On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. From the economic impact to opportunities to travel with family and friends to where the viewing is best to schools closures, anticipation of this global event is going strong across North America.
Like “50 Super Bowls happening at the same time.” That’s how Forbes contributor Jamie Carter described the potential economic impact in a recent column.
In its March 28 newsletter, The Perryman Group, a Waco, TX-based economic and financial analysis firm, features a map showcasing states in the path of eclipse and estimated state expenditures due to the 2024 solar eclipse. In the introduction to this newsletter, The Perryman Group “estimated the potential economic benefits associated with the eclipse and found that the United States is likely to see an increase in direct expenditures by visitors of almost $1.6 billion.
When the downstream/multiplier effects through the economy are considered, expected economic impacts rise to $6.0 billion, with a gain of $3.0 billion in gross product and $1.8 billion in personal income flowing to US residents. Total spending by state (including multiplier effects) is projected to range from $2.1 million in New Hampshire to $1.4 billion in Texas.”
Other states highlighted in The Perryman Group newsletter include the following, with Estimated State Expenditures resulting from the solar eclipse next Monday:
Arkansas (Direct: $89.3M, Total: $276.4M); Oklahoma (Direct: $25.3M,
Total: $76.5M); Missouri (Direct: $54.0M, Total: $172.4M); Illinois (Direct: $90.4M,
Total: 305.3M); Indiana (Direct: $177.5M, Total: 551.0M); Ohio (Direct: $166.0M, Total: $522.7M); Pennsylvania (Direct: $115.9M, Total: $366.6M); New York (Direct: $251.7M, Total: $732.7M); Vermont (Direct: $82.9M, Total: $232.5M); New Hampshire (Direct: $0.7M, Total: $2.2M), and Maine (Direct: $8.3M, Total: $24.1M). Other states:
Estimated total $1,325.7M.
A National League of Cities article highlights activities planned in Medina, OH (where a solar eclipse last passed over in 1806), and actions taken in Buffalo, NY, Waco, TX, and Bloomington, IN to maximize safety and enjoyment of the event.
Resources: Watch With NASA
NASA is inviting the public to participate with in-person events, opportunities to do NASA science, and multiple ways to watch online. Millions of people along the path of totality — which stretches from Texas to Maine in the U.S. — will see a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely covers the Sun. Outside the path of totality, people across the contiguous U.S. will have a chance to see a partial solar eclipse, when the Moon covers part of the Sun. Here is the link to the interactive map from NASA shown above: https://eclipse-explorer.smce.nasa.gov/
NASA will host live coverage of the eclipse starting at 1 p.m. EDT on April 8. The agency’s eclipse coverage will include live views of the eclipse from across North America, special appearances by NASA experts, astronauts aboard the space station, and an inside look at NASA’s eclipse science experiments and watch parties across the country. NASA’s broadcast will last three hours, and features live locations from across the nation including the agency’s only center in the path of totality, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio, as well as: Carbondale, IL; Dallas, TX; Houlton, ME; Indianapolis, IN; Kerrville, TX; Niagara Falls, NY; and Russellville, AK
The NASA broadcast will stream on NASA+, air on NASA TV, and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA TV through a variety of platforms including social media and the agency’s app. NASA also will host a watch party of the eclipse in Spanish starting at 1:30 p.m. on YouTube. NASA will additionally provide a no-commentary, telescope-only feed of the eclipse on NASA Television’s media channel and YouTube, starting at 1 p.m. and running for three hours.
The American Astronomical Society offers this safety information for viewing the 2024 solar eclipse: https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety
