South Florida to get a partial view; Frost Science museum hosts events

MIAMI – South Florida will get a partial view of the next total solar eclipse, a must-see event when the moon lines up between the sun and the Earth. The world will start watching when it passes the Pacific coast of Mexico, over the United States and Canada, and exits into the Atlantic.

It will have a 115-mile-wide path and 15 states will witness it. Douglas A. Roberts is among the astrophysicists in the United States who will be counting down until it begins at 1:27 p.m., in Texas, and ends at 3:35 p.m., in Maine, on April 8. It’s a Monday.

Roberts said this eclipse will be special. The sun’s corona will be on full display. The U.S. won’t witness another coast-to-coast eclipse until 2045. Researchers will be chasing the moon’s shadow. This solar eclipse will last longer than the one in 2017.

“This time, the moon is closer,” Roberts said Sunday during This Week In South Florida.

It will be 4 minutes and 28 seconds. The exact time varies. Roberts, president of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum, said downtown Miami is ready for a celebration with special edition eclipse glasses to avoid eye damage, telescopes, and a feed from NASA showing the totality from various locations.

“We are going to have a special planetarium show, educational activities talking about the history of the eclipse, how to observe it safely,” Roberts said.

In preparation for the unique event, the museum, also known as Frost Science, plans to host the “Solar Eclipse Weekend” on April 6 and 7. The museum is also working with The Alhambra Orchestra of Miami to provide content for the “Out of This World” performance at 4 p.m., on April 7, in Cutler Bay.

Cape Canaveral will also get a partial eclipse. The cities preparing for tourists to see the total eclipse in the United States include Dallas, Texas; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Buffalo, New York. There will also be eclipse-themed parties in Montreal, Canada.

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