Celestial Countdown: One week from partial solar eclipse seen in Nebraska
Photo: Associated Press/Elaine Thompson/THAEO
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – We have the chance to view a spectacular celestial event one week from now.
On April 8th, 2024, the moon will block out the sun for a short amount of time.
Across the United States, the “path of totality” is where the moon will be seen completely blocking the sun. Back in 2017, Nebraska was a part of that path.
This time, Nebraska is on the outskirts of this path, expecting 60-80 percent of the sun to be blocked.
The highest coverage will be seen across southeast Nebraska compared to the rest of the state.
During the eclipse, the sky will get dark as if it were nighttime. Even if skies are cloudy, the sky will still appear to darken. Wildlife normally up at night may wake up while daytime animals may think it’s time for bed.
Weather-wise other than the sky darkening, research has shown that temperatures can drop between 4-10 degrees during the eclipse.
For Lincoln, the moon will start to block the sun just before 1 p.m. that afternoon. The peak of the eclipse will occur at 1:53 p.m. with about 80 percent of the sun blocked.
If outside of Lincoln, you can see your location’s specific timing, by visiting this website.
Safety is priority when viewing this event, so make sure to have the proper eyewear if you intend to view the eclipse.
Safe solar viewing classes, or eclipse glasses, are needed to avoid serious eye injury. It isn’t safe to view the eclipse through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, sunglasses or any other optical device.
An approved list of vendors for these types of glasses can be found here.
This will be quite the event to witness as the next one will not be visible in the United States until August of 2044!
Meteorologist Jessica Blum
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