Bloomington, Indiana – For a total solar eclipse that will occur more than a year from now, hotels in Bloomington have already sold out. On April 8, 2024, the phenomena will be best viewed in the city, which is predicted to lure a lot of tourists to Bloomington.
There are no rooms available at any hotels, including the Graduate Bloomington, Travel Lodge by Windham, and the Biddle Hotel at IU. April 5-9.
BPD Capt. Ryan Pedigo stated that the department has started talking about how to manage the huge number of visitors coming to Bloomington for this event and the safety measures they would be taking during the eclipse, but he did not provide any further details.
The path of the eclipse will start in Mexico and pass right across central Indiana, according to the ECLIPSE IU website. The estimated route of the eclipse will pass over Bloomington and IU, allowing locals to view the total solar eclipse. The solar eclipse is predicted to start at 3:04 p.m. and last for four minutes and two seconds.
When the moon passes exactly in front of the sun and temporarily blocks out the sun’s light, a total solar eclipse occurs. Although it doesn’t always appear in the same place, the phenomenon happens about once every 18 months.
According to the ECLIPSE IU website, IU and Bloomington will participate in events that include live performances, art, poetry, special guests, and trivia contests. In the upcoming months, more information about these celebrations will be made public.
Communities in Indiana near the path of the 2017 partial solar eclipse experienced a threefold increase in population due to the event, according to Catherine Pilachowski, an astronomy professor at IU. According to Pilachowski, this puts pressure on government resources like disaster management, food services, public safety, and communications.
“The eclipse in August of 2017 was only partial here in Bloomington,” Pilachowski said. “This is a total eclipse; it will be like multiple football games at once.”
Pilachowski is a member of a team assembled by Bloomington and IU officials to prepare Bloomington for the eclipse. She said the group collaborates with a number of university departments, such as the astronomy and optometry departments, as well as city representatives who deal with community concerns. The team is working to arrange special events and guarantee that Bloomington will have the necessary public services on the day of the eclipse.
Around four minutes will pass during the eclipse, according to Pilachowski, but an hour prior to the eclipse, the moon will start to cross in front of the sun. After totality, the moon won’t totally clear the sun’s path for another hour, according to her.
