Seven Days Guide to the 2024 Solar Eclipse

WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE

Welcome to Seven Days’ guide to the 2024 solar eclipse

BY DAN BOLLES

Vermont will soon be plunged into darkness. No, it’s not the end times — though given the events of the past few years, you could be forgiven for worrying. Rather, amid the great eternal dance of the cosmos, the stars will align to present one of our solar system’s most spectacular celestial phenomena: a total solar eclipse.

On Monday, April 8, 2024, at roughly 3:26 p.m., the moon will pass directly between the sun and the Earth to cast parts of Vermont in complete shadow. The eclipse’s full “path of totality” — or where the moon fully obscures the sun — will travel across Mexico, the United States and Canada. Northern Vermont lies directly in this path and will experience this once-in-a-lifetime convergence.

The eclipse is expected to draw anywhere between 50,000 and 200,000 visitors to the Green Mountain State. In the months leading up to it, Seven Days has covered a variety of eclipse topics, from practical guidance and science-y stories to special events and the best places for viewing.

For this guide, we’ve selected some of the best and most interesting info and tidbits from that reporting to help you get the most out the eclipse experience in Vermont. And we’ve added plenty of fun, fresh content that you won’t find anywhere else — for instance, tickle your brain with the eclipse-themed crossword puzzle by Shelburne father-daughter puzzle makers Greg and Grace Warrington on page 21 and go over the moon with the comic from award-winning Vermont cartoonist Dan Nott on page 22.

But before we dig in, here’s a primer on what to expect on April 8.

Why is this eclipse a big deal?

Well, the freaking sun is gonna disappear, for starters. But more to the point, while solar eclipses are fairly common — they happen about twice a year on average — only a small percentage of people in the world ever see them.

“You have to be in the right place … in the shadow cast by the moon onto the Earth,” University of Vermont astrophysicist John Perry said. “If you stay in one place and just wait for a total solar eclipse to come to you, you’ll be waiting on average 360 years.”

Perry noted that some parts of the world haven’t seen a total solar eclipse in 2,000 years. The last one in Vermont was a bit more recent than that. It happened in 1932 but was only visible to a small portion of the state — turn to page 17 for recollections from Vermonters who saw it.

And the next one? It’s not coming until 2106.

totality will vary slightly depending on where you are. The eclipse will be visible until about 4:37 p.m.

“It’s very dramatic,” Perry said. “It’ll get very dark, and the sunlight will look creepy.”

Little wonder, then, that eclipses have been the inspiration for myths and superstitions for centuries. Flip to page 14 for some of the stranger eclipse folklore.

Where is the best place to see the eclipse?

The totality will be visible from a roughly 115-mile swath across the region, from Montréal in the north to Middlebury in the south, with St. Albans smack in the middle. Where you go in that band is up to you — find some of our recs on page 9 and online at sevendaysvt.com/eclipse. Pretty much anywhere you can see the sun will work, though Perry suggests getting away from artificial lights so that “you’ll see how dark it really gets.”

Perry also advises those near Lake Champlain to seek out higher ground in order to see the shadow of the moon sweep across the lake from west to east at about 1,000 miles per hour. Turn to page 13 for more on where — and where not — to hike for a bird’s-eye view of the eclipse.

What will it be like when the sun disappears?

In a word: spooky.

The eclipse will begin around 2:14 p.m., and the sky will gradually darken as the moon passes in front of the sun. Totality in Burlington will last for about three and a half minutes before the sky begins lightening again — the length of

Perry added that stars and planets will be visible in the sky — including Mercury, which is often hard to see because its orbit is so close to the sun. Wind could pick up as the temperature drops. And nocturnal critters such as bats, owls and raccoons may be tricked into thinking it’s nighttime and come out.

Perry noted that the sun’s spiky corona will reach about twice as far as the disk of sun we normally see. Shortly before totality, you’ll glimpse “Baily’s beads,” a half circle of bright spots on the leading edge of the eclipse created by light streaming through the valleys on the moon. Finally, you’ll see the “diamond ring,” one last bright bead visible only for a second or two before the sun is fully obscured.

How should I view the eclipse?

Remember in 2017 when president Donald Trump was photographed staring directly at an eclipse? Don’t do that.

“You can really damage your eyes,” Perry advised.

Instead, you should wear special solar eclipse glasses — they kind of resemble 3D movie glasses. The State of Vermont has purchased thousands of them that will be freely available through towns and

community organizations. Or you could buy your own at many Vermont stores.

And don’t take them o , at least not until totality.

“They should not be taken o until the sun is completely blocked out,” Perry said. “And you should put them back on the instant you see some sun shining through.”

Or maybe just leave them on to be safe. Turn to page 11 for more on the eclipse and your eyes.

