2017 saw the “Great American Eclipse” visible across much of the northwest, central and southeastern US. An estimated 216 million Americans were fortunate enough to witness that magical event first hand, some traveling far and wide. Here in Jackson, Wyoming we were lucky to lie directly in the “path of totality” and some of you may have experienced this once in a lifetime event with us!
On April 8th, 2024 Americans will get another very special chance to experience this rare cosmic alignment as we will have our last total solar eclipse visible across a significant track of the US for the next 20 years! If you’ve ever seen an eclipse then you understand what a deeply profound and unique sight it is. However if you have never witnessed one in person, you are in for a potentially once in a lifetime experience! Do not miss your chance to experience the 2024 total solar eclipse.
What is an eclipse?
As the Moon orbits around the Earth it can occasionally pass between the Earth and Sun, blocking a portion or the entirety of the Sun. Due to the Moon’s slightly elliptical orbit around Earth, its distance to us varies slightly. When the Moon is farther away and thus appears smaller than the sun, the result is an annular eclipse like we saw back in October this last year. In an annular eclipse, the outer edge of the sun appears to extend beyond the circumference of the Moon displaying the iconic “ring of fire”. However when the Moon is slightly closer to the Earth, a total eclipse can be observed. For a few moments, day is transformed into night revealing stars and planets, and it is the only time when the Sun’s corona is visible as streaming jets of the Sun’s atmosphere can be observed seemingly surrounding the Moon.
Although the motion of the Earth and Moon around the Sun are complex, they are extremely precise and therefore predictable. This means astronomers can predict when and where an eclipse will occur, hundreds of years into the future with high precision. Even ancient civilizations could make these calculations thousands of years ago just by tracking the motion of celestial objects in the sky night after night.
Best places to view the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
The path of totality will begin in southern Texas moving steadily northeast towards Maine. We highly recommend traveling as close as possible to the central path in order to experience the full effects. Some of the prominent areas and cities within close proximity to the path are in central Texas such as Austin or Waco; Hot Springs, AK; Cleveland, OH; Buffalo, NY or northern Vermont and Maine. If you’re considering traveling to one of these or surrounding areas, be sure to book flights and lodging soon as prices are sure to increase as we get closer to this amazing event!
Viewing from Jackson, Wyoming
If you are unable to be near the path of totality, you will still have the opportunity to view a partial solar eclipse throughout the rest of the United States. Jackson, WY will see about 45% of the sun eclipsed peaking around 12:30pm local time. NOTE: It is never safe to look at an eclipse directly except during the few moments of totality. If you are in Jackson, stop by our office anytime during business hours and we’ll be happy to get you set up with some FREE eclipse viewing glasses. We’ll be sure to see you out there!
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