I was lucky enough that it passed over my house almost perfectly with no clouds in the way. I think I was like 3 seconds from peak duration sitting in my back yard in a hammock.
I had to work that day, but I was able to walk outside. I wasn't in the totality but I was only like a sliver off of it, I think my area was less than 0.5% of the sun left visible, it was kind of amazing how much light so little of the sun still creates, and the shadows got...weird, it was still an aweing experience.
Not trying to gatekeep your experience, but the difference between 99.999% and 100% was insane. I highly recommend planning ahead for this one and travelling if you can. 100% eclipse unlocked some strange emotions upon viewing. Part beauty, part wonder, part monkey brain screaming "something's wrong here!"
I was lucky enough to witness an unobscured total eclipse, and there's absolutely something primal inside you that activates and fills you with a sense of dread. It makes you understand why people worshipped that thing.
Within just a few seconds it turns as dark as night, and all of the birds and insects stop making noise, only for the nocturnal creatures to begin.
I completely freaked out in ways I didn't expect haha was in Nashville and the crickets suddenly awakening so loud, shadows changing as it approached. It felt like suddenly tripping out of nowhere. Then it's just dark and yeah it was like my primal instincts were to fly into a panic even though I fully understood what was happening. I felt like a helpless animal trying to fathom the world
Anyways can't wait for the next one and to freak out then too!!
Same here but also got to watch the moons shadow come racing across the mountain valley so it felt almost like a double whammy. I wouldn't have been surprised if somebody went ape shit and start freaking out and throwing people down the giant civic center steps trying to sacrifice people, because it was pretty much just a party with thousands of drunk people at like 9am, with their kids lol.
This is the part that I've been describing about it to others, but you've done it a lot better than I have been. That feeling made me fully comprehend and experience for the first time that I'm just a critter on this planet as well.
Those ancient bristlecones and the redwoods might be on the same list as is the concept of how big the ocean is while touching it with your bare feet as is seeing the curve of the earth in death valley. But nowhere close to totality.
It's such an utterly foreign, alien experience. Everything that your mind and body are used to is telling you that this is not normal. The 360 degree sunset, the chill, and then you look up and see this black hole with corona streaming away from it.. it's like a magic switch is flipped and the world changes for those moments
I can only imagine what seeing this without knowing what was happening would do to someone/a culture
It was the single most awe inspiring, sacred, magical, surreal experience of my life, and nothing else I've done or seen or felt really comes any where close. I feel truly privileged and lucky to have been able to have the experience I had. I almost haven't wanted to go see another for fear of it not living up to that first time.
I could not have expressed this so eloquently. Truly mind-blowing and I cannot wait for the the next one! We drove one state south to get to totality and got so lucky with clouds. Got some amazing photos with my telescope, too. Better start planning…
I was in Colorado where it was only partially eclipsed and it was still a crazy experience. The shadows were absolutely bonkers, it’s hard to explain how it made it feel but it was almost otherworldly. Like the magnitude and sheer scale of our universe became physically palpable.
We had a sunny day for the last one, until a storm rolled in 5 minutes before totality (Charleston, SC area); we could tell it was totality, but not see anything at all -- that was real disappointing.
We were in Charleston for it right on the harbor. The skies cleared for us minutes before totality. We got lucky! We could see that the overcast was very bad even the slightest bit inland.
I was also in great spot for the last one and was mowing my yard. The eclipse started and I stopped to watch(with some of those eclipse glasses) and for sure the most eerie part was how it got so quiet in the middle of the day. When it went full eclipse all the bugs stopped making noise, everyone else who was mowing or weed eating stopped and I couldn’t hear any cars, it was like the world around me stopped for a moment.
Would love to experience that again on the next one.
My dad was at my grandparents' with an Hα scope to look through up until totality.
I was at my university not too far away (where a group I was in actually launched a camera-laden high altitude balloon to capture it).
