Two upcoming solar eclipses in North America

[REWahoo]

Many of you may already be aware that some of us in North America will have an opportunity to view (with proper glasses!) two upcoming solar eclipses:

- An annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023. An annular eclipse results when the moon is farther from earth and doesn't completely cover the sun. This results in a "ring of fire" rather than the complete darkness of a total eclipse.

- Six months later, a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

I've included a map showing the path of the two eclipses and a map showing the area where both paths cross, enabling those living there to see the full effect of both eclipses. Since I do live in that area, I plan to watch both from home.

Hoping to be able to complete a bucket list item while sitting on my back deck. Is this a great country or what?

 

[braumeister]

Definitely looking forward to that. For next April, the path of totality will be less than 40 miles from my home so I've been excited about it for a couple of years now.

I have vivid memories of watching a nearly total eclipse as a kid in NYC. We used a number of stacked film negatives to look through and since I didn't go blind it must have worked OK.

I imagine most folks today would say "film negative? What's that?"

 

[JoeWras]

It was a bucket list for me, and I got lucky as the clouds parted minutes before in my little spot I drove to in South Carolina. Once in a lifetime.

But no! Maybe not. I plan to travel somewhere... probably on a two lane road in the middle of nowhere Indiana, in 2024. I got stuck in traffic for the last eclipse.

 

[FI_RElater]

Many of you may already be aware that some of us in North America will have an opportunity to view (with proper glasses!) two upcoming solar eclipses:

- An annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023. An annular eclipse results when the moon is farther from earth and doesn't completely cover the sun. This results in a "ring of fire" rather than the complete darkness of a total eclipse.

- Six months later, a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

I've included a map showing the path of the two eclipses and a map showing the area where both paths cross, enabling those living there to see the full effect of both eclipses. Since I do live in that area, I plan to watch both from home.

Hoping to be able to complete a bucket list item while sitting on my back deck. Is this a great country or what?

Did exactly that back in '17... and lots of people came from other states, and even other countries! The sheriff had made presentations to us locals about the preparations that they had to make when the others arrived--- they even had reserved some of the trucks that could ride on the rails, in case an accident closed off roads and there was an emergency (they took emergency preparedness to an extreme, even having extra temporary towers to allow for cellular bandwidth/service!)

looks like the '24 one will be the same, now that I've moved

As for TX.... looks like Kerrville would probably be one of the better locations for both ; west of that though is plenty of nothing (and yeah I know a bit about that...can you say Big Spring to San Angelo to San Antonio)

 

[GravitySucks]

Went to Gallatin Tn to see the 2017 eclipse and will defiantly be checking these two out.

The people of Gallatin were the most welcoming folks I ever met. Vendors were selling water for a dollar a bottle and the town was giving away free bottles if you didn’t have cash. Free eclipse glasses too!

 

[MissMolly]

I actually texted my sister earlier this past week and requested a reservation for one her guest rooms. My reservation is confirmed. She lives up by Indianapolis

 

[Mark1]

Thanks for sharing REWahoo. I was already planning on seeing the Spring eclipses, but had been ignoring this Fall's Ring of Fire. Now that I see how close it will be to me, I will probably run down to 4 corners area to see the Ring of Fire, also.

DW and I really enjoyed the 2017 Eclipse and enclosed it what I learned that I will apply to the 2024 event.

1) Don't plan on a location until the very last few days once you know the weather. TX is most likely to have the least cloud cover that time of year that and is also closest to me.

2) Get a hotel outside the band of totality, but plan on driving to the "band" that morning well before the traffic gets bad. I'll probably target for a 8:00am arrival for ~1:30 event. DW and I will just walk around town all morning, etc.

3) Set up for a lawn picnic that day in a city park. Seeing the events with lots of people around is really neat and if you look around at least one city park will have tons of vendors set up for the day.

If you have only seen a partial eclipse you really haven't seen anything. At this point, I would be willing to go out to back yard to see a partial, but drive two days to see a total.

 

[Car-Guy]

- Six months later, a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

I'll be right on the southern edge for this one by ~10 miles. (Assuming an asteroid does hit us between now and then and bump us out of our current orbit. )


Thanks for the info.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks for posting. I’ll be ready as I was in 2017.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

South Texas appears to be the place to be, at least as far as the statistical cloud cover data for that time of year goes. Actually, Mazatlán looks like the best choice, if one ignores international boundaries. Not sure I'd be comfortable traveling there, but that might just be me. In any case, statistics are one thing; the weather forecasts within a week or so of the event will be more useful. Stay flexible.

 

[6miths]

Went to Gallatin Tn to see the 2017 eclipse and will defiantly be checking these two out.

The people of Gallatin were the most welcoming folks I ever met. Vendors were selling water for a dollar a bottle and the town was giving away free bottles if you didn’t have cash. Free eclipse glasses too!

I was there too! Great place and people. This time we are right near the centre line so not need for the big drive. Hope we get clear weather.

October might be a nice time to visit San Antonio although an annular is nowhere near the experience.

