What Happens If It ’s Cloudy During an Eclipse?

Next week, crowds will flock into cities like Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Dallas for a chance to view a total solar eclipse, a rare event which occurs when the moon completely covers the sun for a few short minutes.  There is one factor that could complicate the experience for eclipse watchers: clouds. Cloudy skies are known to dull the effects of total eclipses, making them less dramatic. That could spoil a celestial event people in the U.S. won’t get to see again for two decades. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Read More: Why These Passengers Are Flying up to 30 Hours to See Four Minutes of the Eclipse But that doesn’t mean you should give up altogether if the area you plan on viewing the eclipse from has a cloudy weather forecast.  Here’s what happens if the eclipse occurs on a cloudy day—and how to try to maximize your viewing experience. What to expect during a cloudy total solar eclipse “If you are under the clouds, it’s still going to get dark,” says veteran solar eclipse traveler and expert Patricia Reiff. Reiff is a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, and over the course of her career she has seen 20 eclipses.  Reiff says that she has been “clouded out” from seeing a planned eclipse three times, and that while the effects of the eclipse are dulled when there are clouds, there still may be interesting things for viewers to observe. “You can...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Explainer News Desk Solar Eclipse 2024 Source Type: news