Special shindigs include everything from the three-day Alburgh Totality Festival in the Champlain Islands to the citywide Obscura BTV bash in Burlington to innumerable Pink Floyd tribute bands performing The Dark Side of the Moon at parties all over the state.

For a curated selection of can’t-miss eclipse events, turn to the “Celestial 7” on page 7. Or find many more online at sevendaysvt.com/eclipse.

is seems like a pretty big deal for Vermont.

It sure could be. In 2017, 300,000 people descended upon Idaho Falls for a total solar eclipse. That city is a bit larger than Burlington, but you get the idea.

Nearly every town and city along the path of totality, from Middlebury to Newport, is hosting events and planning public safety measures to deal with the unprecedented influx of eclipse seekers.

What if it’s cloudy?

Shhhhh!

would you even ask that?

OK, fine. Given that Vermont ranks as the second-cloudiest state in the country, it’s fair to worry about rain on our parade — or even snow, in early April.

“It’ll still get dark,” Perry said. “But that’s about it, which would be very unfortunate.”

Indeed. Here’s hoping for clear skies.

LISTENING IN: VERMONT-MADE MUSIC FOR THE ECLIPSE

Sure, you could fire up Pink Floyd’s e Dark Side of the Moon or Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” as the moon begins its journey across the sun on April 8. But a once-in-a-lifetime event requires an equally singular mix.

So Seven Days music editor Chris Farnsworth has compiled a locavore playlist to serve as your soundtrack to totality. Ranging from indie rock and folk to hip-hop and jazz, it features big-name Vermont icons such as Phish, Rubblebucket and Grace Potter, as well as Green Mountain favorites the Dead Shakers, Robber Robber, Kat Wright, Dwight + Nicole, and more. Scan the QR code to listen or go to Seven Days Vermont on Spotify.

ALL DAY EVERY DAY

Being in the path of totality is a once-in-a-lifetime event, but it’s only going to last 3 minutes and 15 seconds. On the other hand, Burlington is an amazing place to visit all day, every day. Great music and events, an award-winning culinary and craft fermentation scene, Lake Champlain, the Green Mountains and so much more. Visit helloburlington.com and star t planning your next visit!

MUST SEE, MUST DO FOR SOLAR ECLIPSE WEEKEND

COMPILED BY

EMILY HAMILTON

APRIL 5-8

PLANETS A-WINE-ING

Oenophiles keep the party going all weekend long at Shelburne Vineyard, with stellar music sets from locals including Danny & the Parts, Kat Wright & Brett Hughes, and Jon McBride’s Big Easy. Join the wait list for a spot at Moonshadow: An Eclipse Viewing Experience on April 8, where harpist Marie Hamilton and looping guitarist Tom Pearo improvise a live, psychedelic score to soundtrack the entire spectacle.

Info, 985-8222, shelburnevineyard.com.

APRIL 6-8

ISLAND OF LOST SUN

Neck-craning solar spectators pack the shores of Lake Champlain for the three-day Alburgh Totality Festival. e weekend kicks off with a space-themed parade; continues with live music, food trucks, kids’ games and other fun; and concludes with a massive viewing party and musical fireworks show.

Info, 513-646-4883, gatewayfestivals.com.

APRIL 5-8

Dark City

Totality peepers in the Queen City have a weekend to remember during Obscura BTV, whether they’re hitting up the familyfriendly Solar Eclipse Festival at the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, the Totalidad Carnaval at Santiago’s Cuban Cuisine, the astrology readings at Flora & Fauna, or viewing parties across downtown Burlington.

Info, 865-7166, burlingtoneclipse.org.

APRIL 5, 7 & 8

Stellar Science

Aspiring astronomers of all ages enjoy eclipse weekend at the Vermont Institute for Natural Science in Quechee. A Sun, Moon & Stars show in the StarLab educates on the phases of the moon and the mythology of eclipses, and the center’s campus — including its splendid forest canopy walk — makes for a unique viewing location.

Info, 359-5000, vinsweb.org.

APRIL 6 & 8

Cosmos and Effect

After kicking off with a Celestial Ball at the Fairbanks Mansion, eclipse weekend in St. Johnsbury centers on Sun+Moon+YOU at the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium, the Northeast Kingdom’s premier hub for astronomical education. Planetarium director Mark Breen and podcaster Jane Lindholm invite an audience to join them for their live broadcast during the eclipse. After they’ve all seen the dark side of the moon, revelers with stars in their eyes head to an after-party at St. Johnsbury Distillery or a “Total Eclipse of the Heart” karaoke competition at 98 Mill restaurant.

Info, 748-8575, discoverstjohnsbury.com.

