March 6, 2023- Butch Burney met on the Hopkins County Courthouse steps today to discuss the upcoming eclipse set in April of 2024. Burney talked about a couple from Seattle, Washington who visited the Chamber Of Commerce, the couple wanted to come down to ask about a place to stay during the week of the eclipse.
Burney discussed that the possible amount of visiters from all over could double the total population of Hopkins County. Astronomy Magazine has placed Sulphur Springs as the 8th best place to watch the celestial event in America. Burney discussed that people from all across the world will be coming to visit our little town to watch this event.
Butch Burney also discussed a plan to host a 4 day festival starting April 5th 2024 and culminating on the day of the eclipse. The festival will include games, movies, concerts, educational talks and more, planned all by business’s and individual organizations.
SSTotalEclipse.com will have all the information on the 2024 eclipse and the events that will be available during the festival. Members of the community can contact the Chamber Of Commerce through the website as well.
Burney has also discussed encouraging the closing of schools on that Monday of the event to avoid the traffic that will certainly come before and after the eclipse.
There are currently 300 hotel rooms within Sulphur Springs, along with several RV parks. Burney asks that all members of the community to open their doors and to help rent out any spare rooms to any visitors to help with the lack of accommodations. Listings of accommodations will be listed on the SStotaleclipse website as well.
Signature Solar has committed to purchasing 50,000 special eclipse glasses to be distributed in ways that will be announced at a later date. These will be vital for those wanting to view the eclipse without damaging their eyes.
Below is a map of the path of the 2024 eclipse as it crosses North America, the yellow line representing the path of the total eclipse. The middle of the yellow path will have a longer period of totality and as Sulphur Springs is on that middle line, the total time of the eclipse will be 4 mins, 21 seconds.
Total solar eclipse visible (100.00% coverage of sun)
- Duration: 2 hours, 39 minutes, 16 seconds
- Duration of totality: 4 minutes, 21 seconds
- Partial Begins: Apr 8, 2024 at 12:25:42 pm
- Full begins: Apr 8, 2024 at 1:42:58 pm
- Maximum: Apr 8, 2024 at 1:45:09 pm
- Full ends: Apr 8, 2024 at 1:47:19 pm
- Partial ends: Apr 8, 2024 at 3:04:58 pm
