As it does, its shadow will darken what’s called the path of totality, a 115-mile-wide slice of the planet that includes Dallas, Cleveland, Indianapolis and San Antonio.
Notably absent: Naples, Cape Coral and Fort Myers.
How dark with Southwest Florida get in the eclipse?
That doesn’t mean we won’t have an eclipse. “From here, we’re going to see about 52% coverage,” said Heather Preston, planetarium director at Fort Myers’ Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium.
“For us here, it won’t be that dramatic,” she said. “We won’t be able to see the shadow, but with eclipse glasses, we will be able to see that coverage, which initiates around 2:15 (p.m.) and then will be maximum right around 3 o’clock and it’s going to lose contact around 4:15.”
Even so, she says, if you’re paying attention, you’ll know something unusual is happening. “There’s a weird, sort of unearthly feeling to it once coverage becomes significant. With more than about 20, 30 % coverage, you’re really going to notice the change in the light. So even though we won’t have total coverage, it’ll be noticeable.”
Do your observing safely
We’re not trying to insult your intelligence by mentioning that you shouldn’t ever look directly at the sun, partial eclipse or not’ we just want to remind you that safety certified eclipse glasses are widely available and pretty reasonably priced. The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium, for example, is selling them.
“We bought extra eclipse glasses and they’re for sale in the lobby for $2,” Preston said. “I want to make sure that nobody damages their eyes.”
More: 2024 solar eclipse will be visible in Florida. Here’s where to find free glasses
Just be careful with what you buy, cautions Derek Buzasi, Whitaker Eminent Scholar in Florida Gulf Coast University’s Department of Chemistry and Physics. “There are glasses floating around that don’t meet the standard, and (with) your eyes, you don’t get a second chance, so be a little cautious.” He points out the American Astronomical Society, the professional organization for astronomers in the U.S., has a list of brands that they know meet the standard “and they’re not selling them so it’s not a conflict of interest or anything ‒ they just want to make sure people don’t hurt themselves.”
Solar retinopathy is serious business.
‘This kind of magical alignment’
But total or not, the eclipse will still be cool in Southwest Florida. Magical even. Just ask Buzasi, who ought to know. “The fact that we can see such a thing at all is unique in the solar system,” he said.
“Eclipses the way we have them on Earth are a really cool thing,” he said. “It doesn’t occur other places in the solar system (and) are probably pretty rare in the galaxy in general, because the apparent size of the moon in our sky and the apparent size of our sun in our sky are so close to one another, we get this kind of magical alignment along the path of totality where the moon covers the sun almost perfectly.
“We only get this effect for a few minutes when it happens, but it is this kind of magical thing and there’s nowhere else in our solar system you can go and see something like this.”
If you were on another planet, you might see another celestial body pass in front of the sun, “but not what we see here with this almost perfect alignment,” Busazi said. “So it is kind of magical in that sense.”
What’s an eclipse like?
Preston, who’ seen several in person describes them as “really beautiful. But it’s also very weird,” with odd silvery light. “As the sun’s light diminishes in intensity, everything is still very clear, but it’s just not as warm.”
Even here, “at the time of maximum coverage, if you hold out your arm, you’ll realize there’s something wrong: It’s not as warm as it usually is in full sunlight. And the fine details of everything are visible without the extra glow that direct sunlight usually causes,” she said. “This is more like a really clear solar spectrum lamp.”
Go ahead and celebrate
“I’ve been recommending to people who want to mark this occasion with their kids to do a little eclipse party,” Preston said. “Serve tortillas with 52 % of the tortilla have guacamole on it, maybe do cookies with a crescent of 48 coverage of vanilla and 52 of chocolate. There are ways you can make it a memorable little celebration even if you’re not driving to the path of totality.”
The planetarium will be open for the occasion as well. “We are normally closed on Mondays, but we’re opening up the planetarium from 12 to 5. Provided it’s sunny, we’ll set up the solar telescope outside on the concrete pad and will probably also have a viewing box next to it. Sometimes really little kids have trouble looking through telescopes, but they’ll be fine with the viewing box.,” she said. “And then in the dome, we’ll be running shows about eclipses and NASA live coverage from the path of totality. ”
What will I see and when? Search by ZIP code for details on the solar eclipse in Southwest Florida
Astronomy in real time
“From a big ‒ really big ‒ picture perspective, it’s gratifying to see humans noticing the workings of the solar system,” said Busazi.
“It’s nice to see people go outside and look at the natural world, and around here that’s often plants and animals and water, but we shouldn’t forget the big-scale stuff too,” he said.
“Just to be able to look up and see this happening is kind of astronomy in real time, and that’s got value.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: What to expect from the April 8 solar eclipse in Naples and Fort Myers