Next month’s total solar eclipse in Arkansas is expected to attract 1.5 million visitors with another half a million people inside the state expected to travel to a spot somewhere within the path of totality, where the skies will go dark for as long as four minutes on Monday, April 8, 2024.
The website greatamericaneclipse.com is a one-stop source for much, if not all, of the information the public may want to know about the event. In the upcoming total solar eclipse, the Moon will pass between the Sun and the Earth, creating a 117.5-mile-wide shadow that will enter the southwest tip of Arkansas near De Queen at 1:46 p.m. central standard time (CST). The shadow’s path will cover two-thirds of the state as it moves northeast at a speed of 1,724 miles per hour, until it exits Arkansas at about 2:00 p.m.
Based on previous eclipses, roughly 30% of the sightseers are anticipated to arrive on the day of the event, and up to 80% will leave immediately after sunlight returns. That means a lot of traffic. So, state leaders are asking people to work from home, if possible. Highway construction will be halted, and the Arkansas Trucking Association is being urged by state leaders to create a ‘trucking holiday.’ Drivers can also go to the IDrive Arkansas website or app to check out traffic congestion.
Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva says 103 school districts will shut down. “Every student will be able to participate in [a] real, relevant, hands-on learning event, regardless of their age and regardless of their grade. So, our agency has been working really hardly [sic] with school districts.”
Millions of pairs of eclipse glasses have already gone to Arkansas school districts and libraries so people can safely enjoy the event without hurting their eyes.
Eclipse in Texas
While Arkansas is getting the lion’s share of media attention because of the estimated impact on tourism and state planning which includes traffic congestion estimates and contingencies, Texas residents will have an equally remarkable view on the afternoon of April 8. A map of the path of the eclipse shows that the entire metro area of Dallas/Fort Worth, with a population of seven million people, lies within the anticipated path of totality, statewide that totals 12 million people. Some of the cities with long durations include Eagle Pass, Uvalde, Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Llano, Lampasas, Killeen, Waco, Sulphur Springs and the southeastern suburbs of Dallas.
According to http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/Texas-2024-eclipse:
A major eclipse viewing event will be held in Waco, Texas on eclipse day that is hosted by the Lowell Observatory, Discovery Channel, Baylor University, and the city of Waco.
Find out more at eclipseovertexas2024.com.The total solar eclipse first enters Texas at the international border at 1:27 pm CDT leaves Texas at the Oklahoma and Arkansas borders at 1:49 pm CDT. Through Texas, the speed of the Moon’s shadow will accelerate from about 1580 miles per hour to about 1850 miles per hour.
