- By Mike Wendling of Chicago and Emma Vardy of Texas
- bbc news
Skywatcher tests eclipse glasses in Texas
Anticipation builds ahead of Monday’s total solar eclipse, with millions of people hoping for clear skies.
Forecasters are expecting cloudy conditions across northern Mexico, Texas and parts of the Great Lakes region.
Parts of western Mexico and the Midwest are expected to see better weather, with clear spring skies expected in New England and Canada.
The first total solar eclipse to cross the continent since 2017 will first make landfall on the west coast of Mexico.
The plan tracks densely populated areas and several major cities in the three countries in a northeast direction.
What will the weather be like during a solar eclipse?
Some areas along the path of totality (where the moon completely obscures the sun) will remain in darkness for nearly four and a half minutes.
According to NASA, 31.6 million people live along the totality stream, and millions more are expected to travel to catch a glimpse of this celestial event.
At Fort Worth’s Starry Night RV Park, a Texas vehicle full of eclipse watchers arrived and set up camp in preparation for the big moment.
“It’s become quite a big deal. People are driving here from all over,” owner Lindsay Kuhn told the BBC.
“When I tried to explain to my daughter that it was getting dark, she asked, “Do I have to go to bed?”
“Being together and taking selfies with glasses on is a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us.”
Except for the total period, special glasses are required to view the partial phases of the eclipse. Experts advise that regular sunglasses are useless and looking at the sun even through a camera or smartphone can damage your eyes in a matter of seconds.
Special events are planned in towns and cities across the road.
NASA and its partner organizations are hosting more than 100 events, including a rally in Mazatlan, Mexico to see the eclipse for the first time from land, and festivals at Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas and Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. ing.
In 2017, spectators will fill a football stadium in Carbondale, Illinois, where the path of Monday’s solar eclipse intersects with the path of the last solar eclipse to cross the United States.
More than 300 couples will hold mass weddings under eclipsed skies in Russellville, Arkansas.
Miriam Maxey, who is married to her fiancé Nicholas, said: “We have never seen a total solar eclipse and can’t wait to experience it as a married couple.” he said. “This is a memory we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.”
Officials in Canada’s Niagara Falls expect up to one million visitors, weather permitting, to watch the fog from the famous cataracts turn pink. Forecasters with the National Weather Service (NWS) predicted thick clouds over the region.
among them Latest solar eclipse forecast for Sunday, the NWS also warned of the potential for severe weather, including heavy rain, tornadoes and hail, that could impact travel in Texas and nearby states. Expect views of San Antonio to be almost completely obscured by clouds.
Scientists use solar eclipses to conduct experiments, shoot rockets into the sky, observe animal behavior, and study the sun’s elusive corona (the star’s bright outer atmosphere). It’s a schedule.
Some schools are closing or allowing students to be absent on Monday, while others are planning special viewing events.
The American Automobile Association said there was a surge in demand for hotel rooms and rental cars ahead of the eclipse, and warned travelers not to try to take photos or videos while driving.
If weather affects Monday’s event, eclipse viewers in North America will be in for a while. The next total solar eclipse, widely visible from the United States and Canada, will occur in 2044.
