Solar eclipse: When Disney will experience a blackout

Central Florida won’t get a full solar eclipse on Monday, but one is coming and that means much of Central Florida, including Disney World will be plunged into darkness in the middle of the day. News 6 Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells talked to Derek Demeter, the Director of the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium at Seminole State College of Florida. “There’s going to be an eclipse that’s going to go right over Orlando, Florida in August 12, 2045,” Demeter said. He told Sorrells it would likely happen during the afternoon and, “It’s going to be one of the longest eclipses in a long time.” He explained the one in 2045 will go for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. Sorrells said experiencing a solar eclipse in person is unforgettable. He said he went to Greenbriar, Tennessee to experience it in 2017. “I went back home to my hometown to watch it because I knew it was coming. All of my relatives were like, ‘Really, you came home for this?’ ‘Well yeah!’ Then my mom who wanted to see me very badly was like, ‘Well, I’m glad you came home, but I can’t believe you came home just for the eclipse.’ I’m like, ‘Mom!’ So, she watched it with me outside and she burst into tears,” Sorrells said. When the moon steps in front of the sun and creates a false night in the middle of the day, Demeter said you can expect some unusual things to happen. “Temperature drops, you hear birds, you hear insects, it’s just really incredible, and one thing that people don’t understand, if you do get a clear sky, you have a 360-degree sunset,” Demeter said. So, imagine, being in the center of Magic Kingdom and the sky goes dark for more than 6 minutes. While that phenomenon is still 21 years away, Floridians can experience Monday’s partial eclipse from their own backyard or the parking lot at their job. Just make sure to grab a pair of glasses to protect your eyes. Or you can watch the livestream through the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust Planetarium at Seminole State College. The planetarium also offers a lot of other engaging programs surrounding space. “Our most common show that we do is called Central Florida nights and that is essentially a guided tour of the night sky. So, we take a look at what currently is in the sky, constellations, planets, if there are any meteor showers or things like you know lunar and solar eclipses,” Demeter said. You can catch their next Central Florida Nights presentation on April 26. It starts at 8:30 p.m. and goes until 9:30 p.m. Make sure to get there early because the show often sells out. Demeter is an animated narrator and even works in a few jokes, making the tour of space fun for the whole family. Even after you step out of the planetarium, the fun doesn’t end there. “My favorite part too is they actually get to go outside with one of our telescopes and see some of the things they saw in the planetarium,” Demeter said. The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for students and seniors. Only cash and checks are accepted. Learn more about the eclipse, the planetarium and the planets that surround us on Talk to Tom. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+.