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== Impact ==
== Impact ==
[[File:2024 Eclipse Shadows.jpg|thumb|Shadows in a crescent shape during the 2024 eclipse, as seen in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]]]
[[File:2024 Eclipse Shadows.jpg|thumb|Shadows in a crescent shape during the 2024 eclipse, as seen in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]]]
[[File:Solar eclipse crescent shadows, College Station TX.jpg|thumb|Crescent shadows during the 2024 eclipse, as seen in College Station, Texas]]
It was projected before the eclipse that there could be a $6 billion boost to the US economy due to the eclipse.<ref name=":0" /> The Mayor of [[Rochester, New York]], [[Malik Evans]], told reporters that the city was expected to bring in between $10–12 million to the city's economy between the Friday before the eclipse to the day of it.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kekatos |first=Mary |date=April 5, 2024 |title=How Rochester, New York, hopes the eclipse brings a lasting economic boom to city |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/rochester-new-york-hopes-eclipse-brings-lasting-economic/story?id=108860068 |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=ABC News }}</ref>
It was projected before the eclipse that there could be a $6 billion boost to the US economy due to the eclipse.<ref name=":0" /> The Mayor of [[Rochester, New York]], [[Malik Evans]], told reporters that the city was expected to bring in between $10–12 million to the city's economy between the Friday before the eclipse to the day of it.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kekatos |first=Mary |date=April 5, 2024 |title=How Rochester, New York, hopes the eclipse brings a lasting economic boom to city |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/rochester-new-york-hopes-eclipse-brings-lasting-economic/story?id=108860068 |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=ABC News }}</ref>



Revision as of 23:39, 8 April 2024

Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024
The solar eclipse during totality, seen from Dallas, Texas
Map
Type of eclipse
NatureTotal
Gamma0.3431
Magnitude1.0566
Maximum eclipse
Duration268 s (4 min 28 s)
LocationNazas, Durango, Mexico
Coordinates25°18′N 104°06′W / 25.3°N 104.1°W / 25.3; -104.1
Max. width of band198 km (123 mi)
Times (UTC)
(P1) Partial begin15:42:07
(U1) Total begin16:38:44
Greatest eclipse18:18:29
(U4) Total end19:55:29
(P4) Partial end20:52:14
References
Saros139 (30 of 71)
Catalog # (SE5000)9561

The solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, dubbed the Great North American Eclipse by some media,[1][2][3] was a total solar eclipse visible within a band covering parts of North America, stretching from Mexico to Canada and covering the contiguous United States. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs only in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometers wide (the Moon's diameter is approx. 3470 km or 2160 miles).

One day after perigee on April 7, 2024, the Moon's apparent diameter was 5.5% larger than average. With a magnitude of 1.0566, the eclipse's longest duration of totality was 4 minutes and 28.13 seconds just 4 mi (6 km) north of the Mexican town of Nazas, Durango.

This eclipse was the first total solar eclipse visible in Canada since February 26, 1979;[4][5] the first in Mexico since July 11, 1991;[6] and the first in the United States since August 21, 2017. No other solar eclipse in the 21st century will be totally visible in all three countries.[7] It was the last total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States until August 23, 2044, while the next eclipse of similar breadth will occur on August 12, 2045.

The final solar eclipse of the year will occur on October 2, 2024.

Visibility

Animation of the eclipse path (including the path of totality)

The totality of the solar eclipse was visible in a narrow strip on the Pacific Ocean passing 230 miles (370 km) north of the Marquesas Islands and later in North America, beginning at the Pacific coast, then ascending in a northeasterly direction through Mexico, the United States, and Canada, before ending in the Atlantic Ocean.[8]

Mexico

In Mexico, totality passed through the states of Sinaloa (including Mazatlán), Durango (including the city of Durango and Gómez Palacio) and Coahuila (including Torreón, Matamoros, Monclova, Sabinas, Ciudad Acuña and Piedras Negras).[9][10][11]

