Today, a total solar eclipse dubbed the “Great North American Eclipse” will occur beginning at the Pacific Coast, then ascending in a northeastern direction through Mexico, the United States, and Canada, before ending in the Atlantic Ocean. Two-thirds of the state of Arkansas will experience 100% totality, potentially bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the state.
Pine Bluff will experience 99.081% obscuration, which will begin at 12:33:08 p.m., and the maximum amount of the sun’s disk will be covered at 1:52:37 p.m., lasting a total of 2 hours 38 minutes and 20.9 seconds.
The Heart and SoulAr Eclipse Festival, a weekend festival in Pine Bluff on April 5-8 coinciding with the solar eclipse, was planned to assist in welcoming and entertaining eclipse visitors and locals. The Heart and SoulAr Eclipse Festival included a variety of events to meet the tastes of the sole traveler, local folks and the entire family.
Today, the day everyone has been waiting for, will culminate with two Eclipse Viewing Parties — one at Saracen Landing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and one at the Pine Bluff Main Library from noon to 3 p.m.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Here are some tips from GreatAmericanEclipse.com to help prepare and make the most of the spectacular solar eclipse:
Get your eclipse glasses. (Free ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses have been available at Explore Pine Bluff, 623 S. Main Street, while supplies last.)
Learn the simple methods to safely view a solar eclipse. Visit eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety for detailed instructions.
Visit www.explorepinebluff.com for visitor information.
Get to your destination early and try to spend the night at or near your viewing location after you view the eclipse. Expect the highways and freeways to be extra-busy in the aftermath of totality.
Be self-sufficient. Fill up your gas tank and bring food and water.
Check the local TV weather reports.
Unless you are an experienced photographer, do NOT attempt photography during the eclipse.
This article is from ExplorePineBluff.com, a program of the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission. Sources: www.explorepinebluff.com — Arkansas’s Great North American Eclipse 2024; www.greatamericaneclipse.com. Image Credit: www.nationaleclipse.com.
Ninfa O. Barnard wrote this article for ExplorePineBluff.com.