Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Event/Special
Solar Eclipse Now Crossing Over North America; Partial Solar Eclipse Underway In Mazatlan, Mexico; Partial Eclipse Begins In Russellville, Arkansas; Skies Darkening In Mazatlan, Mexico, As City Nears Totality. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired April 08, 2024 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:32:42]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: All right, welcome back to ECLIPSE ACROSS AMERICA, our special coverage of this total solar eclipse that is going to be heading ECLIPSE ACROSS AMERICA very soon.
We see the partial eclipse underway in Mazatlan, Mexico, through this filtered view, which is a safe way, obviously, for someone to look at this through camera.
And you're seeing this move as it will towards totality where it will just be completely dark and it's going to be an unbelievable scene.
This happens so rarely. And it's just the alignment of the moon in front of the sun. The sun is 400 times approximately as big as the moon and it's 400 times farther away.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Yes.
KEILAR: And that is why it is able to do this very interesting dance, where they line up like this on occasion.
SANCHEZ: Yes, we want to get you actually straight to Arkansas with Stephanie Elam because in about an hour from now, hundreds of couples are going to get hitched in the middle of the solar eclipse.
But I understand, Stephanie, that the partial eclipse is starting now. And you're with the Beatles!
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I mean, you guys are kind of jealous. I hear that you are Bri Clips and Sunchez. Did I hear that right? That's who you guys are now? That's what I heard. That's what I heard.
KEILAR: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: That's right.
(LAUGHTER) ELAM: Well, I'm going to be Sunaly. I want to be Sunaly. I want to be Sunaly if you guys have those names.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM: But you know what? Before the moon and the sun put on a show, we have to start with the stars, the Liverpool Legends.
Look at this beautiful -- you know, who they are. They're Beatles.
All right, tell me your name and who you are.
DAVE, BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND MEMBER: Hi, I'm Dave. I'm Paul.
MARTY SCOTT, BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND MEMBER: I'm Marty Scott. I play George.
JOE MANRIKAY (ph), BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND MEMBER: I'm Joe Mannrikay. I play John.
REAGAN CREPS (ph), BEATLES TRIBUTE BAND MEMBER: I'm Reagan Creps (ph). I play Ringo.
ELAM: OK. So you guys have -- have you ever played for a wedding before?
SCOTT: Not -- it's been a long time since we were little kids.
ELAM: OK. So, you know, there are now -- it was 358 couples. But breaking news, we just found out that more couples are actually getting their paperwork in so that they can get married before the eclipse sets in right before 2:00 local. So it's going to be a bigger crowd.
Are you ready for this?
SCOTT: We'll, oh, yes. I mean, we've done Carnegie Hall. We've done the Rose Bowl. We're going to Mexico City to play a big arena tomorrow, but nothing like 380 couples or something like that.
(LAUGHTER)
ELAM: So --
(CROSSTALK)
SCOTT: -- whenever.
ELAM: OK. So what are you going to play?
SCOTT: Beatles songs, for sure.
ELAM: I know, but which song are you going to play?
SCOTT: Oh.
ELAM: I mean, what's the plan?
MANRIKAY (ph): We're going to do the whole history. We're going to start out with the early stuff and work on our way --
[13:34:59]
SCOTT: She means after the eclipse.
We're going to -- as soon as the sun goes in front of the moon or vice versa, we're going to play "Here Comes the Sun" because what else would you play at that point?
ELAM: Which is pretty awesome.
And I have to tell you guys, Bri Clips and Sunchez, which is hard for me to remember, I have to tell you, they sound awesome.
And what's going to happen here is, right before the eclipse, all of these couples are going to get married. They're going to stop. Everyone's going to look up at the sky. And then they're going to play "Here Comes the Sun."
And I think what we should do, just to help get you a primed for how awesome we are getting it here in Russellville, Arkansas, with our beautiful blue skies. We thought we were going to get rain, so we're winning all the way around.
But you also need to hear how the Liverpool Legends sound. Take a listen to these guys.
SCOTT: OK, put your glasses on.
(SINGING)
ELAM: So there you go. Do you hear that beautiful music?
We're going to have a ball here as we find all of the love that's happening here in Russellville, Arkansas. We cannot wait for that big show in the sky and hear more from these guys.
KEILAR: They sound great.
SANCHEZ: That was outstanding.
KEILAR: That was wonderful.
(CROSSTALK)
KEILAR: Stephanie, I'm glad they played Beatles songs.
(CROSSTALK)
KEILAR: That would have been weird if they hadn't, right?
