A Wisconsin resident has shared how a discovery in his basement has set him up for this week's solar eclipse: a bag filled with essentials for viewing the rare celestial event.
The upcoming solar eclipse, which will cast a shadow over several states in the early afternoon of April 8, 2024, is the first total solar eclipse across the U.S. since 2017.
The path of totality will start in Mexico and extend across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading over the North Atlantic. The eclipse is made even more special by the fact that it will be the last of its kind visible from the U.S. until 2044.
After viewing the eclipse the last time it was visible in the U.S., Phil from Wisconsin, who didn't want to share his surname when he spoke to Newsweek, dutifully put away the eclipse sunglasses and binoculars that he'd purchased as a promotional package in anticipation of the 2017 event.
Disappointed by cloudy skies that obscured the spectacle that year, Phil made a decision to save the items for the next opportunity, inscribing a note that read: "Save for the 2024 eclipse."
"After the non-event in 2017, I stashed away these items, thinking it would be a long wait until the next eclipse. Little did I know that time would fly by, and I would stumble upon them again just in time for the 2024 event," Phil told Newsweek.
Phil shared the find on Reddit's r/FoundPaper subreddit where it caught attention from the internet.
"You are lucky, would be super annoying to find it in 2025," said one commenter.
Another said: "I hear you. I found some 2017 glasses that I didn't remember I had, plus a pack of newer ones that I ordered a few years ago to be ready for this month. Just glad I found them because I'm assuming availability is getting limited as the big event gets closer."
Tools for viewing a solar eclipse are essential as looking directly at the sun, even during a solar eclipse, can cause permanent eye damage.
Viewers should use eclipse glasses that are certified to meet the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. But older glasses used to have expiration dates, often around 3 years, due to the materials degrading over time.
If, like Phil, you have some eclipse viewing equipment from seven years ago, or even earlier, it is a good idea to check they are still safe for use.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
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