by Annie Savinon
Although it might just be May of 2023… we are already preparing for a very important event happening April 8th, 2024! We are now less than a year away from the next solar eclipse! A solar eclipse, defined by National Geographic, is when the moon is taking its route around the Earth, and happens to pass between the sun and Earth for a brief period.
The most exciting part is that in Buffalo, NY we are lucky enough to be in, what is called, the path of complete totality. Complete totality is the very few minutes when the moon’s disk completely covers the sun. Outside of those few special minutes, there will be a span of a few hours before, and after, where we can view a partial eclipse. This will result to an all-day holiday throughout the streets of Buffalo! We are preparing for a very exciting, busy day in and around the city, where solar eclipse enthusiasts will come far and wide to be outside and see this rare event! Let’s cross our fingers for a cloud-free, clear day!
To kickoff this countdown, here are some solar eclipse fun facts:
- It is never recommended to look directly at the sun; for this special event, there are special solar eclipse viewing glasses to be able to enjoy safely! Solar eclipse glasses are for viewing the partial eclipses before and after complete totality.
- The last eclipse in Buffalo was in 2017, but Buffalo was not in complete totality, so it was just a partial eclipse viewing.
- We are going to see a large influx of tourists travel to Buffalo on and around this day; it is going to be a very busy weekend leading up to the solar eclipse! We are talking about hundreds of thousands of visitors!
- Being able to view a solar eclipse in complete totality is a true, usually once-in-a-lifetime wonder. The next eclipse following April 2024 is not until the year 2144, so make sure to spot the solar eclipse of 2024!
- Click on this link to watch an informational video about a solar eclipse:
- Please stay tuned for fun and special events being held at Explore & More for this day, and the weekend leading up to April 8th, 2024!