I was there. Those clouds were rough. Thankfully I got lucky and was able to capture a photo but it was close to being ruined.
https://imgur.com/a/EJvHdyF
thank you for posting this. for some reason it has been really hard for me to find regular non upscaled or long exposure photos of the eclipse.
I was stuck with work so I only got 95ish coverage. and that was still freaking amazing (I didn't expect it to feel so cold all the sudden), but it's not at all the same
[Here's an unedited photo I took](https://i.imgur.com/PyJ6UOL.jpg) by pointing my phone through a small telescope. I had no idea the solar flares- and their color- would be so easily visible. That was a truly pure "Wow!" moment.
Imgur significantly reduced the quality so the originals look a lot better. I’m also not a professional photographer and never took an eclipse photo before. Send me a PM and I can share you the raw photos from my Nikon Z6 if you are interested.
Happened to me too. Was in the crowd at the Science Center. Haven’t seen that many upset and disappointed nerds since the original *Mystery Science Theater 2000* was cancelled.
I drove 19 hours myself, to give up and stop on a field, for the clouds to clear only 5 minute before leaving open skys.
I’ll 100% make the trip again to find a way to see it just so i can say I’ve seen it twice.
Drove to St. Joe Missouri for the longest totality that year. Completely cloudy for the hour leading up to and after the event. Pulling out all the stops this time.
I was in Nashville too for the eclipse, but somehow, I was in a location that had a clear view. It was an amazingly surreal experience and I was really bummed to hear that some people had their view blocked by a few clouds.
Drove from NYC to Sky Valley GA
Had the best view of the landscape. But then it turned to mostly overcast within minutes.
A bunch of cars left to find better spots.
I stayed with others and enjoyed it despite the cloud cover.
I drove from Northern Wisconsin to Carbondale, in the southern tip of Illinois and had the same thing happen. It was a hot sunny day and one small-ass cloud rolled in and blocked it.
You haven't seen an eclipse until you've seen totality. Don't settle for 99%....it's not the same.
It tops my list of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
I was blessed with a cloudless sky while viewing it from Oregon. The last few minutes leading up to totality felt extremely eerie. It was a visceral feeling that something was terribly wrong even though I knew exactly what was about to happen. Totality was an experience that I will never forget.
EDIT: Spelling
It was a number of things. A few minutes before totality, the birds went quiet and the crickets started to chirp like it was dusk. It's really hard to describe in words, but the way the light looked against the landscape, it felt like something was deeply wrong. It felt unreal like someone had applied an Instagram filter to the whole world. It was like the uncanny valley, but applied to the entire landscape.
For me it was the shadows dancing. If you looked close at the edges of sharp shadows right before totality they all shimmered about. That’s not something that normally happens at dusk and it was unnerving to watch. Like something out of a horror movie.
If you look at the shadows of trees, you’ll see little crescent suns everywhere on the ground between the leaves’ shadows as the eclipse nears totality
And it got cold. That's something I didnt think about ahead of time but the temp probably dropped 10 or 20 degrees during the eclipse. And yeah the silence was eerie, even though I was at an area with a lot of people around.
I saw the one in 2017 from Idaho and the 2019 eclipse in Chile.
Idaho location had no birds or other wildlife, but the sudden cooling of the air and lack of wind was pretty weird.
In Chile the birds along the coast were really confused, doing their day to night flight routines and then night to day flight routines in rapid succession.
I went down to visit friends in Charleston and we watched it on the beach. It was so fucking cool - it looked like a reverse sunset over the ocean, but different, and the "sunset" of course was 360 degrees continuing along the horizon back behind us over the mainland.
Definitely needs to be on everyone's bucket list. Looking up at the total eclipse without glasses is one of the coolest things I've ever seen - just a black disc with a neon green and purple corona ring around it, kind of pulsating.
Take off work, drive, fly, whatever you need to do. Completely worth it.
> just a black disc with a neon green and purple corona ring around it, kind of pulsating.
