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CNN Live Event/Special

Total Solar Eclipse Crossing Over North America; Partial Eclipse Begins In Mazatlan, Mexico. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired April 08, 2024 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:34:17]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to CNN special live coverage of the Eclipse Across America. And you are looking right now at the very first images we are going to get of a partial eclipse in Mazatlan, Mexico. This is roughly about 17 minutes away. That's what it's going to look like behind that cloud cover. Once the moon starts getting right in front of the sun, we'll, of course, bring that to you live as it happens.

Brianna Keilar and I are here live at the Indianapolis motor speedway, where some 40,000 stargazers are gathering to watch today's celestial event. We're not just moments away from the first signs of the eclipse appearing over North America. Of course, a moment that has been anticipated for a very long time.

The last total solar eclipse we got in the United States was back in 2017. The next one after this is going to be some 20 plus years from now.

[12:35:06]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: That's exactly right. And, frankly, it's not going to be as good as this one.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: We just have to be clear. It's only going to get to be a little part of the U.S. There will be another one the year after that. But we're looking at decades before we see something like this. And just because of how close the moon is right now, we're really talking about a total eclipse of the best kind.

And right now, we can take a look at the total eclipse festival, which is underway at NASA Village in Cleveland. Huge crowds are expected for this rare celestial show.

SANCHEZ: Let's go to CNN's Miguel Marquez who's there for us. Miguel, take us through the festivities.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is -- look, Cleveland rocks on a normal day, it's totally rocking today. And the sun, look, we had some rain and some clouds this morning. People peeking out their curtains a little nervous. It is a spectacular day right now.

They're expecting tens of thousands of people here at the Great Lakes Science Center. The last time Cleveland had a total of Eclipse 1806. The next time, 2444. So you got to wait 420 years. 3:13 p.m., that's where the sun will be just up in that beautiful blue sky. I see a few clouds coming, but we're hoping that they will stay away.

We spoke to a NASA astrophysicist. This is also home to the Glenn Research Center, the only NASA facility that's on the path of totality. We spoke to a NASA astrophysicist who will tell us what we'll see when we see the total eclipse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. JOSHUA PEPPER, NASA ASTROPHYSICIST: So when the moon fully goes in front of the sun and you can take off your eclipse glasses, you're going to see the edges of the outer layers of the sun called the corona. So these are streams of incredibly hot gas streaming outwards from the sun, and they're pushing those particles away from the sun, turning into the solar wind, which streams throughout the solar system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: What it will do is put the universe in perspective for us and make us feel like we are part of something, a very small part of something that is much, much bigger. I've covered a couple of eclipses, seen a couple of eclipses. This is the first total eclipse that I have seen, but it is going to be amazing.

Look at all the people gathered out here, all the cameras, all the gear that they're already breaking out out here. They expect 30,000 people here alone. They have several events all around the city, the rock and roll hall of fame next door.

They're going to DJ the eclipse with speakers all over town. And at the moment of totality, the song "Eclipse" by Pink Floyd, of course, should be playing. Back to you guys.

KEILAR: Amazing.

SANCHEZ: Wow.

KEILAR: And Miguel, I heard that you might be getting a tattoo to commemorate this big day. Is that just a rumor the chorus started or is that a real thing?

MARQUEZ: There's a tattoo parlor that's doing specialized tattoos. There's a brewery that's doing specialized beers in town. So it's Eclipse Madness in Cleveland. And as soon as I get away from you guys, I'm going to go to that tattoo parlor, pound some beers and get a tattoo. But only if I can get both of your names, you know, somewhere interesting in my body. SANCHEZ: Yes. Yes, yes.

KEILAR: Just remember, if you do put our names on there, Miguel, Boris is the sun and I am the moon. We decided, so just, you know, work that in there. Not a problem.

MARQUEZ: All right.

SANCHEZ: I'm so pumped for this, especially when he's pounding beers.

MARQUEZ: I love that.

SANCHEZ: We'll get back to you in a few moments. Looking forward to that.