A partial eclipse was visible across the remainder of the country, including 79% coverage of the solar disc in Mexico City.[12]

United States

The solar eclipse, as seen from Metuchen, New Jersey
The solar eclipse during totality as seen from Dallas
The solar eclipse reaching about 90% totality in Southeastern Pennsylvania, right before clouds cover it over during the maximum
Totality in Fayston, Vermont

In the United States, totality was visible through the states of Texas (including parts of San Antonio, Austin, and Fort Worth and all of Arlington, Dallas, Killeen, Temple, Texarkana, Tyler, Sulphur Springs and Waco), Oklahoma (including Idabel and Broken Bow), Arkansas (including Morrilton/Petit Jean, Hot Springs, Searcy, Jonesboro, and Little Rock), Missouri (including Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff), Tennessee (extreme northwestern corner of Lake County), Illinois (including Carbondale, where it intersects the path of the 2017 eclipse), Kentucky, Indiana (including Bloomington, Evansville, Indianapolis, Anderson, Muncie, Terre Haute, and Vincennes), Ohio (including Akron, Cleveland, Dayton, Lima, Lorain, Toledo, and Warren), Michigan (extreme southeastern corner of Monroe County), Pennsylvania (including Erie), Upstate New York (including Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown, the Adirondacks, Potsdam, and Plattsburgh), northern Vermont (including Burlington), New Hampshire, and Maine,[13][14] with the line of totality going almost directly over the state's highest point Mount Katahdin. The largest city that was entirely in the path was Dallas, Texas.[15] It was the second total eclipse visible from the central United States in just seven years, after the eclipse of August 21, 2017. It was the last total solar eclipse visible in the contiguous United States until August 23, 2044.[16]

A partial solar eclipse was visible in all of the other parts of the contiguous United States and in Southeast Alaska (Alaska Panhandle).

Delta Air Lines scheduled two special eclipse-following flights: one from Austin to Detroit on a large-window A220-300, and one from Dallas to Detroit.[17] Various other flights in the path of totality also avoided cloud cover entirely.[18]

Canada

In Canada, totality was visible through parts of Southern and Eastern Ontario (including Leamington, Fort Erie,[19] Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Kingston, Prince Edward County, and Cornwall),[20] parts of southern Quebec (including Montreal, Sherbrooke, Saint-Georges and Lac-Mégantic), central New Brunswick (including Fredericton, Woodstock and Miramichi),[21] western Prince Edward Island (including Tignish and Summerside),[22][23] the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia,[24] and central Newfoundland (including Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor). Then, it ended on the eastern Atlantic coast of Newfoundland.[25] Windsor, London, Toronto and Ottawa lay just north of the path of totality, and Moncton just south of it.

A partial solar eclipse was visible in all of the other parts of Canada, except the western part of Yukon and the western tip of the Northwest Territories.

Europe

A partial eclipse was seen in Svalbard (Norway), Iceland, Ireland, western parts of Great Britain, north-west parts of Spain and Portugal and the Azores, and the Canary Islands.[26] Unusually, this eclipse extended below the horizon, where the greatest phase was observed at mid-nautical twilight in Galicia (Spain) and the beginning of astronomical twilight in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (France).[27] The extension of the eclipse path within the twilight zone created what was likely the best observation window for the 12P/Pons–Brooks comet located closely to Jupiter.[28]

Central America and South America

The partial eclipse was seen in all Central American countries, from Belize to Panama, all the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and Jamaica), and northern South America (Colombia).

Oceania

The partial eclipse was seen in Hawaii, eastern Kiribati (the eastern Phoenix Islands and the whole Line Islands), Tokelau, American Samoa except for its extreme western part, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia and the Pitcairn Islands. Although all located east of the 180th meridian, the local time of the eclipse in Kiribati and Tokelau was Tuesday, April 9, 2024, because either UTC+13 or UTC+14 is observed in these areas.

