<p>To celebrate the one-year anniversary of Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner's supersonic <keyword id="1047422" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Free-fall">free fall</keyword> from 24 miles above Earth, <keyword id="28629" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Red-Bull">Red Bull</keyword> released an incredible video showing footage from cameras watching his helmet, arms, and feet. You might not be able to handle its 9:25 duration, but it is worth checking out at least a couple minutes to get your adrenaline pumping.</p>
<p><iframe width="620" height="349" frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/raiFrxbHxV0"></iframe></p>
<p>You will notice that Baumgartner's vitals and mission stats accompany the footage in real time. Only 24 seconds into the fall, the blue halo of the Earth still visible, he goes into a wild spin, which lasts for almost a minute.</p>
<p>His heart is pumping at an intense rate for the fall's duration (averaging about 160bpm) and when he is finally able to power through the spin by adjusting his arms, his heart rate pushes 190 for a moment (around 1:28). The video will make you appreciate the level of physical effort Baumgartner exerted on his fall down.</p>
<p>His free-fall lasts four minutes and 20 seconds, at which point he opens his parachute for a smoother ride down the remaining 8,000 ft (1.5 miles). With his 'chute open, you can listen to him talk to the command center. At 5:28, he flips open his visor, probably to ensure everything with his suit and parachute is working correctly.</p>
<p>At 8:00, you can see a helicopter in the distance hovering near Baumgartner's altitude. At 9:00 you can watch his feet hit the ground, and he methodically detaches the chute and prepares to board the approaching chopper.</p>
<p>You can also watch <a href="http://stratos.rdioexclusives.com/landing" title="doc">a full-length documentary</a>, as well as a CGI recreation of the event and a Q&amp;A with Baumgartner. You won't mind the commercialization of the whole event by Red Bull and the music subscription service <keyword id="1376231" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rdio">Rdio</keyword>, because the footage is just so damn cool.</p>

New Footage From Last Year's Epic Red Bull Space Jump Shows Felix Baumgartner Handling A Wild Spin 24 Miles Above Earth