SANCHEZ: Yes, if -- like if they played, like, Metallica or something else. (LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: By the way, that guy looks just like Ringo.
KEILAR: He sure does.
SANCHEZ: I would -- I would look into that with you guys. I'm going to get a paternity test.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Maybe he's, you know, got some --
KEILAR: You never know.
SANCHEZ: -- some royalties coming his way.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: Stephanie Elam, thank you so much.
Meantime, we're taking a look at this partial solar eclipse in Mazatlan. We're only a half hour away from the first totality hitting North America.
And right here in Indy, we're going to be watching it very closely. It's going to get quite a bit cold here.
KEILAR: That's right. It -- things will get chilly. It will get completely dark at totality.
When it comes to that partial eclipse, though, the moon starting to just creep on in there in front of the sun.
We are -- next, we have the eclipse starting here in just a few minutes. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:41:49]
KEILAR: What are we doing first?
SANCHEZ: Welcome back to ECLIPSE ACROSS AMERICA. We are closely watching what is an amazing interstellar phenomenon. We're not talking about what's happening here onset in Indianapolis. We're talking about the show we're about to watch across the sky -- Brianna?
KEILAR: It's going to be amazing. And this is either the best idea or the worst idea --
SANCHEZ: Set aside all journalistic credibility.
KEILAR: Yes, let's --
SANCHEZ: We're having fun with in. KEILAR: This is basically what's going to happen if I can re-enact. The moon will be going in front of the sun, Boris Sunchez, At this point --
(LAUGHTER)
KEILAR: -- and that's a partial. I think we've got a full eclipse there.
SANCHEZ: This is -- this is kind of where things are right now.
(CROSSTALK)
KEILAR: Yes, right there.
SANCHEZ: There we go. It's kind of where things are right now.
KEILAR: in Mazatlan.
SANCHEZ: In Mazatlan, soon.
KEILAR: And eventually it will be a total.
SANCHEZ: Yes, yes.
KEILAR: It'll be in the zone of totality, which is going to be amazing here in Indianapolis. We're going to start the partial eclipse here very soon.
SANCHEZ: Yes.
KEILAR: And we're 24 minutes-plus from our first totality in Mexico.
SANCHEZ: This is our very simple, poor way to explain what is an amazing --
KEILAR: It's fun.
SANCHEZ: -- amazing moment.
Let's bring in Janna Levin because she'll do a much better job. She's an expert, an astrophysicist, a professor of astronomy at Barnard College.
Janna, thank you so much for being with us.
When you saw our little demonstration here, what would you say was off? What would you say needs work? Help us understand in much more sophisticated terms what's happening.
JANNA LEVIN, ASTROPHYSICIST & PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS & ASTRONOMY, BARNARD COLLEGE: We'll, you would be millions of miles apart to start with. And
(CROSSTALK)
KEILAR: We can't do that.
LEVIN: Yes, you can't do that. Well, it's really -- what's cute about what you're doing is you're in the same line.
And then you would think that every time we have a new moon, which is when the sun is behind the moon in our alignment with the earth, that you would have an eclipse.
But the only reason we don't have an eclipse every month, every new moon is because the moon's orbit is a little bit out of the axis of the plane that has the sun-earth orbit.
And so we have to have this coincidence of a new moon happening also when it's in what astronomers call syzygy, the alignment between the earth and the moon and the sun, the celestial alignment of the bodies.
And so right now, you're demonstrating syzygy, essentially.
KEILAR: Syzygy, amazing.
SANCHEZ: Syzygy.
KEILAR: Syzygy.
SANCHEZ: Syzygy.
KEILAR: Syzygy, now a household --
(CROSSTALK)
KEILAR: So this is such -- this is -- it is now, I think.
This is such an important day for so many people. And I think they're not always sure how it's going to affect them when they see this eclipse.
Obviously, there's a lot of science and we've been talking about it. But what does it mean to you? What does it mean to people to have this experience of what they see and the fact, a lot of times, that they're getting to see it altogether with so many other people.
LEVIN: I think that's exactly what's so important about it.
It's a reminder that whatever else is going on, on the world, whatever else human beings try so hard to control, technologically, politically philosophically, that we are really on this planet in a solar system, and we are still subject to those forces, which are so far beyond our control.
[13:45:04]
But instead of feeling sort of disappointment about that, we should actually celebrate that we're in this together.
And it's a reminder that we, as a species, share this ability to reflect on where we are in the wider cosmic scheme of things. SANCHEZ: Absolutely. It's a reminder that what we have on earth is so special because, if the sun wasn't in that particular place, if the moon hadn't sort of crossed the way that it did, not only would we now witness what we're witnessing now, life on earth may not exist the way that it does.