Solar prominences

Solar prominences visible as pink streaks on the edge of the sun

The eclipse occurred around the solar maximum, a period of greatest solar activity in the sun's 11-year solar cycle, and it was predicted before the event that solar prominences could be visible during totality.[29] Several observers reported seeing solar prominences during the event.[30][31][32]

Impact

Shadows in a crescent shape during the 2024 eclipse, as seen in Georgia
Crescent shadows during the 2024 eclipse, as seen in College Station, Texas

It was projected before the eclipse that there could be a $6 billion boost to the US economy due to the eclipse.[33] The Mayor of Rochester, New York, Malik Evans, told reporters that the city was expected to bring in between $10–12 million to the city's economy between the Friday before the eclipse to the day of it.[34]

One company that tracks AirBnB data likened the event to a Taylor Swift concert taking place simultaneously, with visitors traveling from across the world to the path of totality in the US.[33] The prices of motels and hotels near the path of totality increased "as much as 100 percent for the two nights in high demand".[35]

A restaurant in Burlington, Vermont, said that after it was reported that up to 75,000 people would be visiting the city for the eclipse reservations filled up quickly causing them to have to bring on extra staff to meet demands. Other restaurants made concessions on business hours to meet the needs of the crowds.[36] In Rochester, a task force was created to help mitigate the challenges that could come about with the estimated 300,000 to 500,000 visitors that were expected to visit during the eclipse.[34] The state of Texas was projected to see up to a million visitors with cities along the path of totality cultivating festivals and other events.[37][38] [39]

The eclipse is also expected to potentially impact areas that rely on solar power generation, as parts of the path of totality could see limited sunlight for over two hours. States such as Texas, California and Florida are projected to be the most affected.[40][41]

Responses

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders preemptively declared a state of emergency related to the eclipse, citing the expected increase of travel to the state which may potentially result in transportation difficulties, such as in Fort Smith, where the police prepared for traffic congestion as hotels filled up with visitors from all over the United States and Canada.[42][43] Bell County, Texas Judge David Blackburn preemptively declared a state of emergency in February 2024 due to the projected number of visitors to the area.[37] The region surrounding Niagara Falls, Ontario, also declared a state of emergency; as an existing major tourist destination along the path of totality, it expected an influx of at least one million visitors on April 8.[44]

A lawsuit was filed on April 2 by six inmates of various religions at Woodbourne Correctional Facility in New York against the state, stating that the decision to lock down the prison during the eclipse conflicted with their religious beliefs. The solar eclipse is important in various religions.[45] The state settled the lawsuit by allowing them to view the eclipse.[46]

Related eclipses

The eclipse is a member of a semester series. An eclipse in a semester series of solar eclipses repeats approximately every 177 days and 4 hours (a semester) at alternating nodes of the Moon's orbit.[47] It is also part of saros series 139, repeating every 18 years, 11 days, 8 hours, containing 71 events, and part of a tritos cycle, repeating at alternating nodes every 135 synodic months (≈ 3986.63 days, or 11 years minus 1 month).

The path of the April 8, 2024, eclipse crossed the path of the prior total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, with the intersection of the two paths being in southern Illinois, in Makanda, just south of Carbondale.[48] The cities of Benton, Carbondale, Chester, Harrisburg, Marion, and Metropolis in Illinois; Cape Girardeau, Farmington, and Perryville in Missouri, as well as Paducah, Kentucky, were within a roughly 9,000-square-mile (23,000 km2) intersection of the paths of totality of both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses.