Miguel Marquez, thank you so much.

We want to give you a special look right now at the way that we're going to capture this solar eclipse. This is one of our sun cams and it is especially filtered with layers very much in the way that one of these special eclipse glasses would be in order to bring you an actual view that won't hurt your eyes as the eclipse is happening.

Again, we're looking at the first partial signs of eclipse over Mazatlan in Mexico, just over 10 minutes from now. So as we heard there from Miguel, Cleveland is going to have a great playlist for the eclipse, but Niagara Falls potentially could have one of the best views and the best surroundings in the country.

Let's get to CNN's Harry Enten who's there for us among a million people gathered there for the eclipse. Harry, I love that helmet, Harry. It suits you perfectly. I bet it's a Buffalo Bill's helmet, too.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes, of course, it's a Buffalo Bill's helmet. Look, Boris and Brianna, it's cold, it's cloudy, but after the break, I'm going go to take a poll that hopefully will up my spirits and bring me out of this dark cloud that I'm currently in.

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[12:44:13]

KEILAR: Vermont is actually going to have some of the best viewing conditions for today's eclipse. And that is especially true for those who are going to be watching from the top of a mountain, particularly Mount Mansfield, which is the state's highest peak.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Derek Van Dam is there for us. Derek, set that incredible scene for us.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. Boris and Brianna, there are few things in this life worthy of the hype, let's say maybe coffee, some good ice cream, the first season of "Game of Thrones" and a total solar eclipse. And we are at the perfect viewing location here in Stowe, Vermont. We are going to the top of that gondola once the partial eclipse begins and totality is this great celestial dance that will occur here at 3:26 in the afternoon. It is Mother Nature's finest hour, and we're here to witness it. And the conditions are perfect.

[12:45:07]

But I want to talk to you about why this is such a rare occurrence. And I've brought in my buddies. This is Grant, he's nine years old, and this is his brother Jack, he's 11 years old. They're from Connecticut, so they came all the way to Stowe to enjoy the snow and also a solar eclipse. Their first time, right, guys?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

VAN DAM: OK. So I want to talk about why these total solar eclipses don't occur that often. And what I've done -- I was on vacation last week, so this is all I had for a prop, so bear with me. This is representing the earth, but we are missing the moon. So I'm hoping, Grant, can you help me by making a moon for me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

VAN DAM: All right, we got to utilize what we have here in Stowe, Vermont, and that is the fresh 2 feet of snow that we got this week from a recent winter storm. I mean, look at that moon. It's perfect, more or less the size that it needs to represent.

But here's the deal. Now, the moon and the earth in space always cast a shadow, right? You could see it there on the ground. They're always casting that shadow. But we don't get the total solar eclipse that often because of the 5 degree tilt in the orbit of the moon around the earth, right? So it may be too high, casting the shadow above the earth, or it may be too low casting the shadow below the earth, but it's just when those perfect alignment occurs.

And the moon goes right in front of the sun, blocking its rays completely. And we get, well, let's see, the total solar eclipse. And this time it's going to race across North America at 1,500 miles per hour, and it's going to bring this -- that great celestial dance.

Now that is why it's so rare, but if we had that perfect orbit with the moon around the earth, eclipses would occur on a regular basis every couple of weeks or so. And we'd eat a cheeseburger and call it a regular Monday and move on with our lives. But because we get that alignment now, it is only every 375 years that this particular location will receive a solar eclipse.

All right, guys, I appreciate your time. Take this and throw it at my cameraman right there. All right, you guys are perfect. Thanks for showing the world how solar eclipses work.

Brianna, back to you.

KEILAR: He's too nice.

SANCHEZ: A very polite, snowball toss.

VAN DAM: Right.

SANCHEZ: Derek Van Dam --

VAN DAM: I agree.

SANCHEZ: -- love that demonstration of this --

VAN DAM: You guys are awesome.

SANCHEZ: -- celestial dance that we're now a part of. Thank you so much from Vermont.

