The first total solar eclipse of 2024 reportedly captured the attention of millions across the world and sparked a flurry of online activity. Linda Yaccarino, the CEO has revealed that the event has garnered an astounding 1.2 million posts on X (formerly known as Twitter), which is considered a testament to the widespread interest in the celestial phenomena.
Eclipse details and timing
The year's solar eclipse was spanning across 15 states in the US, Canada and Mexico. The eclipse started at 9:13 PM IST on Monday and lasted till 2:22 AM IST on Tuesday- unfortunately, India could not witness it but was updated with the help of social media.
The celestial act observed the Moon passing directly between the Sun and Earth, which cast a shadow over the planet.
People posted the images and videos on social media
In a recently posted post on X, Linda Yaccarino shared her enthusiasm about the vibrant online discourse which has surrounded the eclipse. She further highlighted the staggering statistics, noting a total of 1.2 million posts on X, which has accumulated an impressive 300 million impressions. The conversation has continued to surge, growing at a rate of 38 per cent per hour.
Elon Musk’s contribution
Elon Musk, the head of X, Tesla and SpaceX has contributed to the online buzz by sharing a video titled "View of the eclipse from orbit."
Musk's video surfaced which provided a unique perspective of the eclipse, and further fueled public fascination with the celestial event.
NASA’s scientific endeavours
NASA has seized the opportunity to present the solar eclipse for conducting scientific research. Three sounding rockets were launched earlier, during, and immediately after the eclipse to study the changes in the ionosphere, which is the upper layer of the atmosphere crucial for long-distance radio communication.
These measurements further aim to shed light on the effects of sudden darkness on atmospheric dynamics.
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Inputs from IANS
