Weather permitting, it’s going to be quite a spectacle.
At 12:23 p.m. that day in Dallas, according to NASA, the moon’s path will take it between the Earth and the sun, gradually dimming its light until 1:40 p.m. That's when the moon will completely obscure the sun and totality will begin, plunging us into darkness for four minutes until the moon passes on. A partial eclipse will continue until 3:02 p.m.
“When I come to the eclipse, I’m more of a spectator,” Shemmer says. “This time, I'm here for the fun.”
The prof is not slacking off, though. With the advent of satellites and massive radio telescopes, “There’s not a whole lot of science you can do” during a total eclipse today, Shemmer says.
One of the last major pieces of science involved in the observation of a total eclipse was the Eddington experiment in 1919. British astronomers Frank Watson Dyson and Arthur Stanley Eddington organized expeditions to South America and Africa to photograph starlight visible near the sun during totality. They were able to measure how much the starlight was deflected by the sun’s gravity, proving calculations made by Albert Einstein in his general theory of relativity.
In the science world, that was a BFD that helped make Einstein a household name.
But minus the science, what drives an astronomer such as Shemmer, who has seen total eclipses in Africa, Turkey and Wyoming, to chase the path of an eclipse?
As an educator, Shemmer likes to teach by analogy. One Sunday in early February, he says, he was unable to park at his house because of parties at his neighbors’ homes. “Some people were playing football, I heard,” he says, referring to the Super Bowl. He’s not a fan. But a total eclipse? “To me, that’s the real Super Bowl,” Shemmer says.
The last total eclipse visible in Texas was in 1878, and the next one that will be visible in Dallas won’t come for another 300 years. Sadly, for Cowboys fans, Shemmer’s Super Bowl analogy might hit a little too close to the bone.
Shemmer’s not alone in his desire to see the eclipse. We asked Visit Dallas, the city’s convention bureau, what sort of uptick in visitors Dallas can expect during the eclipse.
“Predictions for this can be a bit tricky,” Visit Dallas’ director of communications, Zane Harrington, replied by email. “So while we don’t have exact estimates on the anticipated number of visitors or occupancy, we asked our national mobile vendor, Placer, to create a measurement for Nashville during the 2017 eclipse to create a solid estimate of increased activity during the eclipse (since Nashville was the largest city in the direct path at this time).
“When comparing the entire city to the week before and after the eclipse, Nashville saw a 35% bump above expected visitation levels. When focused on visitors beyond 50 miles, the bump was almost 70% above expected without the eclipse.”
Traci Mayer with the Hotel Association of North Texas told the Observer that local hotels are reporting a surge of interest in bookings for April 7–8, with some properties already sold out.
“We do think it will be a big impact on our hotels and the region,” she wrote.
The solar event is also affecting airlines. The Dallas Morning News reported: “Round-trip airfare to DFW International Airport from any U.S. airport is averaging anywhere from $258 to $407 for April 5 to April 8. At Dallas Love Field, round-trip airfare for the same timeframe averages $645 to $1,126.”
That may sound a bit pricey to see four minutes of darkness, but Shemmer enthusiastically assures us there’s more to it than that: When totality comes, the air feels a little chillier, a breeze might kick up, animals stir and the people around you react with awe. “Just look around and join the feeling,” he suggests. “… Admire nature like art.”
He also suggests you have backup plans with multiple possible viewing locations in the event of partly cloudy skies. Luckily, Dallas is prepared with many hotels and locations planning eclipse-themed events. Those at the Perot Museum of Science and Nature, Dallas Arboretum and Frontiers of Flight Museum are booked up, but several downtown hotels are offering viewing parties from their rooftops. Below is a partial list of other likely spots to catch the show. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, looking at the eclipse without proper eye protection is a likely way to damage your vision. Find out about how to safely view the eclipse from NASA.
Dallas is a prime spot to see April's total solar eclipse, but pray for sunny weather. The next one in this area won't come for about 300 years.
NASA
