This spring, approximately 31 million Americans will witness a rare event that will not occur again for 20 years. A total solar eclipse will briefly occur in more than a dozen states in April, but can it be seen from Knoxville?
On April 8th, the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun, completely blocking out the sun for millions of people. The eclipse’s entire path will travel across the country, starting in Texas and ending in Maine.
Only a small portion of western Tennessee is in the path of the 2024 total solar eclipse. However, you will need to have special solar viewing glasses on hand.
During the unusual event, a partial eclipse will be seen in Knoxville.
About 20 million people saw the most recent total eclipse in 2017, according to reports.
When is the solar eclipse in April 2024?
According to NASA, a shadow created by the moon’s passing between Earth and the sun will begin to arc across the United States in Texas on April 8 at 2:07 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. At 3:34 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time in Maine, the path of totality will head northeast, turning the midday sky dark as though it were dusk or morning.
According to eclipse2024.org, the peak partial eclipse will occur in Knoxville at 3:07 p.m. The entire Knoxville event is scheduled to begin at 1:49 p.m. and end at 4:23 p.m., or just more than two and a half hours.
Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire are among the other states in the path of totality.
What will Knoxville’s eclipse look like?
While Knoxville and the rest of Tennessee are outside the path of totality, they will still experience a powerful partial eclipse. NASA estimates that Knoxville will experience an 85–90% partial eclipse, with a small crescent of the sun remaining unobstructed by the moon. The eclipse will move across, darkening the sky over time.
A 95% partial solar eclipse is predicted for Memphis, and a 90% partial eclipse for Nashville.
If you want the full eclipse experience, one of the closest pitch-black cities to Knoxville is Paducah, Kentucky. The journey takes approximately 4 and a half hours.
Why is the April 2024 solar eclipse special?
The moon will be nearer Earth during the April eclipse than it was during the 2017 eclipse and the annular solar eclipse of the previous year. The eclipse will appear larger in the sky due to the moon’s closeness.
Furthermore, the total eclipse of this year is expected to linger longer than the one in 2017. According to NASA, the majority of locations along the path of totality will see the eclipse for 3.5 to 4 minutes. Mexico will view the longest totality, which lasts more than 4 minutes.
The opportunity to view and study the sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, is another benefit of a total eclipse. Normally, the corona is too dim to be seen against the sun’s dazzling face.
There aren’t many total solar eclipses. As per NASA, there are around two total solar eclipses every three years. A total eclipse may occur once every hundred years or so at any specific location on the world, yet the area of the earth covered by totality is just around 50 miles wide.
Viewing a Solar Eclipse Safely
Even in the event of a partial or total eclipse, it is not safe to gaze directly at the sun without the use of solar viewing glasses or other eye protection. The strong rays of the sun have the potential to burn eyes and harm retinas. Eye damage can also result from staring through binoculars, telescopes, and camera lenses without eye protection or a specific sun filter.
To fully enjoy Knoxville’s partial eclipse, you’ll need safe solar viewing glasses. A list of businesses and organizations that sell solar glasses has been collected by NASA. The unique glasses were previously offered by Ace Hardware, Mast General Store, Knox County Public Libraries, and The Muse museum.
In the event that glasses are not available, you can make a pinhole projector by punching a hole in an index card, which will project the sun’s image onto a nearby surface. NASA warns against looking at the sun via the pinhole.