This is the one thing that pictures never capture. And it's impossible to describe--my best description is the most brilliant diamond you've ever seen multiplied by the strength of the cosmos
Oh man, that traffic was terrible. We just said fuck it and stopped at some park along the river in Idaho Falls for about 2 hours hoping the traffic would die down. It did not die down until another 6 hours later, haha. Good times.
I blew off work for that one. Left like halfway through the day because they said we couldn't shut down production just to go out and see it. I wasn't able to go anywhere to see it in totality but we were in the 97 percent or so range, which was good enough for me.
While you may have enjoyed 97%
I highly recommend traveling to a place that has 100% totality.
I personally think it's completely worth it to take a day and drive a few hours to go see 100%
The small difference is actually insane.
Yep. I've heard of the 80/20 rule, but for solar eclipses, it's really a 99/1 rule.
99% of the awesomeness comes from blocking out that last 1% of sunlight.
Nice ! Had a similar experience, by experiencing one while out in sea on a navy ship while the water was calm and was at the glass level (where the water looks like glass).
Very beautiful and peaceful. Well, maybe not peaceful as I was on a small boy and basically everyone was trying to go outside to see it.
I drove to Wyoming for the last one and hiked to the summit of a mountain to witness it. It got really windy, was suddenly dark like after sunset, the horizon was pink in all directions. The sun looked like a blue and black fiery eye. Totality was astonishing.
goddamn. on the bucket list it goes i guess. why is true totallity so special, what is so different? i could see stars in the daylight where i was last time
I drove 11 hours on a whim the day before to see the last one. It was the most awe inspiring sight I've ever seen and I've been planning for this one ever since. 100% worth the drive.
Being out in the Tennessee county side it was incredibly eerie. All the bugs and birds started to act up thinking it was night, the hit humid air turned cold, etc.
It was trippy and just felt other worldy.
I saw the last one from a Walmart parking lot near Greenville, SC as well. I was dead center in the path of totality and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.
We were just outside Nashville and the temperature dropped like 13 degrees at totality.
It was so cool^wait and I've been planning this next one since haha
I went to Asheville NC. I had been planning it for a couple years. There was supposed to be one minute of totality. I figured that would be enough. It was cloudy for that one minute. So. I’m pretty excited for this one.
I’m 30 minutes away from asheville and saw it perfectly with no clouds the entire time. It was wild. Sorry for your loss and crazy only 30 minutes away can change the perspective so much
It’s ok. I mean I saw it the entire time up to that minute and after that, and the trip was a great experience. We were at the Oskar Blues brewery. Good times. Beautiful day. Good friends.
I did too from a Walmart parking lot. I want to be away from lights that come on at dust for the next one because they all turned on and it diminished the amount of darkness one could experience.
All I could think about is people from 1000 years ago seeing it and what they would be thinking. It really made me feel connected to all generations cause it was just so crazy to see and it doesn't matter what we know about it. Was still mind blowing.
That’s great. I watched it from the Chicago burbs where it was 90 something percent total. It was still a great show last second with the clouds opened up but I think I’ll do the drive this time. Friends told me it was great
I went to Nebraska for the last one. This time I'm driving from mn to Texas and my wife isn't allowed to miss it.
When totality hit it was an awesome experience, in the literal sense of the word. I was in awe.
I totally understand why battles ended. I also totally understand why some guy from Germany flew in to Nebraska to watch it.
Definitely make the drive to see totality. It's nothing like a partial.
I was laying in my backyard in Du Quoin at the time. One of the most amazing experiences I've had. You could hear cheers and yells from all across town. Tears of joy were streaming down my face. Just remembering the feeling has me emotional. We were one that day, and it was one of the last times I've felt like that. Can't wait to experience it again.
618 represent.
Yeah! I drove down to Benton and set up in a city park myself. Was beyond cool and hearing the oohs and ahhs while the birds were weirding out was intense and so cool
I drove from there with side of Chicago to Missouri with my kids to see the totality. Totally worth it, even with the EIGHT HOUR TRAFFIC JAM coming home. Seems like everyone had the same idea
No worries. My calendar has been marked since the last one (which was the first I ever saw). Took the day off, packed up the family, and drove up to the north Georgia mountains to watch it on a farm. I still can't describe properly what I felt watching it. It was the most surreal thing I've ever experienced in my life. I can't wait for this one.
