Summary
The AAS Solar Eclipse Task Force spent a decade bringing a wide variety of stakeholders together to prepare citizens of, and visitors to, the United States, Canada, and Mexico to safely experience and enjoy the August 2017, October 2023, and April 2024 solar eclipses across North America. Chief among its activities was organizing planning workshops across the country at which astronomers, formal and informal educators, event organizers, government and emergency management professionals, representatives of the tourism industry, and others gathered to share best practices and help each other prepare their communities for an influx of visitors.
Now, with the eclipses behind us, it’s time to look at how well prepared North America actually was for three major solar eclipses in seven years. What successes and failures stand out? What should we have done differently at the local, state, and/or national level?
In addition to exploring important lessons learned, we will consider how best to preserve those lessons as a legacy, so that communities planning future large events can benefit from our collective experience.