 

[stepford]

I viewed the 2017 eclipse from a mountain in Idaho and very much enjoyed the experience. I'm not sure I'd travel far to see an annular eclipse, but if I happen to be near ABQ this October I'd definitely try to get up on Sandia Peak for the view.

The ones I'm really looking forward to are total eclipses in 2027 (Rock of Gibraltar or Luxor) and 2028 (Bungle Bungles or Devil's Marbles in AUS). I really wish I could duplicate myself since I have to choose only one cool viewing spot per eclipse.

 

[Telly]

Thanks, REW!
For the Total, I just have to travel outside

 

[JoeWras]

I'll be right on the southern edge for this one by ~10 miles. (Assuming an asteroid does hit us between now and then and bump us out of our current orbit. )

Thanks for the info.

When I took my drive to SC, I tried to hit the center of the umbra. I was amazed by all the people who were content being in the heavy penumbra, or being on the edge of the umbra. A quick drive would have gotten them to much better viewing.

 

[sengsational]

During the last one in NC, I set-up a binoculars and screen that was a hit with the kids and parents. It results in a big rendering of what it looks like while progressing, without the goofy glasses. You can actually see more detail on the projection than looking directly with the filter glasses. I made a cardboard shutter because I didn't know if the binocular innards would heat up. So flipped it open when people wanted a look.

 

[Sue J]

We are right in the path of totality (Northeast Ohio) for the one in 2024.

 

[Jerry1]

When I took my drive to SC, I tried to hit the center of the umbra. I was amazed by all the people who were content being in the heavy penumbra, or being on the edge of the umbra. A quick drive would have gotten them to much better viewing.

In 2017, some friends were so excited because they were planning on being on a boat in the water. What their planning didn't include was understanding that the water was not in the zone of totality. Not only do you have to get into the zone, the closer to the middle you are, the longer it will be in totality. I'm not far from the 2024 eclipse (I'm in S.E. Michigan). I'll definitely be scoping out a couple areas to plan on driving to that morning.

 

[JoeWras]

I tried to hit the absolute center and enjoyed it with about 300 others of my new friends in the Walmart parking lot. LOL.

So nice that maps are published giving exact coordinates.

I won't do the parking lot next time. The lights came on and ruined some of the fun.

 

[REWahoo]

I won't do the parking lot next time. The lights came on and ruined some of the fun.

Good point!

 

[Sojourner]

I tried to hit the absolute center and enjoyed it with about 300 others of my new friends in the Walmart parking lot. LOL.

Same here, except I was in a state park in Tennessee and not a parking lot. There is nothing like being in the dead center of the path of totality. Two whole minutes of eclipse darkness is an experience that is so profound and "otherworldly", it's well worth the extra effort to get to the right spot.

 

[tutan]

...
2) Get a hotel outside the band of totality, but plan on driving to the "band" that morning well before the traffic gets bad. I'll probably target for a 8:00am arrival for ~1:30 event. DW and I will just walk around town all morning, etc.
...

If you have only seen a partial eclipse you really haven't seen anything. At this point, I would be willing to go out to back yard to see a partial, but drive two days to see a total.

Good advice! I have probably seen a few partials over my lifetime but they were not that remarkable. Seeing the 2017 totality was something else altogether. We'll probably go to Dallas for the event but not sure if it is going to become a big traffic jam.

This is a good site for planning where to go:

https://eclipse2024.org/eclipse_cities/

Big differences in length of totality at locations not too far apart. I want to experience 4+ minutes.

 

[JoeWras]

In South Carolina, driving TO the event wasn't bad. People were arriving at all times.

But going home? Gridlock. Half a million cars in totality hit the road at the same time. Every road was crowded, from country two laners to the interstates.

 

[Jerry1]

In South Carolina, driving TO the event wasn't bad. People were arriving at all times.

But going home? Gridlock. Half a million cars in totality hit the road at the same time. Every road was crowded, from country two laners to the interstates.

This was my experience as well. And, the gridlock lasted into the next day. My plan was that I got a hotel for after the eclipse. We went there, got cleaned up, took a nap and then decided to go home. We were probably at the hotel for about 4 hours. Well, that was nowhere near enough time for tragic to clear. What should have been about 6 hours took closer to 10 hours. I don’t think we ever hit the speed limit until we got well into Ohio (from TN to MI). Plan your spot but realize the exit is tough. I should have just stayed at the hotel the full night but my daughter didn’t want to take another day off work.

 

[anethum]

The day before the 2017 eclipse, I was hiking with some friends in Oregon. We met a man who was an eclipse chaser. He had seen many total eclipses around the world. He said the difference between a total eclipse and a partial eclipse was like the difference between a death and a near-death experience. After we witnessed the total solar eclipse the next day, one of my friends said the difference was like the comparison between an orgasm and a faked orgasm.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I just made hotel reservations for Niagara Falls from April 7-9. It looks like some hotels have started price gouging due to the eclipse, but I went to my IHG account and got a decent rate for the Crowne Plaza in Ontario. It looks like Niagara Falls is right in the center of totality. If it's cloudy, we'll still experience the change in temperature and light, which will be cool. And we have our solar eclipse glasses from the 2017 eclipse.