APRIL 8

Total Eclipse of the Park

St. Albans boasts Vermont’s longest time in the path of totality, at three minutes and 33 seconds. Crowds jonesing for those few extra moments head to Totality in Taylor Park, where Ryan Sweezey and the Midnight Walkers rock and roll through the eclipse and food trucks keep visitors fed.

Info, 524-1500, downtownsaintalbans.com.

APRIL 8

Sun Sounds

After a full weekend of activities at Montpelier’s Total Eclipse 2024, onlookers in the Capital City gather on the Statehouse lawn to catch a glimpse — or an earful, because the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired presents a Harvard Universitysupplied LightSound device, which transforms light intensity into stunning music.

Info, 223-9604, montpelieralive.com.

2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE

TOTALITY TOWNS

Whether you live here year-round or came just to see this once-in-a-lifetime event, to make the most of your eclipse experience, spend some time in Vermont’s cities and towns. ey’re jam-packed with award-winning food and beer, family-friendly activities, world-class outdoor recreation, and stellar entertainment options. Here’s a small sampling of highlights from areas in the path of totality. Find a curated collection of suggested itineraries and events at sevendaysvt.com/eclipse

CHAMPLAIN ISLANDS

Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve: Explore the Chazy Fossil Reef — formed 460 million years ago — via a walking trail. lclt.org

Snow Farm Vineyard & Distillery: Sample wine and spirits at a weekend of eclipse-related fun, including live music and a craft market. snowfarm.com

ST. ALBANS

Maple City Diner: Breakfast is served all day, with a side of maple-related ephemera. facebook.com/maplecitydiner

Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail: is 26.4-mile gravel trail winds through quintessential Vermont scenery. mvrailtrail.org

Jay Peak Resort’s Pump House Indoor Waterpark: Pools, a lazy river and a 65-foot water chute offer fun for all ages. jaypeakresort.com

Kingdom Brewing: Heirloom recipes and U.S.-grown grains make for singular suds. kingdombrewingvt.com

BURLINGTON

Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark: Burlington’s world-class skate park has rails, ramps, boxes, a half-bowl and a half-pipe. enjoyburlington.com

Burlington Greenway: is scenic path for bikers, runners and walkers extends eight miles along the city’s shoreline. enjoyburlington.com

SHELBURNE

Shelburne Museum: e museum’s eclipse event is sold out, but definitely check out the eclectic collections another day. shelburnemuseum.org

Vermont Teddy Bear Factory: Tours offer a glimpse of the stuff (and stuffing) behind the scenes, where craftspeople make bears one by one. vermontteddybear.com

WATERBURY

Ben & Jerry’s Factory

STOWE

Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum: A historic collection explores snow sports past and present. vtssm.org

Von Trapp Brewing Bierhall: e highceilinged bierhall embodies the Trapp Family Lodge’s Austria-meets-Vermont flavor. vontrappbrewing.com

ST. JOHNSBURY

Dog Mountain: Trails, ponds and fields are devoted to our best friends; a Dog Chapel displays tributes to departed canines. dogmt.com

Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium: Vermont’s Smithsonian will be Eclipse Central but offers out-of-this-world exhibits year-round. fairbanksmuseum.org

Tour: No visit to Vermont is complete without getting a taste of the iconic ice cream company’s only factory open to the public. benjerry.com

Cold Hollow Cider Mill: After hitting the café and tasting room, take a selfguided tour of the working cider mill. coldhollow.com

MONTPELIER

Vermont Statehouse: Visitors can tour the country’s oldest legislative chambers in their original condition every weekday. statehouse.vt.gov

Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks: e farm fills cones year-round with its own pure maple syrup-flavored creemees, the Vermont name for soft-serve. morsefarm.com

MIDDLEBURY

Trail Around Middlebury: Better known to locals by its acronym, the TAM is an 18-mile public footpath encircling the village of Middlebury. maltvt.org

Appalachian Gap Distillery: e first distillery in the U.S. to be certified climate-neutral, App Gap offers small-batch, handcrafted and experimental spirits. appalachiangap.com

JULIANNA BRAZILL

SUN., APRIL 7, 3-5 PM

FEATURING DR. JACK BACON

PRESENTING SPONSOR

HULA PRESENTS

SHADOWS OF THE SUN

WITH SERVICES BY:

MON., APRIL 8, 12-5 PM

TOTALITY VERMONT

THE GREAT LAWN & NORTH LOT AT HULA

SAFE SPECTACLE(S)

How to protect your vision while viewing the eclipse

BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG

On April 8, thousands of people across northern Vermont will marvel as the skies go dark in the middle of the afternoon.

One thing no one should be in the dark about: eye safety.