See also

References

  1. ^ Jamie Carter (April 8, 2019). "Countdown Begins To 'Great North American Eclipse', The Longest, Darkest and Best For 21 Years". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  2. ^ Doris Elin Urrutia (August 21, 2019). "It's Not Too Early to Plan for the Great American Total Solar Eclipse of 2024". Space.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  3. ^ Sebastian Kettley (August 23, 2019). "Solar eclipse: Another 'Great American Eclipse' is coming – Get ready for solar spectacle". Daily Express. London. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  4. ^ Aziz, Saba (February 12, 2024). "Total solar eclipse: All you need to know about the rare celestial event". Global News. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  5. ^ Dickinson, Terence (August 3, 2017). "Canada's last solar eclipse in 1979". Maclean's. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  6. ^ Total Solar Eclipse in Mexico, 1991 (in Spanish). National Autonomous University of Mexico. 1991. ISBN 9789683617613. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved April 2, 2009.
  7. ^ "Location of Total Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024", GreatAmericanEclipse.com, archived from the original on August 26, 2017, retrieved September 9, 2017
  8. ^ Where & When, NASA, April 6, 2024, archived from the original on April 8, 2024, retrieved April 8, 2024
  9. ^ "Total Solar Eclipse in Mexico". Time and Date. April 2024. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Total Solar Eclipse durations: Durango, Durango – 3m 47s; Mazatlan, Sinaloa – 4m 20s; Torreón, Coahuila de Zaragoza – 4m 9s.
  10. ^ Carter, Jamie (November 20, 2023). "The best places in Mexico to see the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024". Space news. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Mazatlán, on the country's western coast, will be the first region of mainland Mexico to experience totality, followed by Durango, Torreón and Monclova as the path tracks northeast toward the U.S. border at Piedras Negras.
  11. ^ "Solar Eclipse of April 8 2024 from Mazatlán, Mexico". The Sky Live. April 7, 2024. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. A Total Eclipse of magnitude 1.0216 will be visible from Mazatlán, Mexico on April 8 2024. Maximum eclipse will be at 11:09:38 local time and totality duration will be 4m 19s.
  12. ^ "Gran Eclipse Mexicano 2024". Instituto de Geofísica, UNAM. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  13. ^ Gore, Leada (August 22, 2017). "Solar eclipse 2024: Best U.S. cities to see the next total solar eclipse". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  14. ^ Eliasen, Terry (August 21, 2017). "Next Solar Eclipse Puts New England in Path Of Totality". CBS Boston. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  15. ^ "Great North American Eclipse: Dallas". Perot Museum of Nature and Science. April 3, 2024. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. On April 8, 2024, Dallas will be the largest city in the path of totality for the once-in-a-lifetime Great North American Eclipse.
  16. ^ Hauari, Gabe; Lagatta, Eric (March 1, 2024), "When is the next total solar eclipse in the US after 2024? Here's what you need to know.", USA Today, archived from the original on April 8, 2024, retrieved April 8, 2024
  17. ^ Lamothe, Jacqueline (April 8, 2024). "1 solar eclipse, 2 spectacular flights: How Delta people are preparing for the celestial event". Delta News Hub. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  18. ^ Diba Mohtasham (February 22, 2024). "Delta's special total solar eclipse flight sold out in 24 hours". NPR. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
  19. ^ Jubier, Xavier (April 7, 2024). "Total Eclipse for Fort Erie, Canada". Google Maps. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Fort Erie totality 3m 46s.
  20. ^ Nielsen, Kevin (April 5, 2024). "Total solar eclipse: Where the best views in Ontario are expected to be". Global News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Fort Erie will experience the longest totality at 3m 46s, with Niagara Falls following closely at 3m 31s, both occurring at 3:20 pm.
  21. ^ Urquhart, Mia (January 22, 2024). "N.B. has front-row seat for 'once-in-a-lifetime' total solar eclipse on April 8". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Fredericton, Woodstock, and Miramichi are in the 'path of totality'. Moncton and Saint John, just outside, get about 98% sun coverage.
  22. ^ Goodsell, Devon (September 5, 2022). "'Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' to view 2024 total solar eclipse on P.E.I." CBC News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Totality visible west of Summerside: 1m 2s. In Tignish, totality lasts 3m 12s.