We want to give you a live look at Mazatlan, Mexico, where a huge crowd is gathering for the partial eclipse. It is just about to begin. You see it on your screen. Fewer than four minutes away, it's finally getting started.

Stay with CNN. We're back in just moments.

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[12:52:14]

SANCHEZ: And so it begins. These are live pictures out of Mazatlan, Mexico, where a partial eclipse has begun. Totality is still, as you can see on your screen, about an hour and 15 minutes or so away, but these images right now are the initial start of what we'll see, a celestial event unfolding before us this afternoon.

KEILAR: And we have Kristin Fisher with us to talk a little bit about what we are seeing. Obviously, a beautiful background there in Mazatlan. This is the beginning of the partial eclipse, which maybe some people aren't even aware of, Kristin, but tell us about this process that they're about to go through.

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is the beginning of the total solar eclipse, right? And the partial eclipse can last anywhere between 70 and 80 minutes. And what it looks like is it's that famous bite out of the sun, right? Like when you talk about, you know, what ancient people believed, they thought various, you know, different groups of people thought that it was a frog taking a bite out of the sun or a squirrel or a bear, right, dragons in China. I mean, that's kind of what you think of when you see a partial eclipse.

But then the difference between a partial and a total is truly night and day as we've been saying. It is -- it sounds cheesy, but it is literally the difference between night and day. And so after you go through this phase of the partial solar eclipse, then we're going to get to these two moments right before totality that everybody watches out for him.

Before we get closer to totality, you're going to see the sky start to turn almost an eerie gray, right? Like it takes about 15 to 20 minutes before totality. The sky turns an eerie sort of gray color and then about a minute before the moon totally covers the sun. What you're going to see is these two phenomena is hopefully that everybody knows about when you talk about total solar eclipses.

Those Baily's beads and then the diamond ring, right? And it literally looks like, you know, there's a small band of light around the moon. And then one big bright stop the -- bright spot the diamond ring on top. So, this whole process only getting underway. But, guys, we are so lucky that we are here in the path of totality.

We're going to get to be in total darkness for a glorious what? Almost four minutes here in Indianapolis.

SANCHEZ: Yes, it is going to be incredible and we're starting to see the beginning of it. You see on the very top right of the sun there, that frog that Kristin talked about --

FISHER: Yes. A little bite.

SANCHEZ: -- starting to take a bite out of the sun. And it really speaks to just how transcendent a moment it is when an eclipse happens. Because so many different cultures, so many different peoples have derived so much meaning out of an experience like this.

FISHER: Totally. And can you imagine? I mean, we now know what is happening, right?

SANCHEZ: Right.

FISHER: We know that this is the moon moving in between the sun and the earth. But can you imagine in ancient times, you saw this start to happen middle of the day, sky starts to get dark, then the sun turns totally black.

[12:55:08]

This is the life giving sun that people powers all life on earth and you're like, oh my gosh, is this sun ever going to come back? I mean no wonder in ancient times people were like, hey, do we need to sacrifice somebody?

SANCHEZ: Maybe.

FISHER: I mean, this could be the end of time.

SANCHEZ: We may need to sacrifice our crispy cream donuts soon.

KEILAR: I volunteer, Boris, among the --

SANCHEZ: Come one. Come on.

KEILAR: Well, you know, I mean, I'm just going to stick with Kristin on this one, Boris.

SANCHEZ: I would rather take a bite out of a donut. Let's get to CNN's Chad Myers, who's live in the Weather Center for us. Chad, we're starting to see the partial eclipse over Mazatlan, and this is just the beginning of what's going to unfold.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. And they have a beautiful view there right along that cold Pacific water. Very few clouds in the sky at all. Now, if you get over this Sierra Madre here, all of a sudden, we start to begin to see some clouds across parts of Texas and places that we don't. But there you see the first bite of the sun.

Now you will not see that all the way up and down this stripe here behind me. But really not because Mazatlan is so far out there to the West. The eclipse starts in the West and moves on off toward the east. So where are the clouds now? Well, they are over Texas and they are getting thicker.