The stakes are high. The sun can burn the retina in seconds. Looking at the sun without proper protection — even when it’s partially blocked by the moon — can cause permanent blind spots, distorted vision and altered color perception. What’s more, said Berlin ophthalmologist Jessica McNally, it won’t be obvious that it’s happening. Sun damage doesn’t hurt, McNally said, and vision problems don’t show up for hours.

There is no treatment for such injury, called solar retinopathy.

Most people know to wear eclipse glasses or use solar filters to protect their eyes. “I think the most important thing is to understand what kind of glasses you’re getting,” said McNally, president of the Vermont Ophthalmological Society.

Eclipse glasses and their alternative — index-card-size, handheld eclipse viewers — need to meet international safety standard ISO 12312-2. However, some are stamped with that ISO number even though they haven’t been tested or proven to meet that standard. Along with the American Academy of Ophthalmology, astronomers and other experts, McNally urges consumers to use only glasses and filters that come from the trusted suppliers vetted by the American Astronomical Society.

That list — along with specific guidelines for use — can be found at Solar

Eclipse Across America, a website devoted to the April eclipse.

Among those guidelines is to always inspect your solar filter or glasses before

THE SUN CAN BURN THE RETINA IN SECONDS.

use. If they’re damaged, throw them out. Also, be sure to read and follow any accompanying instructions.

At the risk of being obvious, put eclipse glasses on before looking up at the bright sun. If you normally wear eyeglasses, put your eclipse glasses on over them or hold

your handheld viewer in front of them. Turn away from the sun before removing your eclipse glasses or filter. Cameras, telescopes and binoculars need their own filters, which must be attached to the front — not the eyepiece — of each device. The American Astronomical Society suggests seeking expert advice from an astronomer before using a solar filter with these devices. Eclipse glasses will not protect your eyes if you look through an unfiltered camera, telescope, binoculars or any other optical device. The concentrated solar rays could damage the filter and injure your eyes. However, it is not necessary to wear eclipse glasses while looking through an optical device that has proper filters attached.

Lastly, keep an eye on your kids while they watch the eclipse. “If a 4-year-old were to develop solar retinopathy, then that could be pretty devastating throughout that child’s entire life,” McNally said.

The sun is about half a million times brighter than the full moon, according to the American Astronomical Society. Its rays don’t change or become more dangerous during an eclipse, McNally said, but because the sun is partially obscured, it can be easier for people to look directly at it. What’s more, she said, as the light around us grows darker, our pupils dilate to allow more light in, increasing the potential for damage to the retina, the layer of light-sensing cells that lines the back of the eye’s interior.

“You may have seen how sunlight can start a fire when focused through a magnifying glass,” the American Academy of Ophthalmology says on its website. “The sun can do the same thing to your retina.”

The sun damages the center of the retina, called the macula, which can result in blurry or blind spots in the center of one’s vision, McNally said. Straight lines, like those on a door frame, may appear wavy. Symptoms can arise more than 12 hours after damage occurs. The acute e ects of this damage may be temporary, said McNally, who practices medicine at the University of Vermont Medical Center Ophthalmology in Berlin, but she suspects that full recovery isn’t possible.

Despite its dire warnings, the American Astronomical Society calls a solar eclipse “one of nature’s grandest spectacles.” ➆

2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE

DON’T GET STUCK IN THE MUD

Popular hiking trails will be closed for mud season during the eclipse

BY HANNAH FEUER

Most Vermonters know to avoid hiking during mud season, the period from late winter to early spring when snowmelt turns dirt roads and trails into slushy muck.

Even once-in-a-lifetime celestial events don’t alter those best practices. The day of the total solar eclipse — Monday, April 8 — popular hiking trails such as those on Camel’s Hump and Mount Mansfield will be closed.

“In any mud season, no matter if there’s an eclipse or not, high-elevation hiking is discouraged,” said Chloe Miller, communications manager for the Green Mountain Club, which preserves and protects the Long Trail. “It can be a muddy, soppy mess.”

If not scaling your favorite Vermont peak to get a closer look at the eclipse seems like a total bummer, fear not: There are still plenty of options for viewing from higher ground. You could stroll the paved toll road up Mount Philo or, for a more leisurely ascent, ride the ski lift to Vista Peak at Bolton Valley Resort.

Vermont is also opening 16 state parks that would normally be closed this time of year, including 10 in the path of totality, such as Niquette Bay in Colchester and Lake Elmore.

Hiking during mud season can also worsen erosion and harm endangered plant species found on mountaintops, Miller added. The peaks of Camel’s Hump, Mount Abraham and Mount Mansfield have a combined 200 acres of rare, endangered Alpine tundra habitat that’s vulnerable to damage when trampled by humans and dogs.