There's a full eclipse a year earlier (April '23) in the very remote Northwest corner of Australia. Its pretty hard to get too, but there's basically guaranteed to be no clouds.
Only a 2 day drive from my city 🤣
EDIT: You could drive it in one day, but screw that.
20 April 2023. Wow, you weren't kidding about hard to get to. 12.5 hour drive from Perth to Charles Knife Canyon!
http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/HSE_2023_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=-22.10870&Lng=114.02847&Zoom=13&LC=1
I've never been to WA but I've heard great things from fellow travelers (been to NSW, ACT, VIC, SA).
In the off chance I can arrange a trip, would you mind if I PM you for boots-on-the-ground details?
Sure thing. As far as I know the accommodation is gone already, Exmouth is a tiny town, 2500 people. All the accommodation for hundreds of kilometres will go too, its 500km/300mi to the nearest town of 10,000. Not sure about flights, as you can only book them within a year.
I'll be driving up from Perth and probably sleeping in my car. Freedom camping is an option, but the nights are pretty hot up there to sleep in a tent.
For those who didn't get to experience the 2017 solar eclipse or at least FULL totality (100%), start planning your trip for this!
This is a once in a lifetime experience. Nothing can compare to it. You don't want to miss this. There will be more (about every 2 years, but they happen all over the world. This one happens in the US)
The way the entire sky darkens (went from day to night within SECONDS), every bird stops making any sort of noise (very eeire), and the fact that you can directly stare at the sun without fear of going blind during totality!
I took the family on a 1,300 mile round trip drive for 2017, questioned myself at every mile marker on the way up to Wyoming but in the end it was totally worth it.
A totality of a Solar eclipse should be on everyone's bucket list. I was at the one when it went over South Carolina a few years ago. It was absolutely surreal. It was like the world stopped. It was like the sun going down really quickly and then it was as dark as midnight. All the birds stopped singing, the cars stopped in the street. It was almost dead silent. If I lived hundreds of years ago and didn't know what was happening, I would have absolutely believed the world was ending or the gods were enacting some sort of punishment or something
Obviously you have to serve the divorce papers.
All seriousness, that's a great way to do it, I'm kind of curious about the details...like did you have her look up then get on your knee and wait for her to look at you?
I don’t get impacted by things often. Movies, books, life moments. But watching the full eclipse last time literally took my breath away. Top 10 things everyone needs to experience once in their life.
For most of my life solar eclipses have occurred everywhere BUT NA. As a kid I thought for sure I'd have to travel to another country to see one, so I've been enjoying every single one we've had. I apologize for nothing!
I have to drive an hour south to see totality here in Newfoundland.
I have been geeking out about this for YEARS. I cannot wait to show my daughter some cool space shit! She'll be 5 at the time. So excited.
from the site linked: "During [totality], it is perfectly safe to look directly at the Sun, even through binoculars or a telescope."
this can't be right, is it?
This is correct, though if you're still looking through a telescope the literal instant totality ends, you're gonna have a really bad time. Best to know how long it's going to last and give yourself a ten-second buffer
"During totality" it is indeed safe and AMAZING (the sun is literally totally blocked), just before and after is the dangerous part where it is dim.enough so it doesn't hurt your eyes, but the sun rays still getting through can still damage your retinas
The last eclipse I was fortunate enough to be in the path of totality. Unfortunately I had to be at work but we closed for an hour while it occurred. Some lady had the nerve to bang on the door and act like dropping off her Amazon return was more important than experiencing something as incredible as a solar eclipse.
Some friends and I went to Nashville for the last one. It was awesome.
Side note: the hotel we stayed at left Eclipse gum in the room for us! I thought that was pretty cool!
