Solar Eclipse
Total Solar Eclipse Event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Schedule
With 35,000 to 50,000 spectators expected to attend the Total Solar Eclipse Event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway presented by Purdue University on Monday, April 8, guests are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy a wide array of exhibits, experiments, panel-led discussions, demonstrations and photo opportunities.
Tickets have been purchased from 49 states, the District of Columbia and more than 21 other countries and territories, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, Greenland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
There’s no better place to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience than at the Racing Capital of the World.
NASA TV Live Broadcast
The IMS Total Solar Eclipse Event presented by Purdue University has been designated one of several official broadcast sites for NASA TV’s coverage of the astronomical phenomenon.
Special Guests
Among the guests expected in attendance are members of Indiana’s congressional delegation, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Mark and Rick Armstrong, the sons of Purdue graduate and first man on the moon Neil Armstrong.
Multiple astronauts and NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers also will be in attendance. Drivers and astronauts will be featured throughout the day as subject matter experts, as well as participating in an autograph session to conclude the day’s events.
Programming
Two educational programming tracks will run concurrently. The Sun Track will be more technical in nature. The Moon Track is tailored for youth and families. All programming will feature experts from NASA, Purdue University and INDYCAR.
On-Track Action
At the start of the NASA TV global broadcast, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will be on full display for spectators. Three-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner Ed Carpenter will turn a handful of demonstration laps of the 2.5-mile oval in an Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet INDYCAR SERIES car just before the start of the Total Solar Eclipse sequence.
Once the demonstration laps conclude, guests will be invited to the frontstretch of the famed oval, where they can experience the total solar eclipse.
Educational Exhibits
NASA will have more than a dozen educational exhibits with which attendees can interact. Faculty, students and subject matter experts from Purdue University, Indiana Space Grant Consortium and NearSpace Education also will offer exhibits, booths, demonstrations and displays, available throughout the day in IMS’ Trackside Garages, turned Exhibit Hall.
Exhibits include:
- Artemis Human Landing Program
- With the Artemis campaign, NASA is using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. The exhibit includes Artemis II Astro Cut Outs, tabletop models, a docking simulator and an inflatable dome.
- Rockets to Racecars
- There are many parallels between the technology used on the track and in space. This display highlights those similarities with model cars, tires, a shuttle nose and mannequins with cooling gear and fire suits.
- RS-25 Engine
- The RS-25 powered the space shuttle for over three decades and completed 135 missions. It is one of the most tested large rocket engines in history. Guests can enjoy a tabletop model, view an actual RS-25 engine and test the engine using virtual reality.
In addition, attendees can take photos with the Borg-Warner Trophy, Visit Indy’s _NDY Sculpture and an eclipse-themed INDYCAR SERIES race car.
Schedule (all times ET)
- 9 a.m.: Gates open; Gates 2, 3 and 6
- 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Educational programming
- 1 p.m.: NASA broadcast begins
- 1:10 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
- 1:35 p.m.: INDYCAR SERIES demo laps
- 1:50:34 p.m.: Solar eclipse begins with partial
- 2:15 p.m.: Frontstretch of oval track opens for guest viewing
- 3:06:04 p.m.: Totality begins
- 3:07:59 p.m.: Max totality
- 3:09:54 p.m.: Totality ends
- 3:25 p.m.: Closing ceremonies
- 3:30 p.m.: Astronaut and driver autograph session
- 4 p.m.: Gates close
- 4:23:13 p.m.: Partial ends
- 4:30 p.m.: NASA broadcast concludes
The Greatest Spectacles
“The Greatest Spectacles” Solar Eclipse glasses are included with every admission. Once inside the facility, IMS Staff will hand out glasses. There will also be a pick-up location in Pagoda Plaza. Solar Eclipse glasses will not be distributed upon entry at the gates.
Tickets
Tickets for the Total Solar Eclipse Event presented by Purdue University are available for purchase at IMS.com or by walking up to the gates April 8.
Digital tickets can be accessed via a smart phone’s web browser or by saving the digital ticket to the mobile device’s wallet. Fans are encouraged to ensure the brightness on their smart phone is turned up before approaching the gate for a seamless scanning of their digital ticket. They also are encouraged to visit the IMS Digital Ticket guide to manage their digital tickets and enhance their at-track experience.
Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the Total Solar Eclipse Event presented by Purdue University.
Cashless Facility
IMS is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.
Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions.
Things to Bring
Fans will be allowed to bring one cooler and one standard backpack or book bag per person.