KEILAR: And there are scientists who can tell us, amazingly, with amazing accuracy, when this is going to happen so that people can make plans in advance to get together.
SANCHEZ: Right.
KEILAR: It's really amazing.
LEVIN: Right.
KEILAR: Janna, thank you so, so much. We really appreciate your time today.
LEVIN: Thank you so much. Yes, absolutely.
SANCHEZ: Of course.
And one prediction we got from scientists, the partial eclipse is soon to start right here in Indianapolis.
And you're getting your first look at totality in Mazatlan in just about 20 minutes. So don't go anywhere.
We're going to take these off because I can't breathe.
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: And we'll be right back on CNN. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:50:57]
KEILAR: We are getting so close in our ECLIPSE OVER AMERICA (sic) coverage -- across America, I should say.
Our first totality, 16 minutes away, first to be seen in Mazatlan, Mexico. That is where the skies will go dark. There will be some stillness and we're going to see what happens as probably an awe is going to settle over the crowd there.
And in other parts of Mexico, where people are watching and awaiting, we see that partial eclipse well underway here.
You see all of these people in Mazatlan, Mexico. This is a huge phenomenon to witness, this amazing phenomena.
SANCHEZ: It is extremely rare. And we are ready. We've got our special glasses.
The total eclipse now inching closer. You see -- you hear folks yelling there in Mazatlan, cheering.
There's also a huge crowd here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and they are stoked about it.
KEILAR: Yes, they certainly are.
And Kristin Fisher is here, part of the crowd, here with her family.
Kristen, this is wonderful because we have three generations here. We're also explaining this hoping that three times is a charm.
KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE & DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Third is the charm, right? let's hope.
I'm here. This is my 78-year-old dad, Dr. Bill Fisher, a former astronaut, and my six-year-old daughter, Clara Forehand. Everybody here hoping to see a total solar eclipse for the very first time.
But, Dad, this is something that you have been trying to see your entire adult life.
DR. WILLIAM FISHER, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT & FATHER OF KRISTIN FISHER: And I'm banking on it (ph). In 1970, there was a tornado watch in Florida. In 2017, in Missouri, it rained. And you've got to see a total eclipse once in your life. And I'm 78. I mean, I haven't got much time left, so this has got to work.
FISHER: Yes. And we had plans to watch it in Carville. And a few days ago, I called them. I was like. Dad, you're not going to see it. You're going to miss it. You have got to move. And you said, all right, let's -- let's do it.
W. FISHER: Yes, I did.
FISHER: So here we are.
And you're one of the most interesting people that I've ever met. You've seen so many different things. You've been in space. You've done a spacewalk. And yet, a total solar eclipse is at the very top of your bucket list. Why?
W. FISHER: Absolutely. Well, because I've never seen one. It's something you have to do. And being in space was one thing, but I mean, a total solar eclipse is magical. So I'm told. I'm hoping.
(CROSSTALK)
FISHER: What makes it so magical?
W. FISHER: I don't know. We'd like -- wait, wait till it comes, I'll let you know.
(LAUGHTER)
FISHER: Now, Clara here has been, I understand, learning about eclipses in school. Clara, what do you think an eclipse is?
CLARA FOREHAND, DAUGHTER OF KRISTIN FISHER, WATCHING HER FIRST ECLIPSE: It's when the moon comes in between the sun and the earth and it passes the sun. And in the path of totality, places can turn totally dark for four minutes.
FISHER: And guess what? I think this is one of those places. It may turn totally dark here for about four minutes.
What -- what do you think you're going to do during those four minutes of darkness here?
FOREHAND: We'll, some nocturnal animals come out.
FISHER: What about you? What are you going to do?
FOREHAND: I'm going to watch the eclipse.
FISHER: Watch the eclipse? Yes. We're all going to watch it together.
And, Dad, what do you think you're going to be doing during the eclipse?
W. FISHER: Well, maybe what everybody else is doing, howl like a wolf.
(HOWLING)
(LAUGHTER)
FISHER: You know, one thing that I -- he's -- both me and Bill.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's his nickname, right? So this is true to form.
FISHER: You know, I'm so struck by the fact that, here we are in Indianapolis, and our whole plan as a family was always to watch a total solar eclipse outside in nature, you know, where you can see the nocturnal animals come out, like Clara said.
But, you know, no, we're here with about 50,000 of our closest friends.
I'm curious how you think it's going to be different, what it's going to be like here compared to the out in nature.
(CROSSTALK)
FISHER: Are you still as excited for it?