  23. ^ "Timing of 2024 Solar Eclipse". University of Prince Edward Island. March 28, 2023. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Timing and duration of the total eclipse will vary slightly across the Island.
  24. ^ "NASA – Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 Apr 08". March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on March 27, 2008.
  25. ^ Jubier, Xavier (April 7, 2024). "The Eclipse vanishing off the eastern coast of Newfoundland, Canada". Google Maps. Archived from the original on April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024. Totality on the eastern coast of Newfoundland: 2m 53s.
  26. ^ "Eclipse Path of Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024". www.timeanddate.com. Archived from the original on March 13, 2020. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  27. ^ "2024 solar eclipse in Europe". European Eclipse Quadruplet. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  28. ^ "12P/Pons Brooks comet during 2024 total solar eclipse". Astro-Geo-GIS.com. April 14, 2023. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  29. ^ Carter, Jamie (March 23, 2023). "Massive explosions may be visible on the sun during the April 8 total solar eclipse". Space.com. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  30. ^ Bartels, Meghan (April 8, 2024). "What Were the Red Dots around the Total Solar Eclipse?". Scientific American. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  31. ^ Robledo, Anthony; Lagatta, Eric (April 8, 2024). "Solar flares reported during total eclipse as sun nears solar maximum. What are they?". USA Today.
  32. ^ Bassler, Hunter; Allred, Anne (April 8, 2024). "Possible massive sun explosion captured on camera by Chicago eclipse viewer in Cape Girardeau". KSDK. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Hyatt, Diccon (April 6, 2024). "What's the Economic Impact of the Solar Eclipse?". Investopedia. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  34. ^ a b Kekatos, Mary (April 5, 2024). "How Rochester, New York, hopes the eclipse brings a lasting economic boom to city". ABC News. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  35. ^ "Total Solar Eclipse Causes Surge in Pricing and Demand for Hotels, Airbnbs: What to Know as a Traveler". Peoplemag. April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  36. ^ Boronski, Tyler (April 6, 2024). "Burlington restaurants starting to feel the impact of the Eclipse weekend". WPTZ. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  37. ^ a b Flores, Bri; Audacy • •, Chris Blake | (April 7, 2024). "How will eclipse-driven tourism impact the Texas economy?". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  38. ^ "Atlas Obscura Announces the 2024 Ecliptic Festival Celebrating the Total Solar Eclipse". www.businesswire.com. January 16, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  39. ^ Edmonds, Colbi (April 8, 2024). "In Austin, thousands watched the eclipse during a Vampire Weekend concert". New York Times. Retrieved April 8, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  40. ^ Johnson, Marina (April 8, 2024). "How does the 2024 solar eclipse affect solar power? Here's what to know". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  41. ^ "Eclipse Will Darken Solar Panels and Cut Off Power Supplies to the Grid". Bloomberg.com. April 8, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  42. ^ Rains, Brett (April 4, 2024). "Fort Smith police prepare for traffic congestion as hotels fill up for the eclipse". KHBS. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  43. ^ Sosa, Abner (April 6, 2024). "Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declares state of emergency ahead of solar eclipse". KHBS. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  44. ^ Li, Justin (March 30, 2024). "Niagara Falls declares state of emergency in advance of huge influx of eclipse visitors". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 7, 2024. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  45. ^ Lagetta, Eric (April 2, 2024). "New York inmates say a prison lockdown for the eclipse violates their religious freedoms: Lawsuit". USA Today. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  46. ^ Helsel, Phil; McLaughlin, Evan (April 4, 2024). "Inmates at New York prison will get to watch eclipse after all". NBC News. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  47. ^ van Gent, R.H. "Solar- and Lunar-Eclipse Predictions from Antiquity to the Present". A Catalogue of Eclipse Cycles. Utrecht University. Archived from the original on September 7, 2019. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  48. ^ "Total Solar Eclipse 2017 – Path Overlap with the 2024 Eclipse". eclipse2017.org. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.

External links