Spotting the solar eclipse may be difficult for some people, as cloudy weather will disrupt viewing parties across the United States.
The first solar eclipse since 2017 has created hysteria among the estimated 34 million people expected to be in the path of totality on Monday.
Stretching across the northeastern US, the moon will cast its shadow and cover the sky in darkness from Texas to Boston. Depending on the location, the astronomical event is expected to take place in the afternoon, but the exact time varies by location.
Monday’s solar eclipse could be blocked by cloudy weather for some in the path of totality
Scientist Bill Nye referred to the solar eclipse as a “strip of darkness” that is “something spectacular.”
While some places along the way will have a clear view of the spectacle, other places, such as Kansas, Missouri and East Texas, will be challenged by cloudy conditions.
AccuWeather meteorologist Joe Lundberg said, “Other areas of poor viewing conditions will be from Wisconsin westward through South Dakota and Nebraska to Washington and Oregon.”
There is also room for similar weather to disrupt the solar eclipse in western and central Pennsylvania and New York. Clouds could break in time for the afternoon display in Chicago, Kansas City, Indianapolis and St. Louis.
Scientist Bill Nye referred to the solar eclipse as a “strip of darkness” that is “something spectacular.”
He said MSNBC that this eclipse is ‘special’ because it was expected to cross North America.
‘The extraordinary thing about being an earthling, about living here on this planet, is our satellite, the Moon. I love this word: “subtends.”‘
“It blocks the same width of sky as the sun.”
In addition to clouds blocking the incredible view, there is also room for passing showers and thunderstorms to take over.
There is also the possibility of more intense storms that could bring hail, strong gusts of wind and cause flooding on the day of the eclipse.
But for many who are not in the path of the storm clouds, Nye said to enjoy it, even if people live in places where they will only see a partial eclipse.
“So okay and enjoy it, but if you can get in the way, great,” Nye added.
While the solar eclipse occurs, NASA announced Three Black Brant IX rockets will be launched from the launch range at the agency’s Wallops Flight facility in Virginia.
At around 2:40 p.m. on Monday, the rockets are scheduled to take off about 45 minutes “before, during and after the maximum local eclipse.”
The rockets, for the Atmospheric Disturbances around the Eclipse Path mission, will aim to study how “Earth’s upper atmosphere is affected when sunlight momentarily dims over a portion of the planet,” according to NASA.
The solar eclipse will stretch 115 miles from Maine to Texas on Monday, but astronomers say the path of totality has shifted 2,000 feet.
Spectators watching the last solar eclipse in August 2017 from Bernal Heights Hill in San Francisco
Children are seen watching the eclipse in July 1991 in Houston at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. One of them is seen wearing a welding helmet to shade his eyes from the sun.
Each rocket will leave at different times: the first at 2:40 p.m., the second at 3:20 p.m. and the last at 4:05 p.m.
Some could see the rockets launch in the mid-Atlantic region depending on the weather.
Viewers have been reminded to purchase special eclipse glasses, as the sun’s glare can damage the eyes.
“The disk of the moon is blocking the disk of the sun and you just want to look at it,” Nye said.
“And that’s how you hurt your eyes.”
Like any eclipse, it is important not to look directly at the sun with the naked eye while the event occurs, even through sunglasses, binoculars, or a telescope.
Glasses for viewing solar eclipses can be purchased online. Special sunscreens are also an option and are considered much safer.
Recently, the path of the solar eclipse shifted about 2,000 feet when viewers at the edge of the path were advised to move closer to the center.
Amateur astronomer John Irwin released a new map of the 115-mile path from Maine to Texas that has revealed its change by about 2,000 feet.
The updated estimate has suggested that people in places like Rome, New York, Effingham, Illinois, and some areas of Fort Worth, Texas, will no longer be able to get a perfect view of the eclipse.
While many people are expected to view the eclipse, hundreds of thousands of spectators will now be out of the immediate path and unable to view the event.
Viewers are reminded to purchase special eclipse glasses, as the sun’s glare can damage the eyes.
A new Airbnb booking map reveals how desperate people are to find suitable accommodation to view the eclipse: orange dots show 100% occupancy rates and blue dots show only 10% occupancy rates.
Although not everyone will be able to see it, some have taken matters into their own hands and made sure they can see the eclipse.
A map of Airbnb bookings in the United States has revealed how much solar eclipse hysteria has spread across the country.
Experts estimate that millions more Americans will travel for this upcoming solar eclipse, which will begin in full in Dallas, Texas, around 1:40 p.m. and last until 1:44 p.m. CDT.
More than 20 million people in the United States traveled elsewhere to watch the previous eclipse, which occurred in 2017.
This widespread surge in interest in the eclipse has benefited Airbnb, which appears poised to cash in on the solar craze.
The app, which offers short and long term accommodation, reported At the end of February they had recorded a ‘1,000% increase in searches for stays along the path of the solar eclipse of totality in the United States.’
To accommodate the rush of skywatchers, more than 1,000 new Airbnb hosts “plan to welcome first-time guests to help meet demand.”
Within the path of totality, the cities that will receive the most visitors are Austin and Indianapolis followed by Cleveland, Dallas and Montreal.
Most travelers will come from New York City or Mexico City.