VERMONT STATE PARKS OPEN FOR ECLIPSE VIEWING

e following state parks will be open on April 8 and are located along the path of totality:

Northwest:

D.A.R., Addison

Mount Philo, Charlotte Grand Isle

Knight Point, North Hero Niquette Bay, Colchester

Central:

(See sidebar.) Visitors should keep in mind that parking will be limited and arrive early.

Miller emphasized sticking to those approved viewing spots. The Green Mountain Club advises against venturing out onto backcountry trails, both for hikers’ safety and to protect the environment. Mud and lingering ice and snow can make footing slick or unstable, posing increased injury risks for hikers, she explained.

Scofflaws who ignore guidance and end up hiking should at least use proper winter gear, Miller said, including snowshoes, microspikes or crampons, and wear multiple layers of clothing. They should also carry a map, compass and emergency supplies. Due to congested roads on the day of the eclipse, emergency crews may have difficulty carrying out rescues.

Boulder Beach, Groton Lake Elmore Little River, Waterbury Waterbury Center

Northeast Kingdom: Crystal Lake, Barton

and ensure your vehicle is equipped to handle muddy dirt roads — and if it’s not, avoid them.

When weighing eclipse plans, Miller said to consider that mountaintop viewing might not be ideal. Some of the clearest vantages may be located on Lake Champlain’s beaches.

“Anywhere you can get a broad view of the sky is going to be your best place for eclipse viewing,” Miller said. “You’re not going to necessarily get a better view at the top of a mountain.” ➆

Whether hiking or not, eclipse seekers should prepare to be stuck in tra c. That means having a full tank of gas and stocking up on basic supplies and snacks for the car, Miller said. Be sure to obey road closure signs

INFO

Learn more at greenmountainclub.org and vtstateparks.com.

Mount Philo not during mud season

FILE: JAMES BUCK

2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE

WAKING UP THE SUN

From harbingers to hungry crocodiles, eclipses inspire myths and superstitions

BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN

Two men and a woman walk into a Burlington bar. It’s Sunday, April 7, the day before a total solar eclipse casts its shadow over northern Vermont.

“Whaddya like?” the barkeep asks.

“Do you know,” the first man says, “that tomorrow a crocodile will take a bite out of the sun?”

The second gent chimes in, “And they say it’s best to be wearing red underwear.”

if they have fond memories of the 2003 electrical blackout.

“It was virtually impossible to paint [an eclipse] as a good omen when the single most important source of life on Earth disappears for a while,” Rankin said. “How could that not be a bad sign?”

The woman sighs. “Enough with the moonsplaining,” she says. “My poor pregnant sister was told to place safety pins on her belly to protect the baby.”

The bartender pours himself a sti one.

Few natural phenomena can compete with a solar eclipse of the sun when it comes to myths and superstitions. Witnessing the moon block out the sun is a rare and beautiful thing that, through the ages, has also scared the bejesus out of otherwise rational people. On Monday, April 8, when a swath of the Earth is shrouded in darkness during the day, there will be rejoicing and apprehension, wonder and fear — in short, polar opposite emotions among millions from Mexico to the Canadian Maritimes.

“Eclipses, a long time ago, were a perfect phenomenon to generate superstitions,” said Joanna Rankin, astrophysics professor emerita at the University of Vermont. Because ancient humans didn’t move around much, she explained, and because eclipses almost never repeat their exact same viewing locations, seeing one was accidental, shocking and seemingly unexplainable.

“The sudden going away of the sun and the blunting of nature was pretty dramatic,” added Rankin, who taught a course on ancient astronomy. As a rough parallel to the innate spookiness our ancestors may have felt, ask any of the tens of millions in the northeastern U.S.

ekleipsis, which

In English, the word “eclipse” is derived from the Greek means an omission or an abandonment. As in, “The sun has left — woe is us!”

How, then, to summon back the sun’s

Some of our early ancestors would shoot flaming arrows at the sun in an attempt to reignite it. Others, Rankin explained, “took to making loud noises to awaken the sun and bring it back

Over the years, this developed into a tradition of banging pots and pans, she said: “One had to make a big, big noise to persuade the sun to

drive away the demons brought on by the sun’s departure.

Centuries ago, Indigenous peoples the world over developed folklore to account for solar aberrations. Many explanations involved animals with rapacious appetites attacking the sun, such as a giant frog. (Some languages even use the same words for “eat” or “bite” as for an eclipse.) In parts of Zimbabwe, the former Rhodesia, the belief centers on a crocodile expressing his displeasure with human behavior. One tribe in South America blames a jaguar. Abenaki communities in Vermont and Québec have no particular eclipse myth or shibboleth, according to members of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, the School of Abenaki at Middlebury Language Schools and the Odanak First Nation. Their language, however, indicates a fear of solar eclipses. The word tsakwat means “dawn,” or the division of light and darkness, and is the word most associated with “eclipse.” Sakwi and sokwit share the same root and can be understood to mean “something in pain” or “broken o .” Pain represents the idea that the sun is sick and, if it doesn’t recover, the world is doomed to perpetual darkness.

