The next total solar eclipse visible from Rochester, on April 8, 2024, is now less than two years away. In partnership with the Rochester Eclipse Stakeholders, the RMSC (Rochester Museum & Science Center) is already connecting with local organizations and to ensure the Rochester community can make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime event.
“We’re still two years away, but we’re already dreaming of big plans at the RMSC. The Eclipse Stakeholders are already thinking of details as large as festival planning, and as small as making sure kids in school have time and space to view the eclipse,” said Daniel Schneiderman, Eclipse Partnerships Coordinator at RMSC. “Everyone under the sun is a stakeholder in this eclipse, so we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to see it.”
Rochester sits directly in the path of totality of the 2024 total solar eclipse and will experience 3 minutes and 38 seconds of complete totality; meaning Rochesterians will experience totality for one minute longer than those who viewed the 2017 total solar eclipse.
“Experiencing totality is nothing like viewing a partial eclipse. In a total eclipse, the sun is completely covered by the moon in the middle of the day,” said Steve Fentress, Director of the RMSC Strasenburgh Planetarium. “The sky darkens. The Sun’s corona shines with incredibly pure silver-gray light. The air is suddenly cooler. Light on the landscape around you is strange and unique. It’s beyond astronomy or any other science – it’s a transformation of the world, like visiting another planet for a few minutes.”
To pull off a community-wide celebration, the RMSC has recruited community partner organizations who are interested in making Rochester a hot spot for eclipse viewing in 2024. These range from parks to restaurants, to schools and neighborhood associations, to breweries and more; any organization in Rochester interested in celebrating the 2024 eclipse is welcome.
“I can think of no better destination to view and celebrate the 2024 eclipse than Rochester,” said Don Jeffries, President & CEO, Visit Rochester. “Rochester is a city long known for innovations in light, optics and science. Combine this history with the many things for visitors to see and do while here, places to stay, restaurants to enjoy plus the many events and activities planned around the eclipse, and it is clear to see why Rochester should be the top choice for Eclipse viewers in 2024.”
For more information about the 2024 eclipse, and to learn how to get involved, go to rochestereclipse2024.org or follow the official Rochester Solar Eclipse pages on all social media platforms (@rocsolareclipse).
For more information about the RMSC, go to rmsc.org.
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