New data shows that once-in-a-generation solar eclipses are a pretty surefire way to convince people to finally log off the internet, at least for a few minutes.According to cloud computing provider estimates cloudflare, yesterday’s online traffic decreased by 40-60 percent week over week within the path of the April 8 total solar eclipse. In the US tally, around 2pm EST, “bytes of delivered traffic was down 8% and request traffic was down 12% compared to the previous week.”
according to NASAYesterday’s total path included about 110 miles of land across Mazatlan, Mexico, through 13 states in the continental United States, and finally over Montreal, Canada. In the United States alone, an estimated 52 million people lived within the path of the total solar eclipse. And it certainly seems like a lot of people are putting down their phones and laptops and going outside to see what’s going on.
[Related: What a total eclipse looks like from space.]
as new york times Highlights include Vermont experiencing the largest logoffs, with internet usage down an estimated 60% compared to the previous week. South Carolinians, on the other hand, appeared to have the least need for a break from their computers, as their traffic was down by only about 4%.
Interestingly, you can also glean a little about weather conditions during the eclipse by looking at Cloudflare’s US internet usage map. While most states in the event trajectory experienced sizable recessions, Texas saw only a 15% decline. But considering most of the Lone Star State; withstood harsh weather conditionsMany people likely stayed indoors and may have live-streamed the eclipse online to other locations.
[Related: The full sensory experience of an eclipse totality, from inside a convertible in Texas.]
So what were people doing if they weren’t posting through the eclipse? Well, taking photos of the moment has always been very popular, and NASA supervised multiple volunteers research project.
Judging by Cloudflare data, it didn’t take long for people to log back online after the eclipse ended in the sky. Usage appears to spike to fairly standard levels almost immediately after the event ends in every state. There’s no doubt that most people were in a hurry to post their reactions, photos and videos…but perhaps yesterday was a good reminder that there’s more to see if you take a break and go outside for a bit. It will serve as a reminder.