No coolers larger than 18 inches long by 15 inches high by 15 inches wide can be brought into the facility, which will be strictly enforced.
Telescopes will be permitted on viewing mounds only for the event. Review the gate regulations to confirm prohibited and permitted items before arriving.
Gates, Parking and Rideshare
Gate 2, Gate 3 and Gate 6 will be open.
Free parking will be available in Lot 2, Lot 3G, Lot 3P and Main Gate. Parking within the IMS infield is available while space permits. Please enter through Gate 2 from 16th Street.
If you are coming from the West / Crawfordsville Road, turn left on Auburn Street to park in Lot 2, or turn right into Main Gate lot on 16th Street. If you are coming from the East / 16th Street, turn left into Lot 3G or Lot 3P, or turn right into the IMS infield at Gate 2. Maps are available online.
Guests using a rideshare option will be dropped off and picked up from Lot 3P.
Additional Resources and Information
For more information regarding access to IMS, visit IMS.com.
The Speedway Police Department can be reached for non-emergency services by dialing 311 on a cell phone. The goal of 311 is to provide an easy-to-remember number for non-emergency services while freeing up 911 lines for timely emergency response.
SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
2024 Indianapolis Indians Opening Homestand, April 2-7
The Indianapolis Indians kick off their first homestand on Tuesday, April 2, against the Memphis Redbirds, Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Celebrate accordingly as Indians baseball returns to Victory Field on Opening Night with a 60 Degree Weather Guarantee, Tuesday Dollar Menu and Knot Hole Kids Club Opening Night.
The week continues with a Half-Off Wednesday Night (April 3), Thirsty Thursday™ (April 4) and Friday Fireworks (April 5) before Total Solar Eclipse Weekend (April 6-7) rounds out the six-game series.
Tuesday, April 2 – Tuesday Dollar Menu, Opening Night, 60 Degree Weather Guarantee, Knot Hole Kids Club Opening Night
$1 concessions! Bring your appetite and devour hot dogs, peanuts, potato chips, popcorn, Cracker Jack® and churros, all available for just a buck.
Baseball is BACK! Whether you attend the Indians’ home opener every season or are simply excited for baseball’s return, come out to Victory Field for the first home game of the 2024 campaign. The Indians are once again making a 60 Degree Weather Guarantee on Opening Night. If the temperature is below 60 degrees at first pitch, all fans with an Opening Night ticket will receive an undated ticket voucher redeemable to another April home game of their choice.
Knot Hole members will be taking over the Vic, too. They will deliver the bases, announce the Indians’ leadoff batter, become Rowdie Rookies, Baseball Buddies and more.
Gates Open: 5:30 PM | First Pitch: 6:35 PM
Wednesday, April 3 – Half-Off Wednesday Night
Enjoy half-price Box, Reserved and Lawn tickets for every Wednesday night game! Enter the code HALF in the coupon code field before selecting your seats.
Gates Open: 5:30 PM | First Pitch: 6:35 PM
POSTPONED due to Inclement weather until Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Thursday, April 4 – Thirsty Thursday™
The best drink specials in Indy happen on Thirsty Thursdays™ at Victory Field. Satisfy your thirst with $2 Pepsi products and draft beers starting at $3! Must be 21 years and older to purchase.
Gates Open: 5:30 PM | First Pitch: 6:35 PM
Friday, April 5 – Friday Fireworks
Baseball and boom! Bring the family and have a blast with postgame fireworks.
Thanks to Visit Indy, receive a pair of Total Solar Eclipse approved glasses when you arrive to the ballpark.
Gates Open: 6 PM | First Pitch: 7:05 PM
Saturday, April 6 – Total Solar Eclipse Weekend, Bike to the Ballpark
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate a solar phenomenon. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a glow in the dark Total Solar Eclipse Indianapolis t-shirt. Fans can also receive a pair of Total Solar Eclipse approved glasses upon arrival courtesy of Damar. For adults 21 and older, Sun King Brewery’s Path of Totality Beer will be available for purchase.
Enjoy springtime in Indianapolis with Bike to the Ballpark! Fans can gather at Sun King’s downtown brewery before riding over to Victory Field. Bike Indianapolis will provide valet bike parking while you enjoy the game.
UPDATED SCHEDULE
The Indianapolis Indians have announced that Wednesday night’s postponed contest vs. the Memphis Redbirds at Victory Field will be made up on Saturday, April 6, as part of a doubleheader.
