Open Letter To Those Who Don’t Understand “Eclipse Hype”

Hi, I see you…the cynic about the eclipse. It’s ok. Months ago, I was right there with you, but then I opened my heart to the thrill of the eclipse. 

Allow me to try to help you understand what makes this so cool, ok?

You’re looking at it all wrong, bud. 

This astronomical event may happen every 18 months on average, but it very rarely happens in Western New York. In fact, the last time there was a total solar eclipse in Buffalo, it was nearly 100 years ago – back in 1925, according to the official Erie County website. 

The next time a total solar eclipse will be visible from any part of the United States, it will be 2044, which yes, that is only 20 years from now. But there is no indication at this point that we will see that total solar eclipse in Buffalo. 

The total solar eclipse on April 8 is so rare, NASA is saying that this eclipse will be cooler than any other one before it. Over 30 million people will be able to see it from their backyard, according to Business Insider, and the path spans across 3 countries, including the United States!

Read More: Total Solar Eclipse - Where To Watch It In Western New York

This eclipse will also last longer than the last one we remember in 2017. The moon will block out the sun for approximately 4 minutes.

And while you may be the person complaining on social media about this eclipse hype being overblown, you’re also going to be watching for it, are you not? Because you and I both know this is a once in a lifetime event, so if you miss it, you’re S.O.L., as my mom likes to say. 

The sun is supposed to be extremely active during the 2024 eclipse. Kelly Korreck, NASA’s program manager, told Business Insider that she hopes to see a coronal mass ejection during the eclipse, which would be visible to the human eye through eclipse glasses as “high-speed blobs of plasma that erupt out of the sun’s corona [or outer layer].” 

During this eclipse, NASA is going to monitor the sun in ways they have never been able to before, while instruments on Earth serve as double duty to study the eclipse. 

But on a more downhome note, tons of families are using this as a rare opportunity to spend time together. It's a cool, core memory to create with your kids, or maybe your special someone. And if you choose to avoid the outdoors from 3:18 PM - 3:22 PM, you could be one of the only ones who doesn't get a chance to be part of it.

You don't have to fully understand the eclipse to join in on making memories that everyone is going to be talking about for years to come. In a similar way that COVID-19 will always be remembered, the eclipse is something that people will reflect on in years to come.

Plus, it’s going to be the most observed eclipse in history, so if you’re really that anti-eclipse, close your blinds and watch Netflix or something because it will be over by Tuesday and then you can wallow in your FOMO because you decided to miss this incredibly rare moment in space. 

Do you really want to be one of the few that missed it?