Many myths and superstitions about eclipses concern pregnancy and childbirth. In Mexico, women placed safety pins on their swollen bellies;

ILLUSTRATIONS: SARAH CRONIN

others wore red underwear or ribbons. If such precautions were not taken, legend said, a miscarriage would occur or the child would be born blind or with a cleft palate.

According to Rankin, pregnancy-related eclipse myths are tied to astrology. Astrologers were employed by queens and princesses, she said, particularly during pregnancy. “The astrological prediction was regarded as a statement on the continuance of the current regime,” she said, noting that “the most important thing in human life for continuance is successful births.”

More modern misconceptions around eclipses and pregnancy abound. Namely, that eclipses emit harmful radiation that could disrupt pregnancy. Those fears are unfounded, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

“Deep in the solar interior where nuclear fusion takes place to light the sun, particles called neutrinos are born, and zip unimpeded out of the sun and into space,” the space agency explains on its website. Eventually these neutrinos pass down to Earth and through your body, where every few minutes a few atoms are transmuted into di erent isotopes. “This is an entirely harmless e ect and would not harm you, or if you are pregnant, the developing fetus.”

NASA also debunks several other bogus eclipse myths. Among them:

• Eclipses will poison any food that is prepared during the event.

• Eclipses are harbingers of something very bad about to happen.

• There are no total solar eclipses at Earth’s North or South Poles.

• The moon turns completely black during a total solar eclipse.

• Solar eclipses foretell major life changes and events about to happen.

• Solar eclipses six months after your birthday, or on your birthday, are a sign of impending bad health.

• Total solar eclipses produce harmful rays that can cause blindness.

The notion that harmful eclipse rays cause blindness is based on a sometimes greenish electromagnetic radiation visible around the brilliant corona. According to NASA, “Scientists have studied this radiation for centuries. Being a million times fainter than the light from the sun itself, there is nothing in the coronal light that could cross 150 million kilometers of space, penetrate our dense atmosphere, and cause blindness.”

Eclipses, a long time ago, were a perfect phenomenon to generate superstitions.

JOANNA RANKIN

Of course, viewing an eclipse without proper eye protection can cause retinal damage (see page 11). But misinformation abounds there, too. In 1963, when a total solar eclipse could be seen in Alaska, Canada and parts of Maine, “Peanuts” cartoonist Charles M. Schulz produced a widely distributed strip that pictured Linus, the smart one, saying, “There is no safe method for looking directly at an eclipse. And it is especially dangerous when it is a total eclipse.”

Linus’ statement is false: One can look directly at an eclipse with the help of solar eclipse glasses. And when the moon fully covers the solar disk, observers can remove their eye protection and view the event with their naked eyes. In fact, NASA asserts that the light emanating from totality is “one million times weaker” than the light coming from viewing just the sun itself.

That “Peanuts” strip drew many spirited rebuttals — some emphasizing the second syllable of the comic’s name. There was even a children’s book that essentially called Linus’ assertion horsepucky. No record exists of its e ect on red underwear sales. ➆

TWICE IN A LIFETIME

Vermonters recall the 1932 eclipse

BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN

On August 31, 1932, 4-year-old Morris Pike awoke to great excitement in his house on Keewaydin Farm in Stowe. His older brothers, Merton and Milton, were already dressed and ready for breakfast. “We’re going up to Newport to visit with Uncle Perley,” his mother said. “You will remember this day, because you’re going to see something you’ll never see in your life again.”

Sitting in a comfortable chair in his apartment at the Wake Robin Life Plan Retirement Community in Shelburne, Pike, who will turn 96 in May, chuckled at the memory. (Wouldn’t Mom be surprised to see him now?)

On April 8, Vermont will experience an extraordinary celestial occurrence: a total solar eclipse. So vanishingly rare is this alignment of the cosmos that it’s billed as a once-in-a-lifetime event. And for most Vermonters, it will be. But not all.

Pike is one of a handful of living Vermonters who witnessed the last total solar eclipse visible in the state, in 1932. Finding them makes Diogenes’ quest for an honest man look like a half-day job. So imagine the response this post on Front Porch Forum would get: “Seeking Vermonters ages 95-plus who were living in the state in 1932, who have a good memory and recall, and who happened to see the total eclipse of the sun that year.”

Pike, bless the man, checks all the boxes.

The 1932 eclipse was a big deal. Perhaps the lead-up wasn’t as frenzied as the anticipation for April 8, but then again, it was the Depression — when only one in

six Americans owned a car and there was no Airbnb. Nonetheless, the event had the attention of the state’s 360,000 residents, and thousands traveled to totality-rich Orleans, Caledonia and Essex counties in the Northeast Kingdom to see the spectacle. Pike’s family was among those pilgrims.

