Stephanie Nano Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Where will you watch the April 8 total solar eclipse? You only have a few more weeks to choose where to watch the darkening skies along a swath of North America, whether by land, sea or air.
For those living within the 115-mile-wide (185-kilometer-wide path of total darkness), all you have to do is step outside and don special eclipse glasses to watch the spectacle unfold. maybe. For the millions of people who are off the road, or who simply want to improve their chances of clear skies, that might mean strategizing and hitting the road.
The eclipse will reach the Pacific coast of Mexico in the morning, cross diagonally across the United States from Texas to Maine, and dissipate over eastern Canada by late afternoon. Most of the rest of the continent will see a partial solar eclipse.
Where to see a total solar eclipse
Weather is key, and spring weather along the road can be unstable. Former Canadian meteorologist Jay Anderson said Mexico and Texas have the best chance of clear skies.
“There’s no guarantee it’s going to be sunny anywhere, there’s just a better chance,” he said.
Anderson studied satellite data from the past 20 years to calculate how often cloudy skies occur in that location on eclipse days. He said there are other promising locations in total orbit besides Mexico and Texas, especially along the Great Lakes.
Tip: If you’re flexible, start paying attention to the local weather about 10 days out and plan based on the 3-day forecast. Hardcore eclipse chasers often line up at multiple locations and make last-minute decisions based on the best forecast, he said.
How to prepare like an Eclipse Chaser
One veteran eclipse tracker recommends choosing a location for your vacation so that the eclipse is the “centerpiece” rather than the only highlight, just in case things go wrong.
Tom Schultz and other relatives will travel from a retirement home in Costa Rica to watch the eclipse at his mother-in-law’s house in Rochester, New York.
“If it rains, we’ll have a great family reunion,” Schultz said.
Veteran Ann Marie Adkins could have driven across the city of San Antonio to see the total eclipse, but she decided to bet on clear skies and join an astronomer-led tour to Mazatlan, Mexico. I chose. She has also been blocked by clouds on other trips. For the 2017 U.S. solar eclipse, she went to Nebraska and had to scramble to find better skies that day.
“It’s a gamble. You never know what you’re going to get,” Adkins said.
Post-eclipse traffic is a particular concern, especially in rural areas like the Texas Hill Country. Patricia Moore with the Bandera Visitor Center said last year’s “Ring of Fire” eclipse served as a dry run for police and other first responders. Tiny Bandera, the “Cowboy Capital of the World,” can expect crowds at nearby weekend music festivals.
“After the eclipse, it’s going to be tough,” she says.
Where is the Eclipse Watch Party held?
As the eclipse falls on Monday, cities and towns along the route are planning a variety of activities and watch parties to attract tourists over the weekend. Numerous music festivals and gatherings are being planned at museums, parks, wineries, and other businesses to capitalize on this buzz.
Sarah Harvey, a spokeswoman for Destination Niagara USA, said the event is scheduled for multiple days at Niagara Falls, and the eclipse is expected to draw crowds on the scale of July 4th. It is said that
She said there are multiple vantage points to view the show from Niagara Falls State Park, and weather permitting, the famous Maid of the Mist sightseeing boat may be in operation. Even if it’s cloudy, visitors can see “beautiful views of the falls,” Harvey said.
In Waco, Texas, the festivities culminate with science-themed activities held outside Baylor’s McClain Stadium along so-called Touchdown Alley on the day of the solar eclipse.
While it may be too late to secure a cabin on a cruise ship off the coast of Mexico for the eclipse, there are other water options, including aboard the paddle steamer Victorian Princess on Lake Erie from Erie, Pennsylvania .
If the skies are beckoning, Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines have identified flights that will fly along or near the path of the solar eclipse. Delta’s special flights from Austin to Detroit quickly sold out, prompting the airline to add flights from Dallas.
Looking for a different kind of place to watch the sun, moon, and Earth align? The Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts NASA astronauts and other guests. Cedar Point Amusement Park on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio opens today. And the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas is holding a tailgate fundraising party, inviting visitors to see how zoo residents react to the midday darkness.
You can also spend a day visiting planets. In northern Maine, a scale model of the solar system is on display along about 100 miles (160 kilometers) of Route 1. Former geology professor Kevin McCartney hopes to unveil the new 7m-tall sun on the side of the road. At the University of Maine at Presque Isle on the day of the solar eclipse. “You can’t miss it,” he said.
Weather expert Anderson said it was well worth traveling to see the “special magical moment” of a total solar eclipse: “It’s the Taylor Swift of natural phenomena.”
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Education Media Group. AP is solely responsible for all content.
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