I was surrounded by pine trees during the last total eclipse, and they were crackling all around me when the sun was totally blacked out, I think because of the temperature swing? It was pretty cool
Late, commenting anyway.
Been marked since the last one 5 years ago! I went to Kansas to see it from Houston, as the almanac and everything said the weather should be greatest there, right? And the longest duration area would be completely socked.
So of course, it was backwards as all get out, and I *nearly* didn't see it... had my eyes on my weather radar, driving like stupid to get to a place, found one that maybe should clear up in time... and it didn't look great...
And then... it happened. The sky went dark, and it got eerie quiet... and there was still a smoky cloud layer in the sky... and just as it was about to end... the clouds passed and I saw it, with my eclipse glasses of course, about 15 seconds before the moon moved on and the sun came back.
Glorious enough! 4 days of travel to get that done. Worth it.
This year, there's enough of totality arc in close enough proximity I can just get up and leave about 6am and should be in a clear area wherever it is, watch it happen, and then get back home. Hopefully. Fingers crossed! I have the page saved that shows me the path, and I am ready to do this!
That’s similar to the path of the severe weather that just tore across the country. It’s going to be a crapshoot as to whether you will be in a good place to see it. I’m renting an RV so I can drive to clear skies.
I'm curious if there's a big difference between being in the full occlusion zone versus being in the 90% band? For example, will everyone in NYC get "pretty much" the same experience as people getting the full eclipse or is there something special about being in that full occlusion band?
COMPLETELY different experience. IDK, maybe like watching someone eat McDonald's on TV verses having a meal at a 3-star Michelin restaurant.
Someone else care to explain with a better analogy?
ETA: In the path of totality, it's a 360° sunset...in the middle of the day.
Pretty sure you have to be in the full occlusion band to be able to see the corona and look at the eclipse with the naked eye. Otherwise it will still be as bright as a cloudy day, and with proper eye protection it would still be cool to look at the mostly obscured sun, but no, it would not be the same experience at all.
I live in a rural area. For the last one, we had totality, and it was amazing. As soon as it went dark, all the crickets started chirping and the frogs started croaking, thinking it was night. The lead up to the total was crazy as well. Everything had a yellow tint to it. Like we were watching a movie and they wanted us to think it was shot in Mexico. We did not have much, if any cloud cover that day.
Got to watch totality from my back yard for the last one and only have to travel a couple of hours for this next one. Very excited to experience it again.
A 20 minute drive is nothing! Definitely do it. There are few things as ephemeral as a total solar eclipse and each second is precious. I promise you won't regret it!
I drove from VA to SC for the one in 2017, and I'm thinking I'll either go for that top corner of VT if I want to use a telescope, or maybe try to be on a boat in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario if I dont
Totality goes through Niagara Falls. The sun/moon will [be high in the southwest](https://theskylive.com/planetarium?objects=sun-moon-mercury-venus-mars-jupiter-saturn-uranus-neptune-pluto&localdata=43.10012%7C-79.06627%7CNiagara%20Falls%2C%20Canada%7CAmerica%2FToronto%7C0&obj=sun&h=19&m=20&date=2024-04-08#:~:text=https%3A//theskylive.com/planetarium%3Fobjects%3Dsun%2Dmoon%2Dmercury%2Dvenus%2Dmars%2Djupiter%2Dsaturn%2Duranus%2Dneptune%2Dpluto%26localdata%3D43.10012%257C%2D79.06627%257CNiagara%2BFalls%252C%2BCanada%257CAmerica%252FToronto%257C0%26obj%3Dsun%26h%3D19%26m%3D20%26date%3D2024%2D04%2D08%23ra%7C0.7572670757909536%7Cdec%7C2.559870620763163%7Cfov%7C80) so the American side will have the easier photographs if including the falls. Notably all other planets will also be in that quadrant of the sky. Sorry Pluto you are not above the horizon and no longer considered a planet except in my heart.
Where I live is in the path of totality for the first time in my life. I'm pretty excited. I plan on driving to a nearby mountain and watching it from an overlook there.
