It was one of the only containers of its size and from that period still complete when it was discovered.
The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum’s vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.
It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.
Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the moment, which captured international attention, into a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity to illustrate the restoration process.
Rivlin added that the incident provided a welcome distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza. “Well, he’s just a kid. So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world,“ said Rivlin.
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.
Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to painstakingly reconstruct the large jar.
Less than two weeks after it broke, the jar went back on display at the museum. The gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few pieces are missing, but the jar’s impressive size remains.
The only noticeable difference in the exhibit was a new sign reading “please don’t touch.”
VICTORIA – The British Columbia government is partnering with a bear welfare group to reduce the number of bears being euthanized in the province.
Nicholas Scapillati, executive director of Grizzly Bear Foundation, said Monday that it comes after months-long discussions with the province on how to protect bears, with the goal to give the animals a “better and second chance at life in the wild.”
Scapillati said what’s exciting about the project is that the government is open to working with outside experts and the public.
“So, they’ll be working through Indigenous knowledge and scientific understanding, bringing in the latest techniques and training expertise from leading experts,” he said in an interview.
B.C. government data show conservation officers destroyed 603 black bears and 23 grizzly bears in 2023, while 154 black bears were killed by officers in the first six months of this year.
Scapillati said the group will publish a report with recommendations by next spring, while an independent oversight committee will be set up to review all bear encounters with conservation officers to provide advice to the government.
Environment Minister George Heyman said in a statement that they are looking for new ways to ensure conservation officers “have the trust of the communities they serve,” and the panel will make recommendations to enhance officer training and improve policies.
Lesley Fox, with the wildlife protection group The Fur-Bearers, said they’ve been calling for such a committee for decades.
“This move demonstrates the government is listening,” said Fox. “I suspect, because of the impending election, their listening skills are potentially a little sharper than they normally are.”
Fox said the partnership came from “a place of long frustration” as provincial conservation officers kill more than 500 black bears every year on average, and the public is “no longer tolerating this kind of approach.”
“I think that the conservation officer service and the B.C. government are aware they need to change, and certainly the public has been asking for it,” said Fox.
Fox said there’s a lot of optimism about the new partnership, but, as with any government, there will likely be a lot of red tape to get through.
“I think speed is going to be important, whether or not the committee has the ability to make change and make change relatively quickly without having to study an issue to death, ” said Fox.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
