Plan Ahead

Article taken from Arkansas Living - October 2023 Issue









For Arkansans living outside the totality zone, there is this advice from P. Clay Sherrod, director of Arkansas Sky Observations on Petit Jean Mountain:

"First and foremost is accessibility. If people wait until the morning of April 8th to head into the eclipse path, they are not going to make it. The roads will be backed up from every direction. Plan early, reserve a campsite or room somewhere, and get there by Saturday before the eclipse. And map a good highway to get out. It will be a daylong traffic jam."

Start and end times for eclipse in Booneville, AR:

12:31:45 PM    to    1:49:00 PM

Duration: 3 min 30.6 sec. Only during this time of totality should you remove your protective glasses.

Things to Know

While all eclipses are worth seeing, a total solar eclipse is much more spectacular than any other eclipses, because it is the only type of eclipse in which:

Day turns to night, allowing you to see planets and bright stars around the eclipsed sun.

You'll be able to see the sun's spectacular corona.

You'll get the full experience of the progression to totality, including changes in lighting, temperature, and animal behavior. Plus the beautiful diamond ring effect just before totality begins (and when it ends).

Remember that you can and should remove your eclipse glasses during the brief period of totality, but don't look toward the sun without them at any other time.

Warning: Except during totality, it is never safe to look directly at the sun unless you are wearing your special eclipse glasses.

One pair of glasses included for the first 10 bookings.