Tweets, Memes Abound Social Media Ahead of Solar Eclipse Across North America

With a total solar eclipse across North America merely hours from now, many on social media wished to observe it with a little bit of fun.

The Guardian reported that the big day has been anticipated mostly in the United States by a weeks-long buildup that has produced memes, marketing gimmicks, and some conspiracy theories.

As many prepare for the celestial event in person, content creators have also scrambled to commemorate the big day.

"Most of the memes are jokes about people staring at the sun and going blind from not using proper protection, as well as jokes about places like Canada being almost entirely exempt from the path of the event," internet social history website Know Your Meme's managing editor Zach Sweat said.

For example, Michael Zeiler, an eclipse cartographer and the man behind GreatAmericanEclipse.com, provided a handy "emoji map" depicting the path of totality—the narrow strip of land where the total eclipse could be seen—through a series of smiley and happy emojis. On the other hand, those outside the path of totality were depicted as sleepy and angry.

The last solar eclipse seen by the US took place in 2017, shortly after Donald Trump's presidential term began.

While standing on the steps of the White House with his wife, First Lady Melania, and their son Barron, the former president could be recalled squinting toward the heavens, unbothered by the aide shouting, "Don't look!" from below. This became a metaphor for the former president's general distrust of science.

Photos snapped during the event were much-memed back then and have since resurfaced in the context of 2024, which is also an election year.

However, Sweat observed that the general mood before 2024's eclipse has been playful as there were far fewer "political jokes" this time around.

Meanwhile, doughnut chain Krispy Kreme has been producing a limited run of doughnuts to celebrate the eclipse.

The doughnuts were described as glazed offerings dipped in black chocolate ice cream and topped with silver sprinkles and Oreo buttercream. To depict the event, an entire cookie would top the whole piece.

Some Twitter Memes

Meanwhile, BuzzFeed published a compilation of jokes and memes obtained from X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, regarding the upcoming eclipse.

@FTW_Arts shared a video where the user depicted the solar eclipse using Nintendo 3DS cards for the games "Pokemon Sun" and "Pokemon Moon."

Another user shared about her everyday mental state being dark.

"Eclipses don't impress me," @jzux wrote. "I am abruptly overcome by darkness every day." Wall Street Silver also shared a meme suggesting that people directly look at the eclipse despite warnings not to do so.

"Me staring directly at the solar eclipse so I can file [for] disability on Tuesday," the caption wrote.

Other tweets connected the eclipse to the 4.8-magnitude earthquake that occurred over New England and the rest of the Northeastern US last week.

"You think you're dramatic?" @dilemmalord said. "Manhattan wasn't in the path of totality for the eclipse so it had to re-main character itself with a whole earthquake."

"An earthquake followed by an eclipse?" @TheStefanSmith quipped. "200 years ago, this would have been the perfect time to accuse someone you hate of being a witch."

Meanwhile, @theelderemox suggested going full "Twilight" mode.

"When the Eclipse happens, I'm playing 'Decode' by Paramore on repeat," the tweet wrote.

Tags

Science, Space, Solar eclipse, Eclipse, Us, Mexico, Canada, Astronomy, North America, Tweets