Solar Eclipse Guide 2024

A PUBLICATION OF THE TribunE |

On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will darken parts of the country for several minutes. Seymour residents and other Hoosiers throughout the state will have a front-row seat, so to speak, for this spectacular celestial event that will also likely attract hundreds of thousands of spectators from around the world. The partial eclipse will begin over Seymour at 1:49 p.m. and be in totality at 3:07 p.m. for approximately three minutes and eight seconds.

The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean at around 11:07 a.m., engulfing Mexico’s pacific coast in total darkness. Weather permitting, the eclipse’s path will enter the United States through Texas, blanketing Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine from all sunlight. Small

parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse, according to science.nasa.gov

The eclipse will first be visible in Indiana in the Mount Vernon area, and through the afternoon, it will progress across the state through regions that include Linton, Bloomington, Indianapolis, Shelbyville, Muncie, New Castle, Connersville and Portland, according to the Indiana Department of Resources website. Along the center line of the zone of totality, darkness will last for approximately four minutes, and as you move farther away from the center line of that arc across the state, the timeframe and amount of darkness will drop.

Check the DNR: Indiana’s 2024 Solar Eclipse website for the exact times the eclipse will cover your area and more, https://www.in.gov/dnr/places-to-go/ events/2024-solar-eclipse/

Brownstown Central Middle School sixth-graders, from left, Victoria g omez, Yazmin Fuentes and Adelynn Anderson look at the solar eclipse Aug. 21 outside the school.

Photographed by Zach Spicer

https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/land/indiana-jackson-co-fairgrounds-eclipse-2024-pw1hemeq/ photos/categories?arrive=2024-04-05&depart=2024-04-07&adults=1&children=0

OBSERVE THE SUN

Protect your eyes while viewing the solar eclipse

The excitement is building for the 2024 total solar eclipse, but when you look toward the sky, make sure you are not damaging your eyes. Failing to take proper precautions can result in severe and irreversible damage to one’s eyesight. Staring at the sun during an eclipse, even for a few seconds, can lead to a condition known as solar retinopathy, which can result in permanent vision impairment or blindness. Unlike the sun on a normal day, the eclipsed sun may appear less bright, making it tempting for some to glance at it without realizing the potential harm.

A total solar eclipse is a rare and grand spectacle of nature. By following simple precautions, you can experience it safely.

Do Do noT

Use eclipse glasses or solar viewers that meet the ISO 12312-2 standards (sometimes written as ISO 12312-2:2015). But do not stare continuously at the sun. Take breaks and give your eyes a rest.

Use a box pinhole viewer.

Use a pinhole projector.

Use your hands to cast shadows on the ground. Cross your hands with fingers slightly spread to create a waffle pattern. Look down and you will see the spaces between your fingers project a shadow image of the sun in a crescent shape during the partial eclipse stages.

Look at shadows on the ground, such as beneath a leafy tree, during the partial eclipse to see the crescent sun shadows projected by the spaces between the leaves.

Do not look at the sun directly.*

Do not view through regular sunglasses. No matter how dark they are, they will not protect your eyes.

Do not use damaged eclipse sunglasses or solar viewers. If they are torn, scratched or punctured, do not use them and throw them away. If the filters are coming out of their frames, discard them.

Do not use homemade filters.

Do not view through welder’s glass. The glass in most welding helmets is not strong enough.

Do not view through your camera viewfinder.

Do not view through a telescope without the proper solar filter. Do not view the telescope using your eclipse sunglasses either.

Do not view through binoculars.

For a trusted list of vendors selling safe, eclipse-viewing aids, visit the American Astronomical Society’s Suppliers of Safe Solar Filters & Viewers page.

Looking for glasses with a Hoosier flair? VisitIndiana.com will be offering “Total Eclipse IN INDIANA” pairs.

WHEN TO WEAR YOUR gLASSES

It is never safe to look directly at the sun, except when the sun is completely blocked during the period of a total eclipse as totality.

Partial

Total

Source: in.gov/dhs/solar-eclipse-2024

Tidbits about an astronomical event

After the moon completely blocks the visible surface of the sun during an eclipse, viewers can remove their eclipse glasses; this is the only type of eclipse in which eclipse glasses can be momentarily removed.

The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will occur on August 23, 2044.

When a solar eclipse reaches totality, nocturnal wildlife sometimes wakes up thinking its nighttime, and non-nocturnal wildlife might think it’s time to go to sleep. The

The sun’s corona (its outer atmosphere) becomes visible during an eclipse — it cannot otherwise be seen normally.

Source:

ROOT FOR

Hoosiers hope for good weather as the solar eclipse approaches

EEclipse fever is gripping the Hoosier state. Millions of people in Indiana and across the United States are betting on the weather for April 8, as if the Mother Nature oddsmakers are picking sunshine as a heavy favorite.

