As mentioned in last week’s edition of the Brookville Democrat/ American, on April 8, 2024, Indiana will experience a total eclipse of the sun. The eclipse will arc across the southern half of Indiana from southwest to northeast. Every part of Indiana will experience either 100% totality or 90% totality, allowing everyone to witness this incredible event. Darkness will last approximately four minutes along the center line of the zone of totality. As you move farther away from the center line of the arc across the state, the timeframe and amount of darkness will drop. Nearly all of North America will get a partial solar eclipse outside the path of totality. But even a 99% partial eclipse pales compared to a total one.

The occurrence will draw millions of tourists from around the nation to Indiana, and organizations serving the region are already planning events. The Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway Association (WCBA) serves several counties in the Whitewater Valley, including Franklin County. The WCBA is headquartered out of Metamora at Gateway Park and is already gearing up for the 2024 event with an event of its own, the "Darkside of the Moon Festival." Although the festival is in its early planning stages, tourists and community members will have access to three-day camping at the park with all sorts of activities allowing visitors to submerge themselves into this historic event. 

"We have been working on the event for several months now to share our valley during this ground zero event," said WCBA President Ron Yurcak. "The Dark Side of the Moon will be a three-day event with camping, games, contest, concerts and so much more." 

One of the contests planned is the Tin Foil Hat contest. “Put your thinking caps on and prepare for a shiny good time,” Yurcak continued. “We are going to make sure when the sun disappears our brains will be safe from aliens. Several different categories for this contest, largest diameter, tallest, most intriguing and possibly more.”

The 2024 eclipse will be the first since the Great American Eclipse in 2017 and the last until August 2044. It will first be visible in Indiana in the Mount Vernon area.

How to safely watch the solar eclipse

Scientists at NASA advise people watching an eclipse take the following precautions:

Always use solar viewers, or "eclipse glasses," to watch a solar eclipse outside the "moment of totality," when the moon completely obscures the sun.

Inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer for scratches. If damaged, discard them.

Always supervise children using solar viewers.

DO NOT look at the sun through a camera lens, telescope, binoculars, or any other device while wearing eclipse glasses. The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and can cause serious eye injury.

You can view the eclipse directly without proper eye protection only when the moon completely obscures the sun's rays. As soon as you see even a little bit of the sun, immediately put your eclipse glasses back on.

For more about the science of the eclipse, visit the American Astronomical Society's 2024 Eclipse website.