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In the NoCo

How an 1878 eclipse over the Rockies set the stage for modern-day celestial tourism

The sun is a perfect dark circle with a glow of sunlight around it during a total solar eclipse in August 2017.
Mark Humphrey
/
Associated Press
The period of total coverage during the solar eclipse is seen near Hopkinsville, Ky. Monday, Aug. 21, 2017. The location, which is in the path of totality, is also at the point of greatest intensity. On April 8, 2024, the moon will cast its shadow across a stretch of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, plunging millions of people into midday darkness.

On Monday, April 8 a total solar eclipse will darken the skies over 13 states, from Texas up to Maine. While Colorado is not in the path of totality, in which the moon completely covers the sun, our region will experience a partial solar eclipse.

A total solar eclipse over the U.S. is relatively rare – the last one occurred in August 2017. And cities and towns in the path have been gearing up for a massive influx of eclipse tourists for months.

They might want to take a cue from an earlier time in Colorado's history.

Courtesy of Steve Ruskin

Back in 1878, a total eclipse over the Rockies helped lay the foundation for how to welcome flocks of curious visitors eager to witness a celestial event - and to get a first look at the Wild West. Steve Ruskin is a historian of astronomy based in Colorado Springs, and the author of America's First Great Eclipse.

"Colorado had just become a state in 1876 - so it was only two years old when they knew this eclipse was going to go over the Rocky Mountains,” said Ruskin. “Tourists came west, not only to see the eclipse, but also to see the Rockies for the very first time."

In The NoCo host Erin O’Toole sat down with Ruskin to learn more about that historic event – and with producer Ariel Lavery to reflect on how modern-day Americans are willing to drive thousands of miles to experience a total eclipse.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
As the host of KUNC’s new program and podcast In the NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
Ariel Lavery grew up in Louisville, Colorado and has returned to the Front Range after spending over 25 years moving around the country. She co-created the podcast Middle of Everywhere for WKMS, Murray State University’s NPR member station, and won Public Media Journalism awards in every season she produced for Middle of Everywhere. Her most recent series project is "The Burn Scar", published with The Modern West podcast. In it, she chronicles two years of her family’s financial and emotional struggle following the loss of her childhood home in the Marshall Fire.