Terre Haute in the line of totality for 2024 Eclipse
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.— On April 8, 2024 Terre Haute will be in the line of totality for the Eclipse. The last solar eclipse in Indiana was 819 years ago!
During a total solar eclipse, the Moon’s shadow is cast upon the Earth. There are two parts to this
shadow – an outer shadow that covers a wide region creating a partial eclipse, and a much smaller central shadow that creates the total eclipse. As the Earth rotates, the central shadow creates a thin path known as the path of totality. Terre Haute is located within the path of totality, meaning our community along with visitors will experience nature’s most amazing spectacle – a total eclipse of the Sun! Often the total eclipse is the single largest event to occur within a region, attracting major crowds and media interest on a scale never previously experienced.
Currently there is a community-wide committee working on plans including museum exhibits, concerts, a fly in at the airport and speaker series. Information can be found on the CVB website. A logo has been designed and as plans evolve, they will be posted for the public to view. On April 8, 2022, make sure you go outside at 3 pm to see where the sun is located to give you an idea of where the Eclipse will be.
If you remember, the 2017 partial solar eclipse also occurred in Wabash Valley. This 2024 event will be totally different. 99% coverage is not the same as 100%. According to the American Astronomical Society, the Sun’s corona, a crown of light surrounding the sun, is always there, but we usually can’t see it because the sun’s bright light drowns it out. When the Moon covers the Sun, the corona is definitely the main attraction. It is sculpted into streamers and loops by the Sun’s powerful magnetic field and shines with a light seen nowhere else. It is hauntingly beautiful and, without doubt, one of the most awesome sights in all of nature, but there’s so much more to the experience.
At the beginning and end of totality, the thin middle layer of the Sun’s atmosphere, the chromosphere, blazes in an arc of ruby red. The sky darkens to a deep twilight blue, with yellow, orange, and pink sunrise/sunset colors on the horizon in all directions. Bright stars and planets shine forth, and the air temperature drops noticeably. Birds and farm animals, thinking dusk has settled, return to their nests and barns, and bats come out to feed. It is an experience that should not be missed. It is an event that will happen whether or not we prepare for it. So individuals, businesses, educational organizations, and the community should put this on their calendars and plan to view this rare and phenomenal event.
For all media inquiries, please contact Susan Turner, Terre Haute Children’s Museum, at sturner@terrehautechildrensmuseum.com or 812-235-5548. You may also contact David Patterson, Terre Haute Convention & Visitors Bureau, david@terrehaute.com or 812-234-5555.
For more information: Visit https://www.terrehaute.com