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/507c35a3ecad04ad3f000001-2224-1668/felix-baumgartner-11.jpg?maxX=400" border="0" alt="Felix Baumgartner" width="400" /></div><p class="source"><keyword id="28629" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Red-Bull">Red Bull</keyword> Stratos Content Pool</p><p class="caption"><keyword id="100647" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Felix-Baumgartner">Felix Baumgartner</keyword> exits his <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> capsule before plunging 127,852 feet on Oct. 14, 2012. </p></div>When <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/austrian-skydiver-felix-baumgartner-shatters-world-records-in-24-mile-jump-2012-10">Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner jumped to Earth from the edge of space</a> in October, preliminary estimates clocked him at a top speed of <span>834 mph, or Mach 1.24.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.redbullstratos.com/science/scientific-data-review/">Official numbers released by Red Bull</a> <span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">on Monday, Feb. 4, reveal that Baumgartner's fastest speed achieved during freefall was nearly 10 mph faster than originally thought. He reached a maximum speed of 843.6 mph, or Mach 1.25.</span></p>
<p>The daredevil jumped from an altitude of <span>127,852 feet, which is 248 feet lower than initially reported. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Baumgartner's heartbeat reached a maximum of 185 beats per minute right before he jumped from the capsule. For comparison, a 40-year-old man should have a maximum heart rate of 180 beats per minute during vigorous exercise. Baumgartner is 43. Baumgartner's heart rate was <span>60 to 100 beats per minute</span><span> during his ascent in the balloon-hoisted space capsule.  </span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">You can read a full <a href="http://issuu.com/redbullstratos/docs/red_bull_stratos_factsheet_final_statistics_050213">summary of facts</a> and the entire <a href="http://issuu.com/redbullstratos/docs/red_bull_stratos_summit_report_final_050213">71-page report</a> on the Red Bull website or view the embedded versions below. </span></p>
<div><object style="width: 618px; height: 400px;"><param name="movie" value="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf?mode=embed&amp;layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&amp;showFlipBtn=true&amp;documentId=130205100343-8e4e3f743ca3435188f06c8fbaa26ca4&amp;docName=red_bull_stratos_factsheet_final_statistics_050213&amp;username=redbullstratos&amp;loadingInfoText=Red%20Bull%20Stratos%20Factsheet&amp;et=1360072519037&amp;er=76" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" menu="false" style="width: 618px; height: 400px;" flashvars="mode=embed&amp;layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&amp;showFlipBtn=true&amp;documentId=130205100343-8e4e3f743ca3435188f06c8fbaa26ca4&amp;docName=red_bull_stratos_factsheet_final_statistics_050213&amp;username=redbullstratos&amp;loadingInfoText=Red%20Bull%20Stratos%20Factsheet&amp;et=1360072519037&amp;er=76" /></object>
<div style="width: 618px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://issuu.com/redbullstratos/docs/red_bull_stratos_factsheet_final_statistics_050213?mode=embed&amp;layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&amp;showFlipBtn=true" target="_blank">Open publication</a> - Free <a href="http://issuu.com" target="_blank">publishing</a> - <a href="http://issuu.com/search?q=exploration" target="_blank">More exploration</a></div>
</div>
