On Monday, millions of people will tilt their heads toward the sky and marvel at the total solar eclipse. The moon will cross the sun, briefly blocking its light, but people in the United States, Canada, and Mexico won't have such an accessible celestial experience again for decades to come.
The path of a total solar eclipse (the extent to which the moon completely obscures the sun) stretches from Mexico's Pacific coast to the rim of Atlantic Canada and passes through dozens of major cities, but officials say they are not looking to experience such a phenomenon. Authorities are preparing for an influx of tourists. A once in a lifetime opportunity.
In New York, signs along freeways urged travelers to “arrive early and stay late” to avoid the inevitable traffic jams that clog routes to and from the eclipse's path.
As we neared Niagara Falls, which was in the path of totality, the second half of the message switched to a more realistic “Delays expected.”
This will be the first total solar eclipse seen in the United States since 2017, and the lower 48 states won't see a total solar eclipse until 2044. Many people across the country are expected to enjoy the view on Monday. In 2017, the majority of American adults (154 million, estimates University of Michigan researcher John D. Miller (123.4 people) even exceeded the much larger audience. million this year). And the path of Monday's total solar eclipse will draw more than twice as many people as the 2017 event.
Many eclipse watchers are anxiously checking the weather forecast, hoping for a break in the clouds Monday afternoon. The National Weather Service's eclipse forecast shows clouds likely covering much of the eclipse's path, including San Antonio, Buffalo and other major cities. During the totality period, it may rain in some places.
Cities across the country have closed schools and millions of pairs of safety glasses have been distributed or sold. Scientists have warned people to never look directly into the sun without eye protection, as it can cause serious retinal damage.
A wealth of special events are planned across North America, from street parties in Mexico to animal studies at the Indianapolis Zoo to a special solar eclipse display at Niagara Falls.
In the Mexican coastal city of Mazatlan, which will be one of the first places where people can see the eclipse from land, hotels are full, cruise ships offer special eclipse experiences and seaside promenades are packed with tourists. ing.
Officials said they expect about 120,000 people to visit Mazatlan for the event. The few hotel rooms available were three or four times the normal rate.
“This is where the eclipse will land,” said Greg Schmidt, director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Laboratory, who arrived in Mazatlan a few days ago with a team livestreaming the eclipse from the city of Mazatlan.
Schmidt chose Mazatlan about two years ago for his team to track the eclipse. He sounded optimistic about the selection compared to other locations along the eclipse's path. The weather forecast was favorable for cirrus clouds in the sky.
“We should at least be able to see the whole thing through it,” he said, contrasting Mazatlan with Texas, which “has a lot of problems right now weather-wise.”
More than 1,000 miles away in Dallas, many people have already given up on not being able to see the eclipse, with some talking about traveling to Iceland or Spain to see the next one in 2026.
Eric Isaacs, director of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., was hosting a three-day science and tourism feast in Dallas for donors and their friends, but the group's viewing location has already been changed to his mansion. said that it was done. A place where people can gather inside if they need to stay out of the rain.
Nearing the end of the eclipse's path, Canada's Niagara region declared a state of emergency 10 days before the eclipse occurred, allowing authorities to speed up security and police response if needed.
The state of emergency added to the mild sense of panic that had settled in Niagara Falls and several large cities within a two-hour drive, including Hamilton and Toronto.
Back on the U.S.-Canada border in New York state, Jessica DeSaas, the governor's director of interagency operations, said officials are preparing for a solar eclipse just as they would for a weather disaster. The total solar eclipse will be visible over a wide area of the state. Although New York City is outside the total orbit, about 90 percent of the eclipse will occur around 3:25 p.m. ET.
DeSaas, nicknamed the state's “Eclipse Emperor,” has spent the past two years thinking about all the possible problems, including traffic jams, lack of restrooms and spotty cell phone service.
She didn't want to name the best place to see the eclipse, but said it would be hard to beat Niagara Falls.
“Can you imagine a better place to watch this than in front of one of the world's natural wonders?” she said.
Some experts say that rainbows, which normally form in the mist of waterfalls, turn pink during a solar eclipse.
Elliott Cohen, 33, who drove to Niagara Falls from Hartford, Connecticut, with members of a rock band, watched the solar eclipse from his friend's backyard because “there is nothing more spiritual than experiencing a solar eclipse.” He said he and the group are considering whether to watch the event. Or a state park.
“We like to do things on a whim,” he said.
In Indianapolis, where a totality event is underway, the city's zoo officials plan to hand out up to 10,000 pairs of eclipse glasses to visitors, and to prevent the zoo's automatic lights from turning on when the sky darkens. ing.
Zoo spokeswoman Emily Garrett said: “There is no way we can disrupt the atmosphere by turning on the lights.”
Alicia Bonanno, operations coordinator for several parts of the zoo, including the macaw area, said she can't wait to see how the macaws react to the eclipse.
As the birds chirped in the enclosure in front of her, she said, “Perhaps they're flying around because they feel like a storm is coming due to the turbulence in atmospheric pressure.'' “But what they actually do during totality may be different. They could also lounge around all night. We'll just have to see.”
Report contributor: Vjosa Isai From Toronto, juliet mccool From Indianapolis, Dennis Overby From Dallas, Simon Romero Originally from Mazatlan, Mexico Jay Root From Niagara, New York