Did You Know 2024 April 8 is . . .
Ninety-ninth day of year rather than 98th since 2024 a leap year.
Date of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship Game.
Anniversary of 2005 Hybrid (Annular-Total) Solar Eclipse (mostly Pacific Ocean).
We were there on m/s Paul Gauguin for 32 seconds totality (1,400 mi. ESE of Tahiti)
& almost clouded out but ship maneuvered* to save us! (See Video — Venus on right.)
The 2024 April 8 eclipse is the 30th member out of 71 eclipses belonging to Saros Cycle 139, which includes Member 39 (2186 July 16) with the longest duration of totality (7m29s) for the ten millennia from 3999 BCE to 6000 CE. (Longest predicted possible duration is 7m32s.)
The 2024 April 8 eclipse is the first total solar eclipse for Maine since 1963 July 20 (or more than 61 years ago).
National "All is Ours Day" — for appreciation of everything we have
(including reflection on all of nature's beauty — also eclipses!)
Birth of American astronomer David Rittenhouse (1732 April 8).
- First American to sight Uranus.
- Discovered atmosphere of Venus.
- Observed Transit of Venus (1769); calculated Sun 93 million mi. from Earth.
- Completed an advanced orrery; preserved at Univ. Pennsylvania.
- Completed survey of Mason–Dixon line.
- And much more.
Near solar max. as predicted by new research (year earlier than expected).
As of 2023 April 8, sunspots have appeared every day in 2023.
(Current cycle now more active than during same phase of last cycle.)
Nine days after Easter Sunday (March 31, 2nd cruise day and our Cocktail Party).
*Will also be an advantage for those on our 2024 Eclipse Cruise!
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