<div><object style="width: 618px; height: 400px;"><param name="movie" value="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf?mode=embed&amp;layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&amp;showFlipBtn=true&amp;documentId=130204164945-0620fcbba1ed48158eb5dc4b2d05c488&amp;docName=red_bull_stratos_summit_report_final_050213&amp;username=redbullstratos&amp;loadingInfoText=Red%20Bull%20Stratos%20Summary%20Report&amp;et=1360072457028&amp;er=58" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://static.issuu.com/webembed/viewers/style1/v1/IssuuViewer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" menu="false" style="width: 618px; height: 400px;" flashvars="mode=embed&amp;layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&amp;showFlipBtn=true&amp;documentId=130204164945-0620fcbba1ed48158eb5dc4b2d05c488&amp;docName=red_bull_stratos_summit_report_final_050213&amp;username=redbullstratos&amp;loadingInfoText=Red%20Bull%20Stratos%20Summary%20Report&amp;et=1360072457028&amp;er=58" /></object>
<div style="width: 618px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://issuu.com/redbullstratos/docs/red_bull_stratos_summit_report_final_050213?mode=embed&amp;layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&amp;showFlipBtn=true" target="_blank">Open publication</a> - Free <a href="http://issuu.com" target="_blank">publishing</a> - <a href="http://issuu.com/search?q=exploration" target="_blank">More exploration</a></div>
</div>

Felix Baumgartner Fell Even Faster Than Thought

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/52f11d4eeab8eab225c2ff0d-1200-924/felix-baumgartner-38.jpg" border="0" alt="Felix Baumgartner" /><p class="source"><span>Red Bull Stratos Content Pool</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Felix Baumgartner's 2012 jump from the edge of space has made headlines again after GoPro released <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gopro-releases-baumgartner-space-jump-footage-2014-1" target="_blank">new high-definition footage</a> of the freefall.</p>
<p>While impressive to most, many media reports have mischaracterized the jump as happening from space. <span>Technically, he jumped from the stratosphere. </span></p>
<p>Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson is critical of the misrepresentation, noting in a <a href="%20http://www.businessinsider.com/felix-baumgartner-record-breaking-jump-pictures-2012-10" target="_blank">tweet</a> that a corresponding fall to a regular classroom globe would be 1 millimeter above the surface - teeny tiny.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p>Felix Baumgartner's "Edge of Space" jump, if scaled to a schoolroom globe, begins 1mm above its surface. I'm just saying.</p>
- Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/statuses/430731290388992000">February 4, 2014</a></blockquote>
<p>There's no clear point where Earth's atmosphere ends and space begins, although an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles) above sea level, defined as the Karman Line by the World Air Sports Federation, is the "commonly accepted boundary of space," University of Queensland astrophysics professor Kevin Pimbblet <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/01/13/2791372.htm" target="_blank">told ABC Science</a>.</p>
<p>The Karman Line marks the point where the atmosphere is too thin for planes to fly.</p>
<p>Baumgartner jumped from 24 miles above the surface of Earth, meaning he was less than halfway to space when he broke the record for the highest freefall, at least by the Karman Line definition.</p>
<p>DeGrasse Tyson has been critical of Baumgartner's supersonic jump before. Back in October 2012 the astrophysicist <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/255691761341587456" target="_blank">tweeted</a>: <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"I'm told somebody's jumping out of a perfectly good balloon from 23-miles up. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The theory of gravity no longer needs to be tested in this way."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He also made the same comment about the <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/257591067833139200" target="_blank">schoolroom globe</a>.  </span></p>