A very rare total eclipse is due as the moon passes in front of the sun for a short while and those living in or visiting the “zone of totality” are counting on clear viewing of what they may not see again in their lifetimes.

and Maine, and location brings along its own odds of clarity by geography.

by LEw FrEEDman THE TribunE

The Weather Channel suggests dim news about cloud probability in Indiana: “Locations in the path of totality from southern Illinois and Indiana to western New York and northern New England have historically had the highest chance of at least some cloud cover.” This is based on satellite data collected about the weather on April 8 from between 1995 and 2023.

region the likes of which have never been seen.

“We are filling parking lots,” Murphy said of state parks and campgrounds. “We are not parking people on the road.”

The people will come. Plans were made well in advance of the eclipse. Money was spent for hotel reservations. Except for arrival, the human element is mostly covered.

Kevin Snyder, property manager at Stave Hollow State Recreation Area in Brownstown, knows “it’s a time of year we can be under a heavy cloud cover. There will be watching the radar.”

Snyder is optimistic the eclipse will provide rewards, even if clouds intervene.

There is great anticipation. Those gazing upward have invested in eclipse glasses, perhaps purchased commemorative T-shirts and maybe traveled great distances. But what happens if it is cloudy out? What happens if it rains? What happens if the eclipse is eclipsed by uncooperative skies?

Since the adage mankind cannot control the weather applies to April 8, as well as every other day, the American Astronomical Society bluntly stated; “you get what you get.”

Yet that group, and other authorities, say even a cloud-affected eclipse is still worth the trouble to check out.

According to the society, “Eclipse veterans like to use the phrase ‘experience totality’ rather than ‘see totality’ because a total solar eclipse is the only celestial phenomenon that truly overwhelms the senses.”

In mid-afternoon of April 8, the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, turning the sky dark. A highlight during the process is a shortlived vision of the sun’s corona, its outer atmosphere. This is followed by just a few shafts of light being visible. The time of totality lasts only a few minutes.

This is if the day is clear enough to see all stages, hardly something guaranteed in south central Indiana at this time of year. The path of totality of the eclipse travels between Texas

Ginger Murphy, deputy director of the State Division of Parks, and one of the Department of Natural Resources’ planners for eclipse day, said the agency has studied weather patterns.

In early April, after stating: “We don’t know what the weather will be.” Murphy said, “70 percent cloud cover” would not be unusual. “We’re all hoping it will be better.”

Clouds or not, there will be differences in the sky compared to other days, the Astronomical Society noted. In the area of totality in Indiana, in mid-afternoon the sky will grow dark, as if it is the middle of the night. The dissipating of the warming rays of the sun will result in a noticeable temperature drop. And wildlife that won’t really understand what is going on, may behave differently.

“For four minutes, it will be the difference between night and day,” Murphy said.

At times employment of that phrase is a cliché or an exaggeration, but this time it is literally true.

A total eclipse coming to an area near you is enough of a phenomenon to excite the populace, and it is anticipated hundreds of thousands of people will travel to Seymour and Jackson County, Columbus and Bartholomew County, Nashville and Brown County, and Indianapolis and Marian County. It is a given, planners say, citizens should prepare for traffic jams with the volume of cars in the

“The weather is completely out of our hands,” said Jordan Richart, public relations manager for the Jackson County Visitors Center. If it is very overcast? “That would be a very big disappointment.”

“The sun’s still shining above those clouds,” Snyder said. “At least I can experience the daytime darkness.”

If clouds butt in — and with no additional total eclipse in Indiana for many decades — the keen nature of regret as Bonnie Tyler sang, could amount to a total eclipse of the heart.

ANIMAL EYE

What you need to know about furry friends and the solar eclipse

by ZacH SPicEr | For THE TribunE

WWhile humans need to wear protective eyewear to watch the April 8 total solar eclipse, their furry friends will be fine without it.

Animals don’t purposely look at the sun as humans will be that day.

That’s the message from Seymour Animal Hospital in a recent Facebook post.

Amy Birk said she created that post after the veterinary office was bombarded with calls from pet owners, during the 2017 eclipse, worried about how to protect their pets from going blind.

“Thankfully, the media and local officials do such a good job letting the public know that we humans should not stare directly at the eclipse without the appropriate protective eyewear. But people love their animals, and they thought their pets would go blind. I’m not kidding, it was every other phone call,” Birk said.

She even had a farmer call and express concern about his cows going blind.

“‘Do your cows normally stare at the sun? No. Well, OK. They should be fine,’” she said, recalling the conversation. “He thought if his cows were outside in the field during the eclipse without eye protection, they would go blind. I let him know that during the eclipse, the cows would not stare at the sun, as cows don’t normally stare at the sun. But if he was worried, he could put them in the barn.”

To help ease people’s minds with the upcoming total solar eclipse, Birk had Dr. Sarah Gray share her thoughts on animals that day.

In talking to Birk about the eclipse five years ago, Gray learned most people were concerned about blindness or vision impairment with their pets.

