Even if you’re not in the path of totality, the solar eclipse on April 8 will offer a show to nearly everyone across North and Central America
On the afternoon of Monday, April 8, the moon will pass between Earth and the sun, its shadow sweeping across North America from west to east in a total solar eclipse. The sun and moon will appear to line up perfectly only along a narrow strip of land 100 miles (180 kilometers) wide. Everywhere else will experience a partial eclipse, in which the moon appears to take a bite out of the sun by covering part of its disk.
For those outside the path of totality, a partial eclipse is still a great consolation prize. The sight of our usually round sun instead appearing as an increasingly slim crescent is a special spectacle in its own right. (This partial eclipse view will also be visible to those along the path of totality during the hours before and after the full eclipse.) As the event progresses, sunlight will seem to weaken as more of the sun is obscured.
My area of the country (the Indiana and Illinois Wabash Valley) is in the path of the total eclipse and there’s this little town about half an hour away that my daughter and I love to go to because there’s a surprisingly upscale cafe there for a town of around 4000 people.
Anyway, they have a huge countdown sign in the park everyone drives by between the main highways and downtown, so we see it all the time. I really enjoy seeing the numbers counting down every time I go.
Weirdly, in the other direction (Bloomington, Indiana), there’s going to be an eclipse day celebration involving Janelle Monáe, William Shatner and Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space. I have no idea what that’s about. Mae Jemison, sure… but Janelle Monáe and William Shatner? They do know Shatner wasn’t actually a starship captain, right?
Didn’t Shatner end up going to space? Or is that a weird dream I had.
He went up with a Blue Origin rocket. I can’t remember if it actually went high enough to count as space, but he was definitely weightless for a bit.
Anyone have a link that isn’t paywalled?
The article photo displayed here pretty much gives you all the info.
Here’s an AI-generated summary for ya if you don’t want to click on any links:
On April 8, 2024, a solar eclipse will be visible from parts of North America. While a total eclipse will only be seen within a narrow band, a partial eclipse can be observed by nearly everyone on the continent. During a partial eclipse, the moon appears to take a bite out of the sun, leaving it shaped like a crescent. This crescent view will last for several hours as the moon increasingly covers the sun’s disk. An interesting aspect is that sunlight will seem to weaken as more of the sun is obscured, even for those outside the path of totality.
School districts are going crazy in Québec and urge to close all schools and keep the children locked in home with closed curtains, or kids will become blinds!!!
I’m speechless… https://news.google.com/search?q=school eclipse&hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen
It’s because the eclipse will be at the same time they’d be leaving school. So to avoid having children trapped in traffic or possibly injured by people only paying attention to the eclipse a lot of schools are either doing a half day or a whole day off.
Don’t know where you’re getting anything about being locked inside without windows though.
Don’t know where you’re getting anything about being locked inside without windows though.
It’s probably because of the harm that can come when you look directly at the eclipse without protection. You know, like this:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/total-eclipse-trump-peeked-n794621
If they have curtains they don’t need blinds.
Touche!
…is a word you might hear in Quebec.
What’d you call me? I’ve never even looked at another man before
Woopty dooo
