On April 8th, do look up (with the right glasses)

Mar. 30—Witnessing a total solar eclipse is a "truly life-changing experience," according to John Gianforte.

Gianforte knows. The director of the University of New Hampshire Observatory, Gianforte has witnessed solar eclipses from such vantage points as Texas, Mexico and Peru.

New Hampshire residents won't have to travel that far for the experience. On Monday, April 8, the northernmost communities in the state will fall in the path of totality, where the moon's shadow fully blocks out the sun.

"Everyone, whether you like science, you are interested in science or you hate science, you should watch a total solar eclipse at least once in your life," Gianforte said. "I think they're the most emotion-evoking celestial event that you can see."

Only communities from Lancaster and Milan north will experience totality, and then only for a few precious moments. But events are planned statewide to celebrate the eclipse.

NASA estimates that 31.6 million people live in the path of totality, and an additional 150 million people live within 200 miles of that path.

A partial solar eclipse — which most of New Hampshire will experience on April 8 — is fun and "beautiful to watch," Gianforte said.

But he said, "You won't see the really interesting things that make a total solar eclipse devastatingly beautiful."

Effects such as "shadow bands" that ripple across the landscape just before totality, solar prominences, Bailey's Beads and the diamond ring effect are unique to totality, Gianforte said. It creates a feeling of "euphoria," he said.

"There are things that you'll want to pinch yourself: Is this a dream or is this real? It's that kind of event," he said.

Big deal, big traffic jam

Gianforte, who also is an extension associate professor at UNH, serves on a statewide committee that's getting ready for the eclipse on April 8. They're trying to learn from other states that have experienced an onslaught of tourists for past events like this, he said.

Gianforte watched the 2017 eclipse from Sweetwater, Tennessee, and has amazing photographs to prove it. What happened after, however, was less inspiring.

"It took me 24 hours to get home," he said. "It was bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to New Jersey. I couldn't even find a rest station where there was a parking lot for us to just pull over and get a 30- or 45-minute nap."

It's unknown just how many people will get in their cars and drive to northern New Hampshire in a week. But Gianforte has some advice for folks here who do plan to head north.

"Definitely don't wait 'til Monday to get where you think you want to go," he said. "Try to get there on Saturday afternoon or at least Sunday. You don't want to make a three- or four-hour trip on Monday.

"A lot of people are going to try, and be frustrated, and we don't want that," he said.

Amanda Leith, education coordinator at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, said the solar eclipse is "very much a big deal for us here in New Hampshire."

In Concord, viewers will experience about 96% totality. "That's going to look almost like we're at dusk," Leith said. "But we'll still see that sliver crescent of the sun visible to us."

In the path of totality, in Lancaster and points north, the effect will be more dramatic, she said.

"Right over the top of you, it will be almost like night," Leith said. "You'll see stars, and hopefully a couple of planets — Venus, Jupiter and Saturn — as well."

Animals often react to a total eclipse as if night has fallen, Leith said. "Some animals will get a lot quieter and others will get a lot louder," she said. "We will hear more crickets during totality than we would during a regular day."

During that very brief period of totality — and ONLY for that minute or so — it's safe to remove your eclipse glasses and look up for a rare glimpse of the sun's corona. Anywhere else in the state, Leith said, "They'll have to stay on the whole time."

A celestial spectacle

Throughout human history, solar eclipses have inspired imagination and myth, as people tried to make sense of the sun's sudden disappearance, Leith said. "A lot of times they thought the sun was being eaten by something," she said. "People thought that it was the end of days."

In many cultures, people tried to reignite the sun by shooting flaming arrows, or banging pots and pans to scare away whatever was devouring the sun.

From their point of view, it worked: The sun would reappear. So that "really reinforced those ideas," Leith said

Modern humans understand the science behind what they're seeing, UNH's Gianforte said. "We can predict these things hundreds of years into the future, so we're not afraid of them anymore."

But we humans remain fascinated by this celestial spectacle.

"The rarity of a solar eclipse in any one location on Earth is what makes them special," Gianforte said. "And what makes people look forward to them when they happen."

Solar eclipses aren't necessarily rare, he said. "But a solar eclipse at your house, those are very rare."

"You'd have to wait between 360 and 375 years in any one place on earth to see a solar eclipse, but if you expand your horizons a little bit and logistically challenge yourself to get someplace to see a total solar eclipse, I think you'll consider it well worth your effort.

"It's something you won't forget," he said.

The last total solar eclipse happened on Aug. 21, 2017, with states experiencing totality in an arc from Oregon to South Carolina. The next is coming in 2045, but that one will again pass through the center of the United States, not the Northeast.

The next total eclipse folks in New Hampshire will encounter is in 2079. "So this is one of the best opportunities for people to see it without traveling really far distances," Leith said.

Eclipse events

The McAuliffe-Shepard center, named for two New Hampshire space explorers, will be open on April 8 from noon until 5 p.m. Indoor and outdoor activities are planned for all ages, including instructions and materials to make pinhole cameras to view the eclipse.

In Concord, the eclipse begins at 2:15 p.m., with maximum coverage at 3:29 p.m. It will all be over at 4:38 p.m.

A solar eclipse offers a rare moment to stop and take a moment to appreciate the wonders of the universe, Leith said. She recommends attending a community event, or gathering with friends or co-workers to watch. "Just getting out and having this shared experience with others, it is the most wonderful thing you could see," she said.

But make sure you get eclipse glasses, which protect your eyes and allow you to look at the sun, ahead of time. They are becoming scarce as the big event nears.

This will be Leith's first total solar eclipse. "I can't wait," she said.

UNH is planning a family-friendly community eclipse event on Wednesday, April 3, at 6 p.m. in DeMerritt Hall, the physics and astronomy building on campus. Experts will provide short talks about the science behind the eclipse, and how to view it safely.

The day of the eclipse, UNH will have a eclipse-watch event for students, staff and faculty only, from 2 to 4 p.m. Large TV monitors will be placed in buildings around campus, with a livestream of NASA's coverage of the eclipse.

Gianforte won't be at the UNH celebration. He's heading to central Texas with a group of about 20 people to watch the eclipse there.

Gianforte's advice for the big day: "Make sure you have extra snacks, extra blankets, extra water in your car in case you get stuck somewhere you don't expect."

Make sure to fill up your gas tank, he said. If you can, it's best to wait until Tuesday to head back home.

Finally, Gianforte said, pack your patience. "Be kind to one another, that's my advice," he said.

More information

—starhop.com/countdowntoeclipse

—science.nasa.gov/eclipses

—visitnh.gov/solareclipse/eclipse-events

swickham@unionleader.com