Solar eclipse darkened skies, dampened internet traffic
- Reference: 1712648052
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/04/09/solar_eclipse_internet_traffic_impact/
- Source link:
The eclipse's path of totality – the area in which the Moon completely blocks the view of the Sun, was first visible on land in Mexico and passed over large North American cities including Dallas, Indianapolis, and Montreal, with 31.6 million people experiencing darkness according to [1]NASA . A partial eclipse was visible to around 150 million people.
Plenty of whom went offline to gawk at the celestial dance.
[2]
Cloudflare found that as the eclipse rolled across the US, bytes delivered traffic dropped by eight percent and request traffic dipped a dozen points, compared to the same time last week.
[3]
[4]
Unsurprisingly, drops were sharpest in US states in or close to the path of totality. In Vermont, for example, traffic dropped 60 percent. Arkansas saw internet traffic sink by 54 percent, while Indiana dipped by 50 percent.
In states that didn’t see much of the eclipse, traffic was less impacted. California, for example, saw traffic slip just nine percent.
[5]NASA to shoot rockets at April solar eclipse to see how it messes with the atmosphere
[6]Astronomers spot collision between two exoplanets, both feared vaporized
[7]Scientist shares spicy pic of 'James Webb' discovery
[8]Couple fires sueball at Amazon over faulty solar eclipse-viewing goggles
Mexico also experienced sharp drops – again with areas in the path of totality leading the way. Durango saw traffic drop 57 percent. Mexico City, outside the path of totality, saw traffic decline by just 22 percent.
Canadians seem less likely to have gone offline to gape at the eclipse: its top traffic decline of 48 percent came in the tiny province of Prince Edward Island.
[9]
It is, of course, dangerous to look at an eclipse without eye protection. The same can probably be said about some corners of the internet. The Register reckons today the mean risk of eye damage probably balanced out.
One of the more interesting views of the eclipse was captured from the International Space Station, from which astronauts could [10]watch the Moon's shadow passing across the face of Earth .
The space agency has not, at the time of writing, shared info on the [11]three rockets it launched during the eclipse to understand how such events impact the ionosphere. We know the three launched – albeit after some slight delays – but eagerly await results of their investigations. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/how-is-the-2024-total-solar-eclipse-different-than-the-2017-eclipse/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZhURvIkOFE-d7Tbaotm04AAAAJU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZhURvIkOFE-d7Tbaotm04AAAAJU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZhURvIkOFE-d7Tbaotm04AAAAJU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/27/nasa_eclipse_rockets/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/11/unprecedented_observations_reveal_exoplanet_carcrash/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/05/scientist_shares_spicy_pic_of/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2017/08/31/amazon_eclipse_glasses_lawsuit/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZhURvIkOFE-d7Tbaotm04AAAAJU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1777420419311493356
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/03/27/nasa_eclipse_rockets/
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"Plenty of whom went offline to gawk at the celestial dance"
Of course they did. I was in Luxembourg City last time there was an eclipse there. I saw daylight turn into darkness, went outside and experience the sudden drop in temperature and the silence. Even the birds were hushed.
It was an awesome experience and I readily understand that Humanity was terrified by it.
Re: "Plenty of whom went offline to gawk at the celestial dance"
I saw a partial eclipse in the UK and experienced the same.
Re: "Plenty of whom went offline to gawk at the celestial dance"
I was living in Brussels or what must have been the very same one in the late 90s. Took the day off work and drove the Winnebago out to the path of totality.
Was pretty awesome, albeit a bit cloudy.
Afterwards sat and had some lunch in the back and watched thousands of cars stuck in the biggest traffic jam and trying to rush back home.
Re: "Plenty of whom went offline to gawk at the celestial dance"
I experienced the 1999 eclipse, it was very eerie. The darkness, the cold, the silence. But I had just walked out of a customer meeting that was going much the same way.
Good!!
Happy to see that most people went out to experience it for themselves!
Space station video
would have been better if (a) the view had been zoomed out and (b) the American woman had shut up.
Re: Space station video
No sound here. Very disappointed that the video looked like a thumb obscuring the lens; I was hoping to see the round shadow racing across a continent.
Re: Space station video
You need a significantly higher viewpoint than the ISS then...
And then, internet usage must have shot up again judging by the number of eclipse photos and videos I saw on social media.
Everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon...