There's a reason why the path of totality is called what it is. Mistakes will be made by many would-be eclipse-chasers on April 8, 2024.
"There is no such thing as a 99% total solar eclipse," Dr. Rick Feinberg, Project Manager, AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force at the American Astronomical Society, said in a press briefing."Just like there's no such thing as being 99% pregnant — it's all or nothing." The difference between a 99% partial solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse is, as the saying among eclipse chasers goes, night and day — literally."Until you get to about 75% eclipse, you might not notice because your pupils can dilate," Feinberg said. In fact, even just five minutes before totality it will only be as dark or bright as an overcast day.
The edge is not normally visited. Some eclipse-chasers go there on purpose to see extended views of Baily's beads — when beads of sunlight shine between mountains and features on the moon — and a longer view of the chromosphere, the second layer of the