W. FISHER: I've heard that people get very quiet. But I just want to see the sun. I don't care if the other people are here or not.
(LAUGHTER)
FISHER: Yes. (CROSSTALK)
FISHER: It's going to be 20 years before the next total solar eclipse here in the United States.
[13:55:03]
Clara, you will be 26 the next time that happens. What do you think you'll be doing then? Where do you think you'll watch the next one?
FOREHAND: Texas.
FISHER: In Texas. You want to watch it in Texas? You're going to move to Texas?
(CROSSTALK)
FISHER: That's where these guys are from.
(LAUGHTER)
FISHER: You will still be here, Dad. And I am confident that this is going to be your chance to finally get to see a total solar eclipse.
SANCHEZ: Important to point out, this is a very rare occurrence. Because the one coming in 20 years, it's not going to cover quite as much space. it's not going to be quite as impactful.
FISHER: And it's not going to last as long. That moment of the duration of totality is going to be as long as it either.
KEILAR: Yes, and the one in 2045, it's looking pretty cool, I think. But again, the moon is so close and it's just going to be amazing as well.
But the solar activity that we're expecting, I mean, this could be cooler even if the weather had cooperated for you, Dr. Fisher, in 2017.
This could be neater to see. What are you expecting to see around -- because the weather is looking great here. I think that three times is going to be a charm.
What are you expecting to see around the corona?
W. FISHER: I would love to see a solar flare. They say sometimes you can see them. Outside of that, totality sounds magical. I don't know what we'll see. I've never seen one. Let's do it.
(LAUGHTER)
FISHER: And we'll all be watching it together.
I mean, you're somebody who has walked in space. I talked to a former NASA astronaut, Pam Melroy, who earlier today was talking about how this is something that she's never seen that she really wants to see, too.
And you know, this is just -- it's something that you can only get from planet earth in the solar system. No other body gets an eclipse like this. No other planetary body gets an eclipse like this. And it's just this rare moment in time that when we can see it --
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: Yes. It is so special. And it's so special to see three generations together, both -- give them another howl. Let's hear it.
(HOWLING)
(LAUGHTER)
SANCHEZ: You will be hearing that live in Indy here as we get the eclipse. That's still roughly an hour or so away.
The first totality, though, is in Mazatlan, Mexico, just about 10 minutes from now.
Kristen and family, thank you all so much for being with us.
W. FISHER: Thank you very much.
KEILAR: So beautiful. It's going to be amazing for you guys to experience this.
And let's talk about this now, as we do await. And that is, look at that Cheshire grin turned on its side coming out of Mazatlan.
Let's talk about this now with Adam Frank. He is a professor of astrophysics and he's going to tell us a little bit about what we're expecting.
You're joining us from the University of Rochester. You're also the author of "The Little Book of Aliens."
Tell us what we should be expecting here, and what this means, how incredible a moment this is going to be just becomes because of all the factors that are lining up for this total solar eclipse.
ADAM FRANK, PROFESSOR OF ASTROPHYSICS, UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER & AUTHOR: Yes. So what's amazing right now is that the moon's shadow is rushing across the surface of the earth at about 1,000 miles an hour.
So you're really seeing here is the moon moving in its orbit. Like once a month, the moon completes a complete circuit through its orbit. But now you're actually getting to see it as we have these reports from Mazatlan and then Texas, and then Indiana.
What's really happening is we're tracking the moon as it rips across the sky on its monthly journey around the earth. So there's that. We're actually getting to see the dance of the heavens right in front of us.
Now, when that totality happens, the moon is going to block out most of the light of the superheated plasma ball that is the sun.
And then we're going to be able to see the outer parts of the sun that we never get to see, what's called the corona. It's like one million degrees hot and it extends almost twice or three times as far as the disk of the sun.
So before modern science, the only way people could see the corona or the way we learned that there was this atmosphere was through this.
And what's even more amazing, though, is, as we we're talking about before, as Kristen was saying, this kind of eclipse only happens on earth. Like, you know, there's lots of eclipses. There's lots of times when the shadow of something falls on something else.
But only on earth do we have the perfect alignment on the sky that the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, but it's 400 times closer. And that is a cosmic accident.
And it's why we can get that perfect overlap of the moon and the sun that you get the corona and you can get the possibility of seeing flares.
So there's no other place in the solar system that that happens as frequently here. And it may be quite rare in the universe.
[13:59:51]
And it's had such a huge effect on human society over the years. You know, people -- emperors would lose their standing because of an eclipse because people would freak out so much.
So it's really a remarkable event.
SANCHEZ: Yes, it is something that is sacred in cultures throughout history.