Neil deGrasse Tyson Was Not Impressed By Felix Baumgartner's 'Edge Of Space' Jump And Is Blasting It On Twitter

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57a8bad7db5ce99d168b545d-2250/p-20121015-00006_hires jpeg 24bit rgb news.jpg" alt="Felix Baumgartner" data-mce-source="Red Bull Stratos Content Pool" /><p class="source"><span>Red Bull Stratos Content Pool</span></p><p class="caption">Would skydivers be making more and more extreme jumps without the internet?</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>On July 30, 2016, Luke Aikins <a href="http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2016/8/guinness-world-records-confirms-new-record-for-skydiver-who-fell-25-000-ft-withou-438265">jumped out of a plane 25,000 feet</a> above the Earth without a parachute.</p><p>Intentionally.</p><p>After two minutes, he flipped onto his back and landed not quite in the center of a 10,000 square foot net that he'd targeted from above.</p><p>That's not the only crazy skydive to happen in recent years. In October of 2012, Felix Baumgartner lept out of a balloon floating in the stratosphere, 39 kilometers above Earth. Two years later, that record too was broken, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/25/science/alan-eustace-jumps-from-stratosphere-breaking-felix-baumgartners-world-record.html">when Google's Alan Eustace jumped</a> from just over 41 kilometers up.</p><p>In extreme sports of all kinds, people are doing things that would have once been considered impossible or just plain insane.</p><p>In 2013, Catalan endurance athlete <a href="http://www.climbing.com/news/kilian-jornet-shatters-matterhorn-speed-record/">Kilian Jornet ran up</a> and down the 14,692-foot-high Matterhorn in two hours, 42 minutes. The first ascent of that mountain took approximately two days - and four of the climbers were killed in an accident.</p><p>Similarly, there's been <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/activities/trail-running/hardrock-colorado-running-100-miles/">an explosion in the number of ultramarathons, alongside growing numbers of ultrarunners trying</a> to get into those races.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57a8d866ce38f2db088b5638-2400/ap_667752866982.jpg" alt="freediving" data-mce-source="AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo" data-mce-caption="In this Dec. 1, 2013 photo, on a single breath of air, freediver Roberto Reyes begins his practice plunge to 65 feet deep off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Freediving fans say it's an adrenaline rush to plunge without an oxygen tank to staggering depths, using weights or relying on gravity alone, and see how long they can remain underwater before what can be the hardest part: coming back up. &amp;quotIt looks very simple, but it goes beyond that,&quot; Reyes said. &amp;quotIf you do it once, it's addictive. It feels so good that your body is asking you to return to the ocean.&quot;" /><p class="source"><span>AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo</span></p><p class="caption">Freediver Roberto Reyes begins his practice plunge to 65 feet deep off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Freediving fans say it's an adrenaline rush to plunge without an oxygen tank to staggering depths, using weights or relying on gravity alone, and see how long they can remain underwater before what can be the hardest part: coming back up. "It looks very simple, but it goes beyond that," Reyes said. "If you do it once, it's addictive. It feels so good that your body is asking you to return to the ocean."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In one of the most extreme examples, freediving - no oxygen tanks allowed - has long been the domain of lobster hunters and pearl divers. But now that it's become an athletic discipline, people are going deeper than we knew was humanly possible - sometimes with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/aug/04/free-diver-natalia-molchanova-feared-dead">deadly consequences</a>. In 1949, scientists thought that going deeper than 100 feet would kill divers, crushing their lungs.</p><p>Now, divers using aid (weights and balloons) to descend and ascend have <a href="https://www.aidainternational.org/Home/WorldRecordsAll#recordsMan">gone more than 700 feet into the depths</a> of the sea, all on a single breath. Some experts <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140810-free-diving-sperm-whales-jules-verne-reunion-booktalk/">think it won't be long</a> until we hit 1,000 feet underwater.</p><h2>The internet as driving force</h2><p>So the question is, where does this exploding interest in achieving the extreme come from?</p><p>The internet could largely be responsible, according to <a href="http://www.drmichaeljoyner.com/">Dr. Michael Joyner</a>, a physician and <a href="http://www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/joyner-michael-j-m-d/bio-00078027">Mayo Clinic researcher</a> who is one of the world's top experts on fitness and human performance.</p><p>"What used to happen is there were all these communities of ultramarathoners, ultra endurance athletes, [and others]," says Joyner. "There really were subcultures." Those subcultures were pushing the limits in their sports, but the size of those communities was extremely limited - at least until we could easily connect to each other online.</p><p>In the past, he explains, you weren't likely to run an ultramarathon unless you knew other people who were ultramarathoners in the first place: You wouldn't even know that it was a thing people did.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57a8e055ce38f238008b56c9-1067/carlos-sa-badwater-ultramarathon.jpg" alt="carlos sa badwater ultramarathon" data-mce-source="David McNew/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>David McNew/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">A runner in the middle of the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile run through Death Valley.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>You don't push the limits of human performance without being aware of what those supposed limits are, and the internet has made us more aware than ever of any seemingly insane accomplishment out there.</p><p>"Now it's possible for people all over the world to connect via the internet, and people are getting into some very interesting things," says Joyner.</p><p>The web doesn't just make us aware of the extreme things people are doing. It also enables us to start to learn those things on our own. Want to start freediving? You can easily find <a href="https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/how-to-start-freediving.64959/">communities with starter tips</a> (though please be careful - it's an extremely dangerous sport). Same for <a href="https://www.ultrarunning.com/features/a-primer-for-the-beginning-ultra-runner-keep-it-simple/">ultrarunning</a> or pretty much anything else you can imagine.</p><p>Joyner warns that sometimes, this ease of access can cause people to do things they aren't prepared for. But for those who carefully work their way up to whatever extreme accomplishment they want to achieve, this is how we'll continue to see that the perceived limits on human performance are just that: perceived - until they've been exceeded.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazing-facts-about-octopus-2016-7">Humans are finally starting to understand the octopus, and it's mind-boggling </a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VtbTVoMjE6YLwiZmc67EPMJyh4CCyVIm" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VtbTVoMjE6YLwiZmc67EPMJyh4CCyVIm',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

