Monday's breathtaking celestial event promises a rare blend of commerce, science and celebration as Cripsmania spreads across North America.
The moon's shadow touched down on Mexico's Pacific coast at 2:07 p.m. ET (18:07 GMT) and then hurtled northeast across 15 U.S. states toward Canada for just under an hour and a half. It leaves the continent over Newfoundland. later.
Celebrations, viewing parties, and even mass weddings are being planned along the eclipse's “total path,” where the moon will completely obscure the sun's light for up to several minutes, but rain clouds will If you don't lose your loot, that could be the case. Cases in the southern and central United States.
“Solar eclipses have special power,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said recently. “They give people a kind of awe of the beauty of our universe.”
This year's total road is 115 miles (185 kilometers) wide and home to about 32 million Americans, with an additional 150 million living within 200 miles of the Strip. People far away can still enjoy the partial solar eclipse and watch a webcast provided by the U.S. space agency, NASA.
The next total solar eclipse visible across much of North America won't occur until 2044.
Festivals, Flights and Romance
Businesses are capitalizing on the excitement with special events, and bookings for hotels and short-term rentals in prime vantage points have been strong for months.
Eclipse viewers from all over the world flocked to Stonehenge II Park, a replica of the British prehistoric structure in Ingram, Texas.
“This is our third solar eclipse,” Jim Saltigerardo, 62, who was attending with his wife and two children, told AFP. “We're all praying that the clouds will break and we'll see some clouds.”
In Cleveland, where local officials expect about 200,000 attendees, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is planning a four-day live music event called “Solar Fest.”
And in Russellville, Arkansas, 300 couples are scheduled to exchange vows in a mass wedding ceremony on a “total solar eclipse of the heart,” with “a thin halo of light around the moon resembling a giant wedding ring in the sky.” There it is!” The event website boasts:
Many schools along the route will be closed or have students leave early.
Several airlines are advertising flights scheduled to pass beneath the eclipse, and Delta Air Lines is even planning two special trips along the path of totality.
The Perryman Group, a Texas-based research firm, estimates that the direct and indirect economic impact of this year's eclipse could reach $6 billion.
scientific inventory
Next is science. NASA plans to launch three sounding rockets before, during and immediately after the eclipse to measure changes caused by the sudden darkness of the ionosphere, the upper layer of the atmosphere important for long-range radio communications. There is.
Solar eclipses also provide a great opportunity to study the sun's corona, the outer layer of a star's atmosphere that is usually hidden by the bright light of its surface.
Researchers are particularly excited that the Sun is nearing the peak of its 11-year cycle.
Amazing animal behavior has been observed during past solar eclipses. Giraffes can be seen galloping around, and roosters and crickets may even start chirping.
NASA invited the public to contribute to the research by recording nature sounds and submitting multisensory observations through the citizen science project Eclipse Soundscapes.
In humans, the study found that solar eclipses induce feelings of awe toward others and “prosocial” tendencies.
safety first
Safety is paramount, and officials stress that certified eclipse glasses must be used to prevent retinal damage.
After past solar eclipses, more people are visiting hospitals complaining of blurred vision, altered color perception, and blind spots, and the outlook for recovery is far from certain.
Only those who enter the path of totality will be able to safely remove their eye protection and, for a precious moment, admire the corona peeking out from behind the moon's silhouette.
However, medical experts say it is important to know exactly when the infection begins and ends, and to wear glasses in time.