Pike remembered piling into their old Winton automobile for the 50-mile journey from the farm to Newport. Stowe

was a very different place then; skiing had not yet arrived. Keewaydin, named for a Native American word meaning “northwest wind,” was purchased by Morris’ parents, Carroll and Ruth, in 1921. They ran the farm on Route 100, south of Stowe Village, as a dairy. Merton was 1 year old when they moved there. Milton and Morris arrived soon after, and Merton would manage the farm for decades in his adulthood.

The Rev. Morris Pike — he was ordained in the Congregational church — is the sole surviving Pike brother and moved to Wake Robin in 2001. He may have lost a step or two, but his mind is clear and his memory vivid. On Saturdays, Pike recalled, his mother listened to opera on the radio as she worked in the kitchen. The boys used to sing together while milking their 14 cows, and sometimes Dad joined in the harmonizing.

The Pikes had relatives in Newport, and going to visit was always an event. With the day of the eclipse approaching, Pike’s great-uncle Perley Miller insisted they come. Miller was a prominent figure in town: a bank president and the Miller of Prouty and Miller Lumber, one of the town’s largest employers.

“Perley loved having an occasion when the family would come together,” Pike said. “I have no idea whether the bank or the lumber company set it up, but my memory is, he had us all gather at Gardner Memorial Park, near the causeway that crosses the river.”

Morris

That park sits along the southern shore of Lake Memphremagog. Just a mile away, Andy Pepin was awaiting the eclipse at the Newport Country Club.

Pepin, 100, is a well-known former Newport attorney and developer of Jay Peak Resort. He related via his wife, Ernestine, that he had just turned 9 at the time of the eclipse. He followed his four older brothers to the club and sat on a big rock to watch the show.

Back at Gardner Memorial Park, the Pikes were unpacking their food. “We had a big picnic,” Pike said. “Just getting away from the farm and our chores was a big occasion. My older brothers probably

knew some of what was really happening. I didn’t know what all the fuss was about.”

Pike described two distinct memories of the day. The first involved the eclipse glasses that folks wore to protect their eyes from the sun.

“I was enthralled with the glasses,” Pike recalled, adding that their importance for his safety was stuck in his head to this day. “They were made with Eisenglass or something like that, and I thought those were great playthings. We smoked the glass by holding it over the woodstove.”

His other memory was of being instructed “to remember the day because it was something I would never see in my life again,” he said. “That was ingrained in me.

“My brothers knew what we were seeing was important,” he continued. “I knew the glasses were special and a gift from my great-uncle.

“I also knew that we had a great spot for it,” he said. “And we saw the whole thing.”

At the time, neither Pike nor the rest of his family knew how fortunate they were. According to the local papers, Newport residents, particularly those positioned on “the more elevated hills of the Newport Country Club and vicinity, were the favored few” of thousands who flocked into town for the event.

A scant seven miles away, the wouldbe eclipse worshippers who gathered at Derby’s Kingsbery Farm thought they were favored, too. A party of 30 astronomers and

their assistants from Sproul Observatory at Swarthmore College had traveled from Philadelphia and set up tons of equipment there, so curious visitors figured it must be a great viewing spot. But the weather gods did not cooperate.

As reported in the September 2, 1932, issue of the Express and Standard:

The totality shadow raced through skies half filled with big, slow moving clouds that kept onlookers on the anxious seat fearing the sight of a lifetime would be blotted out. This was just what occurred in many places including the location of the Swarthmore expedition. A vision of the eclipse was gained

at intervals but when the totality came, low hanging clouds acted like a curtain and disappointment came to hundreds gathered there.

Meanwhile, back in Newport:

The hundreds gathered in the vicinity of the Newport Country Club overlooking Lake Memphremagog got the break and the changing scene that greeted the vision will never be forgotten.

After the sun had been freed of moon shadow, the Pikes finished their picnic and returned to Stowe. A couple of years later, Pike recalled, when he was in first

with the glasses.

MORRIS PIKE

grade, his class discussed the event and made holes of di erent sizes in papers to simulate ways to view an eclipse.

A once-in-a-lifetime event.

For the second time. ➆

At Wake Robin, Pike sat back in his chair, seemingly lost in reminiscence. He said he would watch the April 8 eclipse right from his room, which sits on a ridge and a ords unobstructed views.

Eclipse glasses from 1932

2024 SOLAR ECLIPSE

CROSSING PATHS

BY GRACE WARRINGTON AND GREG WARRINGTON

OPEN STUDIO

Pre-Eclipse

April 7, 10:00-4:00

Sculptures and wall art for sale by Leslie Fry, 2023 Governor’s Award for Artistic Excellence

Enjoy the Sculpture Garden and refreshments!

