This Lawrence professor is excited to see the eclipse. Here's how she's observing it, and why

APPLETON — With the total solar eclipse coming April 8, eclipse fever is gripping the country: millions of people will likely travel to the path of totality and brands are offering all kinds of eclipse-themed deals.

But for Lawrence University associate professor of physics Megan Pickett, the 2024 solar eclipse has "been on my calendar for almost 40 years," she said.

Pickett's entire career has been defined by her love for the night sky. Her academic research specialty is in the formation of celestial solar systems, and before joining the Lawrence faculty in 2006, she worked as a research associate for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

She's not just a junkie for all things celestial, however. She also loves sharing her appreciation for the night sky with other people. That's why she's traveling to Austin, Texas to watch and livestream the total solar eclipse Monday — and she's prepared to go further if necessary.

For Pickett, eclipse is 'transcendent' experience worth chasing down

During the last eclipse in 2017, Pickett said she went to St. Louis to observe it. She described "bumper-to-bumper traffic" for five hours while getting to the city.

But for Pickett, seeing the eclipse for herself was worth the wait.

During totality, when the moon completely darkens the sun, "it's not quite as dark as night, but it's noticeable that something is pretty weird," Pickett said.

"Ducks will land in the water because they think it's nighttime," she said. She also heard evening birdsong and crickets chirping. And, as the shadow of the eclipse passed, she said she felt a cold wind passing with it, along with substantially dropping temperatures.

"At the moment of totality, the sun goes dark and you can see the outer atmosphere, planets, brighter stars. Right outside the horizon, you see a reddish glow and a pearly iridescence."

"Everyone just gets quiet and there's this moment of transcendent joy," she added. "It moved me to tears."

She suspects that on Monday, she'll be moved in the same way again.

"Anybody who can go (to the path of totality) ought to go," she said. However, she said that, if at all possible, people should expect to drive down Sunday night at the latest and stay in a campground, as most hotels along the path of totality are likely booked.

And, if the weather doesn't cooperate where you are, she said "you need to be prepared to drive" either northeast or southwest along the path of totality to see the eclipse.

Monday's eclipse will be notable for more solar activity, 'devil comet'

What will make Monday's eclipse particularly special, Pickett said, isn't just its location, where about 30 million Americans will be able to watch the total eclipse from their backyards. The eclipse also coincides with increased solar activity and what's known as the "devil comet."

The sun becomes "super active" every 11 years, Pickett said, contributing to more northern lights sightings and solar flares. Right now, the sun is near peak in its current solar cycle. That means during the total solar eclipse, observers might be able to see more "streamers" erupting from the sun as the moon passes in front.

Also during totality, viewers will also be able to see Jupiter to the east and Saturn to the west, Pickett said, along with Comet Pons-Brooks, called the "devil comet" for its violent activity, close to Jupiter.

Because of all these factors, Pickett calls this eclipse a "close to a once-in-a-lifetime event." The next time a solar eclipse will affect the contiguous United States is in 2044, and "it won't be as easy to get to," she said.

Partial eclipse in Appleton will peak at 2:08 p.m. April 8 — if the weather cooperates

While Appleton is outside the path of totality and Monday's weather might interfere, you might still be able to watch a partial eclipse here in the Fox Valley. Pickett says here, the eclipse will peak with the sun 85% covered at about 2:08 p.m.

If you plan to look at the sun during the partial eclipse, NASA says there's no time when it's safe to look at the sun with the naked eye.

Pickett recommends putting special filters on both your eyes and any devices you use to record the partial eclipse, such as cell phones. Sunglasses won't cut it, either; you have to get special eclipse glasses and filters to protect yourself and your devices. Otherwise, the sun's rays can damage your eyes and cell phone cameras "very quickly," she said.

And as for the partial eclipse itself, Pickett said it won't be quite as dramatic here, due to the way our eyes work: "We're not good at telling the difference between twice as bright and half as bright."

"What will happen if you stay outside in Appleton is that the sun will slowly get covered up, but our eyes will dilate at the same rate," she said. In order to better notice how the moon is darkening the sun, she added, she recommends only periodically going outside every 20 minutes or so.

During the partial eclipse, Pickett said something odd will happen if you look at the ground near any trees. "Holes in leaves and the holes between leaves are like a pinhole camera ... You'll notice crescents instead of the circles. Making a hole with finger and thumb will accomplish the same thing."

But if you want to see the total eclipse for yourself and you can't go to the path of totality, Pickett will livestream the eclipse on Youtube on her personal channel. Youtube will also host NASA's official livestream of the eclipse.

More: Plenty of fake solar eclipse glasses abound. Here's what to know about them before April 8

More: How long will the solar eclipse darkness last in your city? Explore these interactive maps.

Rebecca Loroff is a K-12 education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @RebeccaLoroff.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Wisconsin professor to livestream eclipse from Texas, talks reason why