The internet is driving athletes to do crazy things no one knew were possible

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59948ca5b0e0b5da098b55c2-1595/total-solar-eclipse-livestream-video-reuters-phone-2-dave-mosher-business-insider.jpg" alt="total solar eclipse livestream video reuters phone 2 dave mosher business insider.JPG" data-mce-source="Dave Mosher/Business Insider" data-link="http://davemosher.com" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://davemosher.com">Dave Mosher/Business Insider</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Experts think the total solar eclipse on August 21 may become the most-viewed event in human history.</strong></li><li><strong>Record numbers of people are expected to photograph, share, and watch live video feeds of the eclipse online.</strong></li><li><strong>However, telecommunications companies and websites that host live-streaming video say they're prepared for the crush of internet traffic.</strong></li></ul><p>The total <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/solar-eclipse-2017" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">solar eclipse</a> on August 21 may be a record-breaking event on the internet, and telecommunications and social media companies are digging in for the challenge.</p><p>For about two hours on Monday, weather permitting, the entire US should see the moon slide in front of the sun. The last solar eclipse to slice across the entire continent happened 99 years ago; unlike that event, this eclipse will occur in an era of <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">record</a> internet usage - one in which 95% of American adults own a mobile phone.</p><p>"This will be the most photographed, most shared, most tweeted event in human history," Tyler Nordgren, an astronomer at the University of Redlands, recently told writer Rebecca Boyle for a story at <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/08/the-greatest-mass-migration-in-american-history/535734/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Atlantic</a>.</p><p>Many if not most of America's 325 million inhabitants plan to step outside and see it happen. Retailers keep <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-approved-solar-eclipse-glasses-2017-8">selling out</a> of paper-frame solar eclipse sunglasses, and a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-americas-total-eclipse-floods-market-with-fake-sunglasses-2017-8">potentially dangerous black market</a> has emerged to meet demand. (If you can't find a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/free-eclipse-sunglasses-libraries-nasa-events-2017-8">free pair</a>, don't fret; there are other <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/safety-tips-watching-partial-solar-eclipse-2017-8">safe ways to view the eclipse</a>.)</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59922096b0e0b51d008b4ed8-1757/total-solar-eclipse-viewing-safety-sunglasses-reuters-cathal-mcnaughton-rtr4u5fq.jpg" alt="total solar eclipse viewing safety sunglasses reuters cathal mcnaughton RTR4U5FQ" data-mce-source="Cathal McNaughton/Reuters" data-mce-caption="A woman wears protective glasses as she watches a partial solar eclipse from the grounds of Belfast Zoo, in Belfast March 20, 2015." data-link="http://pictures.reuters.com/archive/SOLAR-ECLIPSE--LM1EB3K0VDM01.html" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://pictures.reuters.com/archive/SOLAR-ECLIPSE--LM1EB3K0VDM01.html">Cathal McNaughton/Reuters</a></span></p><p class="caption">A woman wears protective glasses as she watches a partial solar eclipse from the grounds of Belfast Zoo, in Belfast March 20, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Most of America won't be in the path of totality - the places where an ultra-dark lunar shadow will be visible.</p><p>So instead of traveling to that path (or booking a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/total-solar-eclipse-nasa-research-jets-2017-7">jet</a> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/total-solar-eclipse-chasing-airplane-experience-2017-8">ride</a> over it), hundreds of millions of people in the US will turn to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch-solar-eclipse-livestream-youtube-nasa-2017-8">live video feeds of the eclipse</a> to watch totality unfold.</p><p>Which begs the question: Will the internet buckle under eclipse fever?</p><h2>Preparing for the solar eclipse data crush</h2><p>Representatives of mobile carriers like AT&amp;T, Sprint, and T-Mobile declined to confirm Nordgren and other experts' prediction that the eclipse could be the most-shared event in internet history and generate a record amount of data traffic. But many of these companies did tell Business Insider that it won't be a normal day on the internet by any stretch.</p><p>"We don't know exactly how much data we'll see cross our network, but we're sure it'll set records," a spokesperson for AT&amp;T said in an email.</p><p>Still, it's extremely unlikely your internet will stop working on eclipse day.</p><p>Whether you're sharing and watching from your phone or desktop computer, a vast majority of the country shouldn't experience any hiccups. That's because providers build their networks to handle traffic far beyond what is considered normal.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5978a266552be5b3008b6958-2000/united-states-us-total-solar-eclipse-map-august-21-2017-nasa-gsfc-svs.jpg" alt="united states us total solar eclipse map august 21 2017 nasa gsfc svs" data-mce-source="NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio" data-mce-caption="A US map of the total solar eclipse's shadow on August 21, 2017." data-link="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4518" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4518">NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio</a></span></p><p class="caption">A US map of the total solar eclipse's shadow on August 21, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In particular, mobile carriers can electronically divert or "dimension" network resources from central command centers to serve areas with spiking demand.