The upcoming solar eclipse has generated a lot of headlines and interest. And it's no wonder, it's a big cosmic event. But apart from scientists, scholars and humble humans, there are others offering up some thoughts on it too.
Conspiracy theories are not in short supply, especially in relation to the solar eclipse.
Posting on Reddit four months ago, u/wefellinloveinnyc wrote in detail about why they "believe they are planning a massive human sacrifice event" for when the total eclipse occurs.
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The post is quite a read, with it saying: "I'm pretty concerned about this Great American Eclipse on April 8th. The line from the solar eclipse of 2017 and the line from the one upcoming on April 8th creates an X, very close to the New Madrid Fault Line.
"If something were to trigger that fault line, something man-made they could make look completely natural, it could mean a serious loss of life disaster for the US. An earthquake on the New Madrid Fault Line could be up to 20 times larger than an earthquake with a SoCal epicenter."
Strictly speaking, earthquakes are not linked to solar eclipses.
The user continues: "Taking the line for the Annular Eclipse or “Ring Of Fire” from October of this year and the upcoming Solar eclipse, creates another X over Texas, not far from Tesla’s gigafactory."
They go on to mention Tesla boss Elon Musk, who changed Twitter's name to X, and also refer to his baby's mother Grimes, and something she apparently posted on Instagram before Covid.
Referring to the alleged post, the user wrote: "In that same image, a few rows beneath the covid "prediction" is a solar eclipse. Under it, a flower between two dragons. 2024 is the year of the dragon. The lotus flower begins blooming in China on April 8th. The eclipse is happening on April 8th."
The conspiracist wrote it was "way too many coincidences for [them] to feel comfortable", adding that it "would appear some massive sacrifice could possibly be in the works" and they are "quite certain" that "they all have some bunker or safe spot away from the damage".
A comment on the thread from U/momsister5throwaway said: "I used to be super excited for this eclipse but nowadays I think I’ll just get the hell out. I truly believe there is something big about to happen and you can feel it. I’ve felt it for years it’s like anticipation."
Of course, none of the above is proven, so we're sure the total solar eclipse will be the straightforward celestial event science has predicted it will be.
Given its popularity, places where people will see it best, like Ontario’s Niagara region, has declared a state of emergency ahead of a predicted influx of visitors.
The total solar eclipse on April 8 will be the first to touch the province since 1979, and National Geographic named Niagara Falls as one of the best places for viewing it, given it's in the path of totality, where the moon will block the sun's rays for a few minutes.
For the rest of us, it's reported by Associated Press that the eclipse will reach Mexico’s Pacific coast in the morning, cut diagonally across the United States from Texas to Maine, and exit in eastern Canada by late afternoon.