Bill Nye Says All Families Should Watch the ‘Spectacular’ Total Solar Eclipse

What parents need to know about the phenomenon on April 8, 2024, especially how kids and adults can safely watch.

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

Schools across the country are adjusting schedules, including letting kids out early or delaying dismissal, on April 8, 2024. Some are even closing. Why? There are safety concerns as a rare total solar eclipse will be visible across North America.

But Bill Nye, the beloved science guy, stresses that kids of all ages should get out there and experience the wondrous event—with eclipse glasses, of course. This will be their last chance to see one until 2044.

“Total solar eclipses happen every year and a half or so on Earth; almost all of the time, they're in the middle of the ocean because most of the Earth is covered with water,” he says. “What makes this one special is it’s going right across North America where 40 million people or more live that can get in the path of the eclipse and experience totality. That is worthy and wonderful.”

Nye, the CEO of the Planetary Society, will view the solar eclipse along with the independent space interest group in Fredericksburg, Texas, a location on the path of totality—or where a full eclipse can be easily seen. “It's very likely that it will be a clear sky; there won't be clouds,” says Nye of their viewing location.

Even if you aren’t one of the more than 40 million people in the path of totality, Nye says, “most of North America will get a little bit of the eclipse.”

Safety concerns are understandable for both kids and adults since eye damage, including temporarily impaired vision and permanent blindness, can occur from staring at the sun without protection. But a pair of eclipse glasses can allow families to witness the special moment safely.

Here’s everything families need to know about the total solar eclipse 2024 and how to watch it safely.

What Is a Total Solar Eclipse, Anyway?

Put simply, solar eclipses happen when the sun, moon, and Earth line up. The moon passes between the sun and the Earth and it can fully or partially block the sun.

“This only happens occasionally, because the Moon doesn't orbit in the exact same plane as the Sun and Earth do,” explains The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on its website. “The time when they are aligned is known as eclipse season, which happens twice a year.”

There are different types of solar eclipses, but during a total solar eclipse, the sun gets completely blocked. When this happens, the sky gets dark and the day will turn to twilight for a few minutes.

You may be able to feel it, too. “The air gets cool very quickly because there's no sunlight,” says Nye. "So wind stirs up—the cold air pushes the warm air adjacent to the path of totality and you get a breeze for those four minutes, 28 seconds, or three minutes, 18 seconds, depending where you are."

You may even witness some animals acting differently. During the 2017 total solar eclipse, scientists in South Carolina observed 17 mammals and found about 75% of them began engaging in their nighttime or evening behaviors.

What Time Will the Solar Eclipse Be On April 8, 2024?

Mexico’s Pacific coast will be the first area in North America to experience totality around 2:07 p.m. EST, according to NASA.

From there, the next place to experience the total eclipse will be Texas. That's followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, as well as small parts of Michigan and Tennessee.

The next stop is Canada before it leaves North America at 3:46 p.m. EST.

A map that shows you the eclipse’s path is available on the Planetary Society’s website. You can plug in your zip code to get information on how far you are from totality, as well as the time the partial eclipse begins and its duration. It also tells you the percentage of coverage you will witness in that area.

How To Get Eclipse Glasses

Whether you are on the path of totality or not, Nye encourages families to get out there!

“If you can't get into totality, still, I recommend everybody get the glasses and watch,” he says. “You'll see a partial eclipse; you'll see the moon partially blocking the sun."

Safe eclipse glasses are made of black polymer and are about 100,000 times darker than regular sunglasses, according to the Planetary Society. They block most of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared (IR) light.

But fake and counterfeit glasses are making their way into the hands of consumers, warns the American Astronomical Society (AAS). It’s very hard to tell a fake or counterfeit product, so the AAS recommends buying from its confirmed list of vetted vendors. These range in price but, on the cheaper end, you can find ones for a few dollars, including for a set of two from the Planetary Society. Many local libraries are also distributing eclipse glasses for free.

Remember, sunglasses, telescopes, or any other method that is rumored to work, are not safe methods to view the eclipse.

The only time it’s safe to look at the eclipse without glasses is during the brief period of totality or when you can’t see any part of the sun. But if you don’t have an expert around to guide you, it’s best to keep them on throughout the entire eclipse. It’s over once none of the sun is covered by the moon.

What Is Special About the 2024 Solar Eclipse?

Not only will this be the the last visible solar eclipse for more than two decades, but planets including Jupiter and Mars will be visible, as well as stars, for a few minutes. The solar eclipse all brings attention to science in a big way.

"This eclipse is a scientific triumph," says Nye. "That we can predict the path of totality with this extraordinary accuracy is wonderful, worthy of respect."

Nye emphasizes the solar eclipse is also a great learning experience for kids of all ages, and their parents too. 

“It's our place in space," he says. "It's navigation on the trackless ocean, it's understanding the motion of planets, it's leap years and calendars, it's astronomy, it's biology, it's meteorology—it’s all that."

As Nye sums it up: "It's spectacular."

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