The first pitch for the first of two 7.0-inning games is scheduled for 5:05 PM, with gates opening at 4:30 PM. Game 2 will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1.
Gates Open: 4:30 PM | First Pitch: 5:05 PM
Sunday, April 7 – Kids Eat Free Sunday, Total Solar Eclipse Weekend, Knot Hole Kids Club Giveaway
Lunch on us! All children 14 and under receive a free hot dog, bag of chips and Capri Sun® juice pouch with price of admission.
The first 1,000 fans 14 and under through the gates will receive an Earth, Moon and Sun juggling set. Fans can also receive a pair of Total Solar Eclipse approved glasses thanks to Damar. For adults 21 and older, Sun King Brewery’s Path of Totality Beer will be available for purchase.
The first 250 Knot Hole Kids Club members will receive one (1) pair of Rowdie socks, while supplies last. Must have membership card to redeem. And don’t forget, members of the Knot Hole Kids Club also get the opportunity to run the bases after Sunday home games (weather permitting).
Gates Open: 12:30 PM | First Pitch: 1:35 PM
NASA Prepares for Aug. 21 Total Solar Eclipse
Credits: NASA
June 21, 2017
NASA RELEASE 17-058
For the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will occur across the entire continental United States, and NASA is preparing to share this experience of a lifetime on Aug. 21.
Viewers around the world will be provided a wealth of images captured before, during, and after the eclipse by 11 spacecraft, at least three NASA aircraft, more than 50 high-altitude balloons, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station – each offering a unique vantage point for the celestial event.
NASA Television will air a multi-hour show, Eclipse Across America: Through the Eyes of NASA, with unprecedented live video of the celestial event, along with coverage of activities in parks, libraries, stadiums, festivals and museums across the nation, and on social media.
Coast to coast, from Oregon to South Carolina, 14 states will – over a span of almost two hours – experience more than two minutes of darkness in the middle of the day. When the moon completely blocks the sun, day will turn into night and make visible the otherwise hidden solar corona, the sun’s atmosphere. Bright stars and planets also will become visible. Using specialized solar viewing glasses or other equipment, all of North America will be able to view at least a partial eclipse lasting two to four hours.
“Never before will a celestial event be viewed by so many and explored from so many vantage points – from space, from the air, and from the ground,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “With our fellow agencies and a host of scientific organizations, NASA will continue to amplify one key message: Take time to experience the Aug. 21eclipse, but experience it safely.”
Viewing Safety
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun. In the 70-mile-wide swath of the country that will experience a total eclipse, it’s safe to look at the total eclipse with your naked eyes only during the brief period of totality, which will last about two minutes, depending on your location.
An alternative method for safe viewing of the partially-eclipsed sun is with a pinhole projector. With this method, sunlight streams through a small hole – such as a pencil hole in a piece of paper, or even the space between your fingers – onto a makeshift screen, such as a piece of paper or the ground. It’s important to watch the screen, not the sun.
For more information on viewing safety, visit:
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/
NASA and other agencies will provide vital information and updates on their respective websites that include viewing safety, activities across the country including at national parks, in addition to transportation preparations.
Studying Our Sun
Many researchers and citizen scientists will take advantage of this unique opportunity to study our sun, solar system, and Earth under rare circumstances. The sudden blocking of the sun during an eclipse reduces the light and changes the temperature on the ground, creating conditions that can affect local weather and animal behavior.
Understanding the sun has always been a top priority for space scientists. These scientists study how the sun affects space and the space environment of planets – a field known as heliophysics. As a source of light and heat for life on Earth, scientists want to understand how our sun works, why it changes, and how these changes influence life on Earth. The sun’s constant stream of solar material and radiation can impact spacecraft, communications systems, and orbiting astronauts.
“Eclipse 2017 provides an incredible opportunity to engage the entire nation and the world, inspiring learners of all ages who have looked to the sky with curiosity and wonder,” said Steven Clarke, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division in Washington.
NASA spacecraft capturing the event include: NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which will turn toward Earth to track the shadow of the moon on our planet; a host of Earth-observing spacecraft, which can both observe the shadow of the moon and measure how it affects Earth’s weather; and a fleet of solar observing spacecraft. NASA images and data of the eclipse will complement that collected by other scientific organizations.
For more information on eclipse activities, observing assets, and viewing safety, visit:
To watch the Aug. 21 NASA TV eclipse broadcast online and access interactive web content and views of the eclipse from more than 60 telescopes, aircraft and balloons, visit: