Eclipse Fever 2024

The eclipse is coming...the eclipse is coming....

It's the 2024 version of "Chicken Little."

Everyone right now has Eclipse Fever.

If you have been living under a rock, start here. It's our first total solar eclipse in the US since 2017....and the next is approx 2 decades away, slated for August 23, 2044.

I have friends flying into Dallas to view the totality to soak it up in its entirety. To find where you are on the eclipse map, check it out here.

Even if you are directly on the path of darkness and totality, that darkness will only last 3.5-4 minutes. (I had to chuckle when I saw on social media today that the length of time of totality is a strikingly similar length of time to Bonnie Tyler's 1983 song "Total Eclipse of the Heart." 🤣😎

As a product of the '80's, I have it burned on my brain (versus my retina) that YOU DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT A SOLAR ECLIPSE FOR FEAR OF EYE DAMAGE. Therefore, I am a more of a fan of the pinhole camera for solar eclipse viewing. Gotta say: the solar glasses scare me. No matter which approach you take--be safe out there people, and protect your eyes!

For where I live, the height of the eclipse is approximately 3:21 pm (right during after school dismissal and high school sports--tell me, are high school kids going to play lacrosse or run track with solar glasses on?!?), with it's 2 hour, 28 minute span lasting 2:08 pm to about 4:33. 

Be safe out there people, since this is key after school prime time.

It's been all over the news these last few days, let alone few weeks, so I feel redundant sharing too much....except for this:

• NASA's website is phenomenal, and a super "go to" place if you still need eclipse information.

• BrainPop is ALWAYS for the win!

• If you have purchased/acquired solar glasses to safely view the eclipse...consider recycling them by paying it forward for others to use. There are eclipse glasses recycling programs where you can send forward your glasses for the Oct. 2nd, 2024 South American viewable eclipse. Glasses need to ship by August 1st. 

And these are just plain interesting and/or funny--things I landed upon in the wonderful world of social media:

Chicken image created using Canva.com's Magic Media, Eclipse path:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2023/10/17/total-solar-eclipse-2024-path-totality-locations/, videos from https://youtu.be/sAwSQHFRpp4? and https://youtu.be/DoD5ACZfzHU?si=oBWGC52rBdeR4Tr8si=HYD6th4pKuOYC_t-; Oreo eclipse found on social media.