“With the sun, if you’re just walking around and you’re not looking directly at it, you should be fine,” Gray said. “Unless you were making your dog look at the sun, there are no concerns. It’s just like any other normal day.”

Dogs and cats don’t need to wear special eyewear that day, either, even if it looks cute.

“I think people want to do something special, but it’s just like any other day,” Gray said. “As long as you’re not looking directly at (the sun), just like with us, you should be fine.”

What about livestock that are typically outside in the sun, like cows and horses?

“In general, ultraviolet radiation is a concern in any animal entirely outside, in particular lighter-colored animals, so you worry about that in lowerpigmented eyes in horses or cows that have white patches on their eyes,” Gray

said. “Increased UV exposure can just increase risk for cancers.”

The same goes for white cats and dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors.

“They can get it on their ear tips, or I had a dog that I removed a skin lesion on that ended up being cancerous, because it was a white dog and it liked to belly sunbathe, and just over the years, it had gone from irritation and it fully tipped its way over into cancerous,” Gray said.

Just like with people, the more exposure to UV, the more risk there is of cancer.

“When they tell us to wear eye protection, even though it doesn’t hurt your eyes to look at it because it’s an eclipse, the UV radiation is still coming down and causing problems,” Gray said. “We’re more apt to look at something that can burn our retinas, but it can still be causing the same level of damage.”

With the county’s population expected to grow by three or four times during the total solar eclipse, Gray said the biggest issue will be traffic. Seymour Animal Hospital will be among the many places closed April 8 for that reason.

“It would be challenging to get anywhere in general,” she said. “Treat it like the holidays. If you need med refills (for pets), call a couple days ahead.”

If people do get out that day and take their pets with them, she said it’s important to keep the potential for heavy traffic in mind. Also, if people let their pets outside, be mindful of the increased traffic in the area.

“More travel considerations to take into account more than anything,” Gray said.

While she initially was surprised to hear the office received that many calls during the last eclipse, Gray said she understands people’s concerns about their pets because they are like family.

“The way people treat their pets has changed a lot, even from when I was at my dad’s practice,” she said. “It’s a totally different spectrum of people now that are pet owners, so I think people just think more about that stuff now than they probably used to.”

Amy Birk created this graphic for the Seymour Animal Hospital Facebook page ahead of the April 8 total solar eclipse. SubmiTTED PHoTo

OF EVENTS

get the total experience with activities before and during the solar eclipse

Pre-eclipse week events

april 6 to 9 – moonshadow Fest. Hosted at Black Swan Lake Recreation Area in Medora. For tickets and additional information, visit: themoonshadowfest.com/

april 5 – Straw rockets at Jackson county Public Library. 4:30-5:30 p.m., 120 E. Main St.,Crothersville. Register by April 3 to build straw rockets and see who will make it to the moon. Visit: myjclibrary.org/straw-rockets/

april 6 – meet michael weasner. 2-4 p.m., Seymour Museum Center, 220 N Chestnut St. An astronomer, musician, Air Force pilot and author; he will be signing his book “Finding My Way To The Stars.”

april 7 – Seymour Eclipse Festival. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., downtown Seymour. Features educational programming, food, vendors, music and other entertainment. A limited number of ISO-certified viewing glasses will be available for free. Visit: seymoureclipse. com/copy-of-accomadations

Day of eclipse events

april 8 – Eclipse watch Party at chateau de Pique winery; an allday event. 6361 N. County Road 760 E, Seymour. Includes live music, food, flea market and more. Visit: chateaudepique.com/

april 8 - crothersville Junior-Senior High School athletic department Eclipse Fest, 109 N. Preston St.,

Crothersville. Includes a 5K-run, silent auction, baby contest, dog parade, talent show, pie eating contest and other entertainment.

april 8 – Eclipse watch Party at Seymour Christian Church, 915 Kasting Road. Free parking beginning at 9:00 a.m., no RV’s or trailers, restrooms available.

Visit seymoureclipse. com/faq for additional listings as they become available.

Brownstown Central Middle School sixth-graders, from left, Victoria gomez, Yazmin Fuentes and Adelynn Anderson look at the solar eclipse Aug. 27, 2017, outside the school. THE TribunE FiLE PHoTo

SOLAR

Eclipse Word Search

celestial Darkness

First contact

Fourth contact

Path of totality

Pinhole projector

Second contact

Solar eclipse

Solar filter

Third contact

crossword puzzle answers

5. Practice this to protect your eyes during an eclipse

6. The event that occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun and all three are aligned

7. The planet we live on

8. Worn during an eclipse to protect your eyes

9. The natural satellite of the Earth

10. The star at the center of the solar system

1. The event that occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, but all three are NOT aligned

2. Points of sunlight shining through valleys on the edge of the moon that are seen for a few seconds just before and after the central phase during an eclipse

3. Wispy, white streamers of plasma (charged gas) that radiate from the surface of the sun during an eclipse

4. The moment of total obscuration of the sun or moon during an eclipse