48 Elm Steet Winooski, VT

ACROSS

60. Regret

1. Impair

4. "Ma'am" counterpart

61. Bread for a Reuben sandwich

7. Moment, informally

62. "___ So Fine," #1 hit by The Chiffons

10. Résumés, for short

37. A tablet a day, say

38. Light lunches, perhaps

1873 story involving an astronomer

DOWN

39. Prohibit

12. Direct

the path of totality in 2017

1. Celestial body represented by the black squares in the center of this puzzle

43. Immunologist prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic

27. Nissan brand discontinued in 2022

30. June 24, historically

13. What Prince and Eminem are each known by

15. Make an afghan, say

Down Celestial body represented by the black squares in the center of this puzzle

Poker offering

17. Resident of Canada who will be just outside of the path of totality on April 8

Like bell bottoms or beaded curtains, perhaps Cut (off)

18. Wardrobe relative

Apple's all-in-one computer introduced in 1998

19. Neuron

21. Winnie-the-Pooh creator

Went back (on) Fahrenheit or Richter Mess up Christian rite

22. Its entry for the verb "go" has over 600 senses: Abbr.

23. Closes for business?

10. Offspring

11. Author Jules with an

25. ey help you write things or light things

27. Word after mountain or morning

28. One, in Oaxaca

29. Place to go in London?

30. Angry

31. RCA dog

35. Small-time

40. Was in charge of 41. Its campus is on the banks of the Miss. river

14. Some pray in these

2. Poker offering

16. Many arcade games or clothes washers

42. "___ you ready?"

43. Lose brilliancy

3. Like bell bottoms or beaded curtains, perhaps

20. The road not taken (by the moral)?

4. Cut (off)

44. Felix Frankfurter argued for his and Vanzetti's innocence

32. It may be indented

33. "Zounds!"

44. Gives in to a bully

24. Sweet counter offer?

48. Droop

5. Apple's all-in-one computer introduced in 1998

25. Club alternatives with three primary ingredients

49. 1980s group for Mr. T's character B.A. Baracus

50. Openings photographers use to image a 58-Across

27. Nissan brand discontinued in 2022

6. Went back (on)

26. State whose southwest corner was just barely in the path of totality in 2017

8. Mess up

45. Useful reference for determining where in Vermont to see a 58-Across

34. French philosopher Descartes

46. Ireland's first Nobel laureate

7. Fahrenheit or Richter

36. Christmas trees, often

39. Hare raiser?

47. Small group

42. Mont Blanc, e.g.

48. Fashion sense

51. Salacious

9. Christian rite

52. Gaelic language

10. Offspring

53. Witnesses, as an April

43. Immunologist prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic

LESLIEFRY.COM

30. June 24, historically

54. Stopped talking, with"up"

32. It may be indented

33. "Zounds!"

56. Place where nap time is often mandatory

11. Author Jules with an 1873 story involving an astronomer

12. Direct

8, 2024 event

55. Water flowing north from the Pyrenees?

44. Felix Frankfurter argued for his and Vanzetti's innocence

57. Dandelion look-alike

34. French philosopher Descartes

14. Some pray in these

45. Useful reference for determining where in Vermont to see a 58-Across

e view of earth is absolutely spectacular, and the feeling of looking back and seeing your planet as a planet is just an amazing feeling. It’s a totally di erent perspective, and it makes you appreciate, actually, how fragile our existence is.

36. Christmas trees, often

39. Hare raiser?

42. Mont Blanc, e.g.

58. Event whose progression is depicted in the middle seven rows of this puzzle, from bottom to top

59. U S spy agency during WWII

60. Regret

61. Bread for a Reuben sandwich

62. "___ So Fine," #1 hit by the Chiffons

16. Many arcade games or clothes washers

20. e road not taken (by the moral)?

24. Sweet counter offer?

25. Club alternatives with three primary ingredients

26. State whose southwest corner was just barely in

46. Ireland's first Nobel laureate

47. Small group

48. Fashion sense

51. Salacious

52. Gaelic language

53. Witnesses, as an April 8, 2024, event

55. Water flowing north from the Pyrenees?

— SALLY RIDE PHYSICIST AND FIRST KNOWN LGBTQ ASTRONAUT

HAPPYTOTALIT Y !

Obscura BTV is SO excited to welcome Burlingtonians and visitors to join together and experience the extraordinary total solar eclipse in our extraordinary city! We have events programmed throughout the weekend and viewing sites activated on April 8 with eclipse glasses and more.

Head to burlingtoneclipse.org for the full list of programming and information.