The title of this video will update every few minutes, counting down to the next total solar eclipse. At the time of this recording, the next total solar eclipse is on April 8, 2024. But the updates will continue to run if everything is still working after the eclipse. This video is partially inspired by Tom Scott's most popular video, where he talks about APIs, and he demonstrates it by updating his video title with the current number of views. I wanted to take that concept and countdown to the upcoming solar eclipse by updating a counter on the title of this video. Apparently, the video is counting down to when the partial eclipse starts in the Pacific Ocean. Then the counter will continue and start counting down until the partial eclipse gets landfall in Mexico. Then we'll start tracking totality from Mexico to Texas to Arkansas to Ohio to New York to Canada, and then finally to the North Atlantic. Once the eclipse is over, if everything is still working, this video will start counting down to the next total eclipse over Iceland and Spain in 2026. I'm not sure how long this automation will last since I am running this on a Raspberry Pi at home. I'll be traveling to Texas for a couple of weeks, and although I'll be able to VPN into my home network to take a look, I don't know if I'll have time to fix anything if anything breaks. So this is just a fun experiment that combines two of my passions. Now let's talk a little bit about the upcoming total solar eclipse. Although I'll be talking about the April 8 total eclipse, everything I'm saying can apply to every future total solar eclipse. Many people don't have the ability to travel to the path of totality, either to do financial reasons, medical reasons, or other personal reasons. But if you have the means to travel to see the upcoming eclipse in totality, you should. Yes, we're only two weeks away as of this recording, but there's still time, especially for those of you who live within driving distance of totality. And if you do plan on driving the morning of the eclipse, traffic is expected to be bad everywhere, so plan accordingly. NASA estimates that 99% of those living in North America will be able to see the eclipse, at least in partiality, including Hawaii, sorry Alaska. Millions are expected to travel to the path of totality this year, and for many, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity because the next total solar eclipse that will hit the continent of the United States is 2044, but the next convenient one will be in 2045. There will be other eclipses around the world, including 2026 over Iceland and Spain, in 2027 over Egypt, and 2028 over Australia and New Zealand. If you're still on the fence about traveling to totality in April, ask yourself if you're willing to travel overseas for totality, or if you're willing to wait another 21 years before we have another one at home. People try to describe the feeling they get when they see totality, especially if it's there for us time. But in my opinion, I don't think that words can really describe how we feel when we see it, when we experience it. No amount of photos or videos can capture that feeling. That's also one of the reasons why all the pros recommend that everyone take time to experience the eclipse instead of worrying about photography. But if you must worry about photography, if you need to take photos, try and automate it as much as you can. Automation also includes just sitting there, next year camera, with an intervallometer in your hand, while you look up, you press the button with your hand and take some pictures. If you're not able to travel to totality, you can still enjoy the partial eclipse. Just make sure that you have good solar eclipse glasses. Consult with the AES website for up to date information, and remember to practice safe solar viewing and protect your eyes and your gear. I am really both excited and very nervous about this upcoming eclipse. Most of my nervousness comes from having to drive 30 hours from Boston to the Austin area with an 11 month old. I'm sure it'll be fine, but as we get closer and closer to our travel date, I can really feel the nerves. If you're traveling to the eclipse, I would love to hear from you. And if you're taking photos and videos of the eclipse, I would love to see them. Join our Discord server, invite link in the description below, and you can share your videos and photos with me and a few others who are part of our small community. I wish everyone clear skies.