If there’s one honeypot location for many U.S. eclipse-chasers on Monday, April 8, it’s Niagara Falls—and you don’t even need a ticket. Destined to be in darkness for 3 minutes and 29 seconds at 3:18 p.m. EDT, many thousands of people are expected to be at the UNESCO World Heritage Site on the U.S.-Canada border to witness its first total solar eclipse since January 24, 1925—and its last until October 26, 2144.
In a lovely twist of fate, Niagara Falls State Park last experienced totality in its first year as the nation’s first-ever State Park, and for its next one on April 8, it’s celebrating its centennial year. Not surprisingly, NASA officials and astronauts will be on site to give talks in the days surrounding April 8.
However, with road closures confirmed and some weather conditions you must be aware of in advance, here’s your ultimate guide to seeing the eclipse on the U.S. side of Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls Eclipse: Best Observation Points
Watching the sky darken over the cascading waters of one of the world’s most stunning natural wonders will be a popular ambition on April 8. It could be very busy since tickets are not required for the general viewing areas on the U.S. side.
It’s important to realize that at 3:18 p.m. EDT, the eclipsed sun will be in the southwest sky precisely 46 degrees above Horseshoe Falls—the largest of the three falls—as seen only from the U.S. side. Those in Canada get a much better view of Horseshoe Falls, but from there, the eclipse will happen away from the falls.
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hot air balloon over the Niagara falls at sunlight in USA
getty
Niagara Falls Eclipse: Climate And Weather
April weather in Niagara Falls is unpredictable, and there is a high chance of cloud on April 8—as high as 62%, according to Timeanddate. Visitors should bring warm clothing and rain gear in cold and wet weather.
For starters, there’s mist. The force of two million liters of water sends mist upwards from the bottom of the falls.
The eclipse’s 15 degrees Fahrenheit cooling effect could also make clouds an issue. “On a normal day, there’s no cloud, but at night, it forms and gets larger, burning off after sunrise,” said Mike Kentrianakis, an expert eclipse chaser who served as the American Astronomical Society’s Solar Eclipse Project Manager in 2017, in an interview. However, just as you think you’ll see this great eclipse right over the falls, a cloud could form. “If it’s a clear day, you probably won’t need to go too far away to find a clear sky,” said Kentrianakis. “If you go to Niagara Falls, enjoy the city and the falls and then at eclipse time, go north or south or watch inland—don’t hang out by the mist.”
What you can do—likely on foot—will depend on your situation. For the average traveler, a destination like Niagara Falls is perfect for a potentially cloudy eclipse. “If you’ve always wanted to see Niagara Falls, go to Niagara Falls,” said Dr. Tyler Nordgren, an Ithaca, New York-based astronomer and eclipse artist at Space Art Travel Bureau, in an interview. “If it’s clear, awesome, but if not, you’re seeing Niagara Falls! I always highly recommend picking someplace in the path of totality you’d like to go to, regardless of whether or not the total eclipse would be happening.” Nordgren designed the official eclipse poster art for Niagara Falls at the top of this article.
Authorities have confirmed that Niagara Falls State Park will be open but closed to all vehicle traffic from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on April 8. Visitors should use public transportation or park at designated parking areas (Parking Lot 1 at Prospect Point and 2 at Goat Island and walk to the park. Roads will also be closed around Prospect Point, Terrapin Point and the Observation Tower.
Organizers are advising visitors to arrive early to get a good viewing spot. The park will open at 5 a.m. on April 8—and that’s a good time to consider arriving. Although there will be food vendors on site, visitors are also being told to bring food and water.
Old Niagara Fort. 15 miles north of the falls.
getty
Niagara Falls Eclipse: Events
It’s going to be an exciting few days at the falls. Organizers promise free programming between April 4 and 8, and NASA and other scientists will offer free lectures and events at Niagara Falls State Park, Niagara Falls Public Libraries, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, the Aquarium of Niagara, and the Niagara Power Vista.
Not surprisingly, the authorities are keen for people to spread out on April 8. Many satellite events are being planned away from the falls—including at other State Parks in the region—that will appeal to those who want to avoid crowds/have a higher chance of a clear sky.
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.
