Guest article: Counting down to next year’s total solar eclipse!

Mid-day sunshine will turn instantly to the darkness of night….nocturnal animals will emerge as if evening has fallen….the air will cool perhaps 15 degrees and a slight breeze will blow as in the cool of night on this April 8, 2024 only one year from now.   The moon, moving eastward about its own diameter each hour, will slowly pass directly in front of the bright sun overhead shortly after noon and block its light out nearly entirely for over four minutes – one of the longest Total Solar Eclipses in North American history.

Throughout Arkansas communities, civic leaders, landowners and entrepreneurs are readying for the grand 2024 total solar eclipse that will darken the landscape below in a huge circular shadow that will move from southwest to northeast over Arkansas – and nearly dead center over many towns from across the 75-mile wide totality path as it sweeps over our state.  This will be the most dramatic total eclipse of the sun that anyone today will ever experience in their lifetimes on American soil.

This will be the longest totality experienced in the USA, well over four minutes of darkness and almost twice as long as most have ever experienced.

Arkansas will see an influx of visitors in the hundreds of thousands, some estimate perhaps over one million, for the week prior to this generations greatest ever total eclipse of the sun and festivities and viewing communities are being set up throughout The Natural State.   Visitors from around the world will begin arriving likely on Thursday, April 4 and most will remain in place until the day after the eclipse, April 9.

The eclipse is nearly central – meaning that it will be longest in duration – over Mena, Conway County, from Petit Jean Mountain, through Morrilton and up past Birdtown in an angle that takes the shadow eventually over Clinton, Mountain Home and across the northeastern part of the state and up into New England.

The great migration of eclipse chasers is nothing to take lightly: during the 2017 total solar eclipse that passed from Washington/Oregon just north of Arkansas and eventually into South Carolina saw tens of millions of people take to the skies from whatever small foothold that they might find along the path. Cities and towns were innundated with visitors, many caught totally unprepared for the massive number of people; water, medical supplies, sanitary facilities and certainly lodging was suddenly in short supply. People who did not have pre-arrangements for lodging and a small spot of ground from which to view the eclipse in 2017 were forced to simply stop along the roadways, sleep in their cars, and ultimately end up in a nationwide traffic jam that took two days to clear.

On the other hand, businesses and creative retailers brought in billions of dollars in revenue from eclipse items, food sales, motel rooms and anything related to the event. That will happen here in Arkansas for those who are prepared.

Although Arkansas Sky Observatories (ASO) plans to keep the public informed about events and aspects of the total eclipse as time grows near, it is best to start preparing now; whether you are simply a resident of the county or a business owner hoping to benefit from the tens of thousands of visitors to your area, the eclipse WILL affect you. Traffic is going to be at a standstill the day before, during and the day after the eclipse, which takes place around 1 p.m. on Monday, April 8, 2024 from Arkansas.  There will be vehicles on every road, some along the shoulders, and others parked in the middle of the highway or street simply to get a glimpse of history in the making. Most motels, hotels and other lodging facilities are now likely booked to capacity, so those with no firm lodging should begin to look at home rentals, camping or RV facilities at this time.  Expect prices for nightly lodging to be over twice normal with 3-4 night minimum stays; refunds on reservations are typically not available for eclipse lodging.

Visitors to eclipses encompass all walks of life and all origins; there will be people from foreign countries who devoutly travel to every eclipse possible, and there will be a great number of people from our surrounding states attempting to put themselves in a location ideal for the four minutes of instant darkness, and stars shining around noon.  Most eclipse viewers for the 2024 event are likely to be families, professionals, photographers and adventurers seeking a once-in-lifetime experience.

The eclipse times (CDT) and duration of darkness for cities along the main path are:

Texarkana – 12:29 / Totality Starts – 1:47 – Duration = 2m 26s

Hope – 12:30 / Totality Starts – 1:48 – Duration = 1m 38s

Mena – 12:30 /Totality Starts –  1:47 Duration = 4m 07s

Lake Degray – 12:31 / Totality Starts – 1:49 – Duration = 2m 42s

Hot Springs – 12:32 /Totality Starts –  1:49 – Duration = 3m 36s

Petit Jean Mtn – 12:32:46 / Totality Starts – 1:49 – Duration = 4m 16s * (longest)

Morrilton – 12:33:31 / Totality Starts – 1:50:33 – Duration = 4m 13s

Atkins – 12:33 / Totality Starts – 1:50 – Duration = 4m 16s *

Russellville – 12:33 / Totality Starts – 1:50 – Duration = 4m 11s

Conway – 12:34 / Totality Starts – 1:51 – Duration = 3m 53s

Little Rock – 12:34 / Totality Starts – 1:52 – Duration = 2m 27s

Birdtown – 12:34 / Totality Starts – 1:51 – Duration = 4m 17s ** (longest)

Fairfield Bay – 12:35 / Totality Starts – 1:52 Duration = 4m 14s

Clinton – 12:35 / Totality Starts – 1:52 – Duration = 4m 15s

Jonesboro – 12:38 / Totality Starts – 1:56 – Duration = 2m 24s

Mountain View – 12:36 / Totality Starts – 1:52 – Duration = 4m 14s

Shown here is a map, courtesy ASO, of the eclipse path across our area, with the circular shadow of the moon falling first in the southwest corner and progressing northeastward as shown by the shaded area.

Note that the shaded area is very much favored for the longest period of darkness during this event, and thus we should expect the greatest public interest to be focused on our area.  The closer to the CENTER LINE you are, the longer and darker will the eclipse be during totality.

A solar eclipse occurs at least once somewhere on Earth each year, but remains still one of the most spectacular and rarest of astronomical phenomenon and one that typically excites the general public more than any other. Daytime turns to night instantly and can be startling to anyone who has never witnessed one before. The geometry of a solar eclipse is simply the moon moving between the Earth and the sun; both appear the same size from Earth. The instant that the moon completely covers the sun, all light of the sky disappears, stars come out and it is a virtual night time for only a short span of time…..rarely four minutes like it will be in 2024.

A wonderful education experience for families and young people is to study and record the reaction of the natural world during totality:  when the darkness instantly fall, nocturnal animals awake and become active, the winds begin to blow, the air cools rapidly by as much as 15 degrees and it truly appears as if nightfall has begun….. only 12 hours too early!

This remarkable and memorable event can be easily captured on any camera and the experience will create memories for a lifetime.  Families and groups can make the trip to Arkansas over the prior weekend and truly create a vacation of a lifetime.  No special equipment is necessary; your pre-selected and secured spot, lawnchairs, a picnic and your cell phones is all that anyone will need.

Mark your calendars NOW and book your reservation for any experience like no others for April 8, 2024.

Visit both the “Solar Eclipse 2024 Arkansas” or “Arkansas Sky Observatories” (ASO) FACEBOOK pages to keep up to date on planning for the eclipse; if your group or community is planning activities, please let us know and your activities will be included in postings of upcoming plans for this remarkable once-in-a-lifetime event.