Total Solar Eclipse Festivities Across North America Precede Global Yuri’s Night Celebrations

A week of astronomical and astronautical merriment awaits revelers at a slew of events celebrating the coming total solar eclipse and commemorating humankind’s first foray into space. 5 multi-day viewing parties are planned: Texas Eclipse Festival (April 5-9), KerrClipse Music Festival (April 5-9), Cosmic Eclipse Experience (April 6-9), ROC The Eclipse (April 6-8), and Eclipse-O-Rama (April 7-9). The 4 minute and 28 second totality path of the April 8 eclipse will begin ~370 km north of the Marquesas Islands, make landfall off the Pacific coast of Mexico at 16:38 UTC, crossing population centers in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. The corona visible during this eclipse is expected to be especially prominent given increased magnetic field activity, coinciding with the peak of the 11-year solar cycle. NASA will launch 3 Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) sounding rockets from Wallops Flight Facility for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-led study of ionosphere during the eclipse. Studies will also be conducted via high altitude balloon, jet plane, and ham radio. From April 1 – May 11, first human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin will be celebrated around the world: at 30 events in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia / New Zealand, and South America. Yuri’s Night: LA on April 8 at the California Science Center will feature NASA Astronaut Jessica Watkins, actress Tawny Newsome, DJ Doorly, game designer Gray Bright, aeronautical engineer Chris Boshuizen, and Inspiration4 commercial astronaut Sian Proctor. (Image Credits: NASA / Berit Bland, Yuri’s Night)

MONDAY 

☆ Apr 8 — International Space Station, ~415-km LEO: Newly commenced Expedition 71 seven-member crew planning first EVAs in next two months, working with new experiments for fluid studies, sea and ice measurements, photosynthesis.

☆ Apr 8 — Tiangong Space Station, ~390-km LEO: Shenzhou 17 three-member crew transferring cargo from Tianzhou-7 while exercising and preparing for return to Earth near end of month.

☾ = Moon activity

★ = Space and… ☆ = International space / astro events in Hawaii Standard Time unless noted. Add 10 hours to obtain UT (‘Universal Time’).

Space Foundation 39th Space Symposium Expects >10,000 Participants

The 39th Space Foundation Space Symposium will occur again this year in Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor under theme Accelerating Momentum and Unity. It will bring together representatives from the global space community including space agencies, NewSpace commercial enterprise, R&D, academia, national security educational institutions, and media. Some of the speakers include H.E. Ibrahim Al Qasim (UAE Space Agency Deputy Director General), Grant Anderson (Paragon Space President CEO), Lisa Campbell (Canadian Space Agency President), Pascale Ehrenfreund (COSPAR President), and Aarti Holla-Maini (UNOOSA Director). An International Teacher Liaison Breakfast will have Astronaut Barbara Morgan “The First Teacher in Space” as the main speaker, and a second Breakfast has Ad Astra Rocket Company CEO Franklin Chang Díaz. There will also be a Women’s Global Gathering Luncheon, and an Astronaut Reunion Breakfast. One of the late breaking news symposiums will feature Jack Fischer of Intuitive Machines and IBX CEO Kam Ghaffarian. The Northrop Grumman Exhibit Center will have 310 exhibitors including FireFly Aerospace, ispace (USA), Goonhilly Earth Station, International Space University, SatNews Publishers, Rocket Lab, and Swedish Space Corp. The Space Generation Fusion Forum on April 5-8 will feature expert panels, lightning talks and breakout sessions. Also in conjunction with the Space Symposium, the USA branch of ispace is holding a 2-hour Lunar Soirée on April 9. (Image Credits: SF, SGAC)

☆ Apr 8 — Total Solar Eclipse: A total eclipse of the Sun will cross North America; first location in continental North America is Mexico Pacific coast ~11:07 PDT, eclipse will exit continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada ~17:16 NDT; next total solar eclipse seen from contiguous USA will be Aug 23, 2044.

● Apr 8-11 — Space Foundation, Colorado Springs CO: 39th Space Symposium.

● Apr 8-12 — University of Rochester, Rochester NY: Planetary Impact Workshop; limited to 45-60 attendees.

☾ Apr 8 — Moon: New Moon, 08:22; 1.97° SE of Mercury, 18:00.

TUESDAY