Nikki Main Science Writer for Dailymail.Com
April 8, 2024 15:00, updated April 8, 2024 15:18
Walking down the streets of Dallas on a Saturday, it would be hard to imagine that a once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event would occur within 48 hours.
More than 400,000 people are expected to visit the city to see the total solar eclipse in person, and 1 million people across Texas are expected to visit.
As far as I could see, there weren't any cheap stalls selling memorabilia or T-shirts. And some of the locals, surprisingly, had no idea what a solar eclipse was or that they were about to see the best view of a solar eclipse in North America.
It wasn't until I ventured into pubs and restaurants and signed up for goat yoga that I found people who had traveled from all over the United States.
Most of the space travelers I spoke to were from California, which will have a pretty poor view of the eclipse.
People who flew in from California said they watched the event from relatives' homes and rooftop restaurants, but also took their children to the Dallas Zoo to watch the eclipse with elephants and giraffes. There were people too.
Lily, a young child, said she was excited to see the moon block out the sun, but was even more excited because it was her first time on a plane.
Her parents, Kevin and Nicole, brought her to Dallas from California's Bay Area and they laughed and shared their joy at being able to attend the event.
Other families visiting from the Sunshine State, including Patrick and Megan, who brought their two children from San Jose, said they planned to watch the eclipse from the Dallas Zoo to “see the reactions of the animals.” Ta.
“We're just looking for all kinds of events related to the eclipse,” Patrick said, adding that when she showed the kids a yoga class, “they were so excited.”
They were drawn to participate in goat yoga in the run-up to the eclipse, and their daughter told me, “I saw a goat in a tutu and fell in love with it.”
I joined in on the goat yoga fun. This was unlike any other yoga class I've ever attended, with goats climbing on my back in child's pose and cat/cow position.
It was really fun until a goat that had been following me throughout the class walked onto my mat while I was taking pictures of other yogis and decided to use it as a toilet. It was.
Instructor Christy Pedersen said she has never received any complaints about her classes, but she always warns people that the goats may go potty on the mats. It's a shame that I didn't hear that announcement.
Travelers continued to express excitement at being able to participate in the events leading up to the eclipse, but for many in Dallas, it's just another day, or even just another day, as tourists from all over the world flock to the area. It's just something that happens on the street. The city attracts 25.7 million visitors each year.
Some locals admitted they didn't even know the eclipse was happening when they set up weekly outdoor booths to sell homemade gifts to visitors to the Lone Star State, but others residents said the hype was “just ridiculous”.
The solar eclipse spans 115 miles from Maine to Texas, and a total solar eclipse (the time the moon is in front of the sun) lasts about four minutes, making Dallas one of the most popular cities for stargazers to visit. be.
Texans sat at booths stocked with homemade crafts while others sipped drinks at the bar at the Anna Sip and Shop event held Saturday to celebrate the upcoming solar eclipse. It wasn't anything, it was just another day.
“I wasn't really expecting much,” Rhiannon, who had a booth at the event, told DailyMail.com when asked what she thought about the influx of tourists into the Dallas area.
Rhiannon and her husband George were selling crocheted scarves and homemade soy candles.
“I didn't think there would be more traffic until I heard all the news and local Facebook pages and things like, oh, there's going to be more people because of the eclipse,” she said. .
“To be honest, I didn't even know what was going on until I saw it on Facebook.”
“It's no big deal to us,” Rhiannon said, adding: “I know a lot of people are like, 'Oh my God, it's over!'” But it's the stupidest thing on earth.
“I think it's just nature doing its thing and science doing it itself.”
Although some local residents are not too impressed by the eclipse, Dr. Solange Ramirez, an astronomer at California's Carnegie Scientific Observatory, believes Dallas will not see such an event in the next 200 years. He said this was the only time this year.
Ramirez said this is his first time seeing a solar eclipse, and he was asked to partner with the Perot Museum to speak at events around Dallas about what people can expect.
He said the moon will begin passing in front of the sun at 12:20 p.m. PST, and it will take a little more than an hour for it to fully reach its peak.
Total solar occurs when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun, temporarily darkening the outdoors during the day.
At 1:40 p.m. CT, the so-called diamond ring effect, in which only a white outline is visible around the moon's edge, will last for 3 minutes and 52 seconds.
Ramirez said viewers can safely remove their eclipse glasses during the moment of totality, but must put them back on once the moon begins to expose the sun again.
Universities and schools are preparing for the eclipse and closing early to allow students to view this once-in-a-lifetime event.
Chris Lindstedt spoke about the cancellation of classes at the University of Texas at Dallas and the opportunity for students to view the solar eclipse.
“I've been surprised by the number of people who say they have family or friends who have flown in so far,” Lindstead said.
“I mean, it's a big deal, but I never thought I'd want to fly out here just for that. But they picked a great place to come, so it's very exciting.”
An estimated 400,000 people are flying to Dallas to watch the eclipse, and about 90% of hotels in the area are expected to be full.
Edgar, a full-time Lyft driver who immigrated to the United States from Mexico City eight years ago, is only thinking about his wife and two children back home as he heads into Monday's eclipse. .
Although he still has relatives on his mother's side in Texas, he will likely be alone during the eclipse, ferrying tourists to and from the Dallas-Fort Worth airport.
The uproar expected to rock the city likely won't affect people living in suburbs like Melissa and Plano, with locals saying they'll just watch the event from the comfort of their homes. .
Some locals are looking forward to tourists coming to Dallas, including 9-year-old Tucker Tsirigos.
“People can see it from their backyards or lawn chairs by the roadside…and the weather is so nice!” he said, adding, “People should visit!”