</p><p>"To handle our busiest days, we've actually dimensioned our network to carry 2.5 times the rolling monthly average," Dave Saska, AT&amp;T's vice president for radio access, told Business Insider.</p><p>Saska also said the company deploys mobile towers to about 200 large events a year, such as concerts and sports games, to buttress its network coverage.</p><p>But he said such efforts are more difficult for the solar eclipse, since small towns in the path of totality will be flooded with visitors - and an intense demand for cellular and mobile data service. Michael Zeiler, a mapping expert and eclipse chaser who works for Esri, told Business Insider that as many as <a href="https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">7.4 million people</a> may migrate to the path of totality.</p><p>"The eclipse will be a unique event. It's spanning 2,800 miles across the United States, in a 70-mile-wide swath, and there will be thousands of viewing locations," Saska said. "And we don't know exactly where people are going to show up."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5994afcff1a85020008b57fc-2000/cell-on-wheels-cow-mobile-tower-atandt.jpg" alt="cell on wheels cow mobile tower atandt" data-mce-source="AT&amp;T" data-mce-caption="A cell-on-wheels truck, or COW." /><p class="source"><span>AT&amp;T</span></p><p class="caption">A cell-on-wheels truck, or COW.</p></div><p></p></div></div>To handle the demand, AT&amp;T dispatched a special team to scout out the biggest viewing locations and determine places where mobile towers - called cell-on-wheels or COW trucks - should be rolled in. In some prime viewing destinations, such as Hopkinsville, Kentucky, AT&amp;T plans to amp up network capacity by 300%.</p><p>Representatives from Sprint and Verizon Wireless also told Business Insider that their companies plan to deploy COWs to viewing locations. T-Mobile did not return our requests for information.</p><p>Saska did not seem concerned about the idea that the company's network could be crushed by online eclipse watchers.</p><p>"Our subscribers send 160 petabytes of data across the network each day," he said. (AT&amp;T represents about 32% of all mobile subscribers in the US.) "That's enough for every man, woman, and child in the United States to watch about 50 minutes of live-streaming video."</p><p>He added: "It's certainly an unprecedented event, as we haven't seen something like this in nearly 100 years, but I don't think it's going to push us over that needle."</p><p>Popular social media sites like that host live video feeds, however, may have more of an issue if record numbers crush their servers.</p><h2>Bound to break social media records</h2><p>Representatives for YouTube and Facebook Live, which are now two of the largest live-video providers, declined to share data with Business Insider about their expected audiences on eclipse day.</p><p>"While we can't make predictions about viewership, we are prepared for it," Mariana De Felice, a spokesperson for YouTube, told Business Insider in an email. "We've been hosting large streams on YouTube since 2011, such as as the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/felix-baumgartners-red-bull-risk-2012-10">Red Bull Stratos Jump</a> to which 8 million people tuned in at the same time."</p><p>When asked if YouTube expects to break that record on eclipse day, De Felice sent back a smiling-face-with-sunglasses emoji (😎).</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/598e3224f1a85012028b46c2-1062/eclipse1.jpg" alt="eclipse glasses" data-mce-source="Mystery Science" /><p class="source"><span>Mystery <keyword id="41551" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">Science</keyword></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Facebook Live is still relatively new to the streaming-video scene, yet claims its live-video watch time has grown four-fold in the past year. For this platform, the record-setting event to beat is its <a href="https://media.fb.com/2017/01/04/the-live-blog-january-4-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Year's Eve and Day</a> spike.</p><p>A Facebook spokesperson who asked not to be named said the social network will be closely watching live-streaming traffic, and releasing information after the fact. "We're interested to see what happens with the eclipse, as this is a global event," she said.</p><p class="tagline">Get the latest Google stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GOOG-Quote"> here.</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/where-you-can-see-america-rare-solar-eclipse-2017-7">NASA's most accurate map of where Americans can witness the rare total solar eclipse this year</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/D8lx6VCa-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

You Searched For "Red Bull Stratos" and got 5 results

New Footage From Last Year's Epic Red Bull Space Jump Shows Felix Baumgartner Handling A Wild Spin 24 Miles Above Earth

Richard Feloni

Felix Baumgartner Fell Even Faster Than Thought

Dina Spector

Neil deGrasse Tyson Was Not Impressed By Felix Baumgartner's 'Edge Of Space' Jump And Is Blasting It On Twitter

Dina Spector

The internet is driving athletes to do crazy things no one knew were possible

Kevin Loria

The total solar eclipse may break internet records - here's how web companies are preparing for the crush

Dave Mosher