A solar eclipse is when the moon passes in front of a certain massive star that we orbit, making a shadow that you are hopefully inside of (if you guessed the sun, congratulations! You win the exclusive rest of this blog). There are two kinds, a partial eclipse (a partial sun covering), and a total eclipse (a total sun covering).  The path of the total eclipse is called the path of totality. The umbra (sun covered part) is about 110 miles wide and in the shape of an oval.

If you are in the path of totality, YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS IT! It is a thrice in a lifetime experience. Your shadows will get really vivid and sharp. If you are standing under a tree, you might find crescents on the floor, and if it is cloudy, the clouds may disappear. You will get cold if you have no jacket. 

BUT, that is only in a total eclipse. The sun will effectively turn off (over the course of an hour). 

And if you are lucky, (uninformed) people might even start screaming. =)

 Are you wondering, “what should I take to this marvellous experience?”

The answer; legs, arms, eyes, toes (you can leave your feet as long as you are wearing shoes), and hands.

Also you should bring eclipse glasses, Which you should only take off if in the case of a total eclipse, when you can only see the corona (not the beer, or the park. It is the sun's atmosphere). eclipse glasses protect you from harmful UV rays.

Another fun thing to do is to poke a hole in a paper plate or piece of cardboard and use it as a pinhole projector. Like the crescent trees, it will create a small shape of the sun on the ground.

This can be a substitute for the eclipse glasses.

The path of totality for the April 8 2024 sun covering phenomenon comes up through Mexico, enters the US via Texas, and exits through Maine, and ends up in northeast Canada. 

For those of you in San Francisco, the eclipse will peak at 11:10 with 50% sun.

For those of you in scottsdale, the eclipse will peak at 11:20 with 70% sun.

For me in Sint Maarten, the eclipse will peak at 3:30 with 3.5% sun. =(

Click here to see when the eclipse will peak near you.

Click search in the top right corner, type in the city you are in, and click “moon and sun”, then, “eclipses”.

Disclaimer! Depending on where you are you might not even notice it so please do not be disappointed or blame Mr. S F Spiegel. Thank you for your cooperation, and for reading this blog.