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The next total solar eclipse in the US is April 8, 2024!

Where do you plan on being in 5 years?

Typically this would be an inconsequential question often asked at job interviews, where you’re suddenly forced to make up some sort of lofty goal or otherwise lie your ass off to make yourself look good. But what if I were to ask you where do you plan on being in six years instead? That’s a different matter entirely!

Six years from today, another total eclipse will streak its way across the United States (and Mexico, and a teency bit of Canada). And luckily enough for me, the path of totality cuts right through my hometown of Indianapolis!

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(The path also cuts through the town I was born and raised in – Evansville!)

For your convenience, I made this handy countdown timer, because countdown timers are the most 1998 internet thing that ever 1998 internetted:

If you missed seeing totality in the 2017 solar eclipse, here’s your chance for redemption. I’d seen a couple partial solar eclipses in the past, and was fairly underwhelmed with them. I didn’t have very high expectations for seeing totality, but decided that Emily and I would go down to Kentucky to check it out, and I even pulled the kids out of school for a day so they could see it. It’s one of the best decisions I think I’ve ever made in my life.

Sure, a 90% eclipse is cool, but have you ever seen the sun’s corona?

The video was from before I got into astrophotography or had any idea how to even try to take pictures with a real camera at all, so I promise to do better next time.

But we were overwhelmed. We’re still overwhelmed. And what’s even more special to me – my kids STILL talk about seeing the eclipse, and my youngest will even make drawings of it. It’s something that they’ll never forget.

And as timeanddate.com points out, there are other events between now and 2024, too. And they also pointed out this interesting tidbit that I didn’t know previously:

A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.

Usually, there are two eclipses in a row, but other times, there are three during the same eclipse season.

So what are you going to be doing in six years? Because you owe it to yourself to make your way to the path of totality to see this truly awesome experience firsthand. It’s absolutely worth the time and money to see totality, trust me.

Besides – if you make your way to Indianapolis, you’ll be able to hang out with Emily and me in our backyard! 🙂

 

Written by Dan Broadbent

Science Enthusiast. Atheist. Lover of cats.

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