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Eclipse Planning Workshop with AAS

April 9, 10 - 10am PT - 2pm PT

American Astronomical Society (AAS) Solar Eclipse Planning Workshop: T − 3 Years

In August 2017 the continental US experienced its first total solar eclipse (TSE) in a generation. On 8 April 2024, now just three years away, the US will have a second TSE, preceded by an annular (“ring”) solar eclipse (ASE) on 14 October 2023. The AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force ran a series of workshops to prepare the nation for the 2017 TSE. These were instrumental in helping communities in the path of totality manage an influx of visitors; in developing and disseminating appropriate eye-safety information nationwide; and in coordinating the efforts of numerous scientific, educational, governmental, and other organizations to avoid unnecessary overlap.

Looking ahead to 2023-24, the AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force organized the first in a new series of annual planning workshops at the 234th AAS meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, in June 2019. Plans for a 2020 workshop were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we intend to resume annual in-person workshops in 2022, we don't want to wait till then to get the eclipse-planning community back together. As the countdown reaches T (totality) minus 3 years, we will hold a virtual workshop on Friday-Saturday, 9-10 April 2021. We welcome eclipse enthusiasts, community leaders, and other stakeholders from both inside and outside the paths of annularity (2023) and/or totality (2024) from the US, Mexico, and Canada. The path of annularity in October 2023 goes not only through the US, but also through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. The path of totality in April 2024 goes through Mexico and Canada as well as the US. As in 2017, nearly all of North America will experience at least a deep partial eclipse during both events.

This workshop will feature talks and panel discussions on issues related to eye safety, local community planning, and state/regional/national planning. Attendees are anticipated to include professional and amateur astronomers; formal and informal educators; representatives of tourism bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, and the hospitality industry; officials from departments of transportation, state- and national-level parks and forests, law-enforcement agencies, and emergency-management organizations; and others involved (or wanting to become involved) in preparing their communities for the upcoming North American solar eclipses.

The workshop will be held via Zoom on Friday and Saturday, 9 and 10 April 2021, from 1 pm to 5 pm Eastern time (10 am to 2 pm Pacific time) both days. Advance registration is required; the fee is $20.

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