Today is Monday, April 1, 2024. Today former president Donald J. Trump posted on his media platform the true meaning of Easter and humbly apologized to President Joe Biden for posting a video of him being hog-tied in a pickup truck on Friday. April Fool’s, everyone. Since this is April Fool’s Day, I thought I would post this little bit of fiction. In fact, the ex-president posted numerous tweets on Easter denouncing all of his enemies and showing no letup in his attacks against judges, special counsel Jack Smith, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis, and even the sitting president. No one was shielded from his capitalized wrath and it was just so appalling and antithetical to the true meaning of this Christian holiday that anyone still supporting him after this is in dire need of a psychiatrist, in my humble opinion.

And now for something completely different, as the saying goes. I’m going to change tacks here and write about an upcoming meteorological event slated for Monday, April 8. For those still living under a rock, I’m referring to the solar eclipse that will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Elliot and I were originally going to fly to Dallas to see it in Texas, where the prognosis for seeing it without interference was good, but that changed as time wore on. Now we’re merely going to drive to Binghamton and stay over, making sure to see the eclipse the next day in Cortland, New York. An online article about this upcoming phenomenon is written by Ashely Strickland entitled “What to expect during April’s total solar eclipse” that explains how best to view the event.

According to the article, the event will be visible to millions – including 32 million people in the United State alone – who live along the route the moon’s shadow will travel during the eclipse, known as the path of totality. For those in the areas experiencing totality, the moon will appear to completely cover the sun. Those along the very center line of the path will see an eclipse that lasts between 3 and one-half and 4 minutes, according to NASA.

The next total eclipse won’t be visible across the contiguous United States again until August 2044, so that can explain our desire to see this one. We missed the “Great American Eclipse” of 2017 which was known primarily for the sitting president, who was Donald Duck at the time, directly gazing into the sky without wearing protective glasses. Hey, maybe that might explain his current mental deterioration. Just throwing out a possible rationale here.

Here’s everything you need to know about the imminent eclipse.

What is a total solar eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun’s face.

Those within the path of totality, or locations where the moon’s shadow will completely cover the sun, will see a total solar eclipse. People outside the path of totality will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon only blocks part of the sun’s face.

During a total solar eclipse, the sky will darken as it would at dawn or dusk, and there are several stages of the eclipse for sky-gazers to anticipate.

Depending on your location, the partial eclipse can last between 70 and 80 minutes, according to NASA.

“When the moon begins to cross in front of the sun, the star’s rays will shine around valleys on the moon’s horizon, creating glowing drops of light around the moon in a phenomenon called “Bailey’s beads.”

As totality nears, Bailey’s beads will quickly disappear until a single point of light remains, resembling a glistening giant diamond ring.

The diamond ring will disappear when totality arrives, and there is no longer any sign of direct sunlight. Bright stars or planets may shine in the dark sky, and the air temperature will drop as the sun disappears. The sudden darkness causes animals to grow silent, so this is another effect you’ll see of the eclipse.

Where can I see the eclipse?

The total solar eclipse will be visible in parts of Mexico, Canada, and more than 10 U.S. states, while a crescent-shaped partial solar eclipse is expected to appear in 49 states – weather permitting.

The eclipse will first appear over the South Pacific Ocean and begin its journey across North America. Mexico’s Pacific coast is the first point of totality on the path, expected at 11:07 a.m. PT.

The pathway will continue across Texas (that’s why we decided to travel there originally), Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Then, we wave it goodbye and it’s off to Canada in southern Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia, ending on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland at 5:16 p.m.

How do I safely view the eclipse?

The only time it’s safe to view the sun without eye protection is during the “totality” of a total solar eclipse, or the brief moments when the moon completely blocks the light of the sun and no sunlight is visible, according to NASA.

For those intending to see this event, wear certified ISO 12312-2 compliant eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer before and after totality, and at all times during a partial eclipse.

Directly staring at the sun can result in blindness or disrupted vision. During the 2017 total solar eclipse, a young woman was diagnosed with solar retinopathy, retinal damage from exposure to solar radiation, in both eyes after viewing the eclipse with what doctors believed were nonstandard eclipse glasses. There is no treatment for solar retinopathy. It can improve or worsen, but it is a permanent condition.

And don’t think having sunglasses will work; they won’t. We ordered pairs of the recommended solar glasses from Amazon and got them within several days last week.

A wise tip with using these glasses is put them on before looking up and remember to turn away from the sun before you remove them again.

So there you have it: everything you wanted to know about a solar eclipse but were afraid to ask. For those who are contemplating seeing (no pun intended) it, I wish you Godspeed and the very best viewing conditions on that day.

Stay safe and be well.

I took a picture of this mural featuring the likeness of the late, great comedian Rodney Dangerfield whose tag line was “I don’t get no respect!” You have to be of a certain age – as I am – to even recall who he was. Apparently, the reason this mural is here is because he lived in Kew Gardens, the place where I walked to today, thinking that Kew & Willow Books was open – and it wasn’t. The mural can be seen in back of the Kew Gardens Cinema. The salty comedian also owned Dangerfield’s, a comedy club located on 1st Avenue, which has since closed as of October 14, 2020. Reading about the club on Google, I discovered that it was the oldest comedy club, being founded in 1969.