But we talked about this yesterday, Boris, that when the clouds come in and then all of a sudden it gets colder because the sun goes away, those clouds can actually erode. They can go away because they don't have the lift anymore. Really good conditions here across the Ohio Valley.

And then our Harry Enten is in Buffalo, I'm sorry, but I couldn't put you in a worse place because the clouds are just right over the Niagara frontier right now. And then our Derek Van Dam is up into Vermont. That looks really good at this point in time.

But not everyone is going to experience the same eclipse. Because let's say San Antonio downtown, you're going to get 18 seconds of eclipse. You go just 10 miles to the west and that experience goes to about 2 minutes. It's the way you take a round disc and you push it over another round disc.

If you're just getting the very edge, you're not going to get the full effect of the total eclipse. You're still going to get totality, but you're not going to get it for hours or minutes or whatever it might be is up to four minutes. I think Kerrville is going to see here.

So it's the edge that we have to worry about. Don't be looking at it because if you're on the edge and you see diamond ring, you could be totality for 30 seconds and then diamond ring back and catch yourself with you really staring at the sun. But there's Dallas looking good for it worth as well. Two minutes for you.

The clouds are here, but they can go away and I'm not even worried about like serious clouds. Those aren't going really the clouds that we're worried about. We're talking about the cumulus, the thick clouds that will build later on today with severe weather. But so far, through the middle part of the country, Indianapolis, Evansville. One of our producers is in Evansville right now that's why I kind of why I mentioned it because she picked a really good spot there.

And then all of a sudden over parts of the Northeast, especially up into upstate New York, it gets cloudy again. And then Atlanta, Canada, you're doing really, really well with this. Guys? SANCHEZ: Yes, it's going to be majestic in some places. Others a little bit tougher for them to get a clear view of the eclipse. We have opted to sacrifice a Krispy Kreme donut as opposed to Brianna's idea of sacrificing her co-anchor.

KEILAR: Yes. I think that's probably a good idea.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: We have a lot of coverage ahead and I'm going to need my co- anchor, but this is what we have. This is -- mine is sort of like a Mazatlan because it's got a little partial eclipse coming out of it, but it's really amazing how all of these companies are really getting in on the eclipse mania.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

KEILAR: This is a Krispy Kreme, and it was madness trying to get these today if you were at Krispy Kreme in Indianapolis, but everyone's doing crazy products.

SANCHEZ: Yes. We took the Mazatlan view off the screen, but this is pretty much what it looks like right now --

KEILAR: That's right.

SANCHEZ: -- where you see a chunk of the sun being cut off by the moon. Pizza Hut also had a special going on. I mean, it's a huge --

KEILAR: Total Eclipse of the Hut, they called it.

SANCHEZ: Yes, it's a huge economic boon because of the eclipse, not only companies selling products, but also people traveling to go see it.

KEILAR: It's wild. All of the Airbnbs in the hotels that are booked out. If you look at the map, it is the path of totality. I don't know about you, but if you were on your plane ride getting here, were you talking to people? I had folks in front of me who were ultimately heading on to Vermont, they had their tripod. They were serious about it. They were going to get the real up close view. It was going to be amazing, no doubt.

SANCHEZ: Let's bring Kristin Fisher back in. She's with us and we'll give her an opportunity to review this Krispy Kreme donut. Kristin, what do you think?

FISHER: I have not taken a bite yet. I was waiting for you guys to invite me to take a bite of my Krispy Kreme donut --

KEILAR: (INAUDIBLE) on television.

FISHER: -- but I'll get there in the next, you know, next few minutes here. But, guys, I mean, just look at, you know, the city of Indianapolis. They were expecting about 100,000 visitors here, and then they saw this massive influx yesterday, and the day before, after so many people changed their plans, saw the forecast in Texas, and then came here.

I mean, hotels totally sold out last night, all the Airbnbs in the area full, so we made it --