Solar Eclispe

On Monday, April 8, 2024, parts of the U.S. will experience a total solar eclipse, and most, including Nashville, will experience a partial solar eclipse. In Nashville, it is expected to be visible from roughly 12:30 to 3:30. In other areas, totality, where the moon completely covers the sun, is expected to be around two to four minutes long. Some areas where totality will occur include Dallas, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Paducah, Kentucky. One important thing to know about eclipses is that, in order to not blind yourself, you must wear eclipse glasses. This is because the UV intensity of the sun’s corona is a lot higher during a solar eclipse and can damage your retinas and potentially blind you in a matter of seconds.

Lots of strange phenomena accompany solar eclipses, like crescent-shaped shadows, shadow bands, and strange animal behavior. Some spiders, such as Orb-Weavers, will destroy their webs, dairy cows will return to their barns, crickets will begin chirping, and many other phenomena. These behaviors are notoriously hard to observe because eclipses are fairly rare and because some animals will react differently each time. One thing is certain, though: eclipses are very strange.

2024 Total Eclipse: Where & When - NASA Science. (n.d.). Science.nasa.gov. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/

Fazeka, A. (2017, August 14). Surprising Ways Animals React to Solar Eclipses. Science. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/animals-react-total-solar-eclipse-august-space-science

Spitzer, M. (2024, March 28). What happens if you look at the sun during the April 8