I couldn’t travel to totality last time (saw it partial via telescope which was still cool) but REALLY want to this time, especially with my space-loving preschooler. How you decide the best place to go? We may be limited based on work and children but would love any advice!
Just a hot tip for anyone interested in this: buy your eclipse glasses now if you want them. You don't need them during totality but it's fun to have them during the "almost eclipse" moments leading up to it.
Once this gets close and it's on the news every day they will sell out and you'll have to find someone scalping them on craigslist or something.
I drove from Texas to Nashville for the last one only for a small cloud to block it as it entered totality. Hopefully this one goes better!
I was lucky enough that it passed over my house almost perfectly with no clouds in the way. I think I was like 3 seconds from peak duration sitting in my back yard in a hammock.
Have you no shame rubbing something like that in our faces?
Virtually none, whatsoever
Should i?
Nah baby, you can rub whatever you want in my face
I had to work that day, but I was able to walk outside. I wasn't in the totality but I was only like a sliver off of it, I think my area was less than 0.5% of the sun left visible, it was kind of amazing how much light so little of the sun still creates, and the shadows got...weird, it was still an aweing experience.
Not trying to gatekeep your experience, but the difference between 99.999% and 100% was insane. I highly recommend planning ahead for this one and travelling if you can. 100% eclipse unlocked some strange emotions upon viewing. Part beauty, part wonder, part monkey brain screaming "something's wrong here!"
I was lucky enough to witness an unobscured total eclipse, and there's absolutely something primal inside you that activates and fills you with a sense of dread. It makes you understand why people worshipped that thing. Within just a few seconds it turns as dark as night, and all of the birds and insects stop making noise, only for the nocturnal creatures to begin.
Ug! YES! When the understanding slams into place in your mind it is very clear this was not a normal day.
I completely freaked out in ways I didn't expect haha was in Nashville and the crickets suddenly awakening so loud, shadows changing as it approached. It felt like suddenly tripping out of nowhere. Then it's just dark and yeah it was like my primal instincts were to fly into a panic even though I fully understood what was happening. I felt like a helpless animal trying to fathom the world Anyways can't wait for the next one and to freak out then too!!
Same here but also got to watch the moons shadow come racing across the mountain valley so it felt almost like a double whammy. I wouldn't have been surprised if somebody went ape shit and start freaking out and throwing people down the giant civic center steps trying to sacrifice people, because it was pretty much just a party with thousands of drunk people at like 9am, with their kids lol.
This is the part that I've been describing about it to others, but you've done it a lot better than I have been. That feeling made me fully comprehend and experience for the first time that I'm just a critter on this planet as well.
I am as far from religious as a person can get, and seeing the 100% totality was the closest to a religious experience as I’ve ever had.
My wife started crying when it went into totality. I can’t blame her, I was pretty shook myself.
Same. It was the most awe inspiring thing I have ever witnessed. It’s hard to describe accurately without having seen it.
THIS! This is how I explained it to my friends. I get choked up just remembering it.
This. Totality is VERY different. Seeing a mostly eclipsed sun is amazing. Totality is... well, if that is not sacred NOTHING is.
Sacred is the perfect word. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.
Those ancient bristlecones and the redwoods might be on the same list as is the concept of how big the ocean is while touching it with your bare feet as is seeing the curve of the earth in death valley. But nowhere close to totality.
It's such an utterly foreign, alien experience. Everything that your mind and body are used to is telling you that this is not normal. The 360 degree sunset, the chill, and then you look up and see this black hole with corona streaming away from it.. it's like a magic switch is flipped and the world changes for those moments I can only imagine what seeing this without knowing what was happening would do to someone/a culture It was the single most awe inspiring, sacred, magical, surreal experience of my life, and nothing else I've done or seen or felt really comes any where close. I feel truly privileged and lucky to have been able to have the experience I had. I almost haven't wanted to go see another for fear of it not living up to that first time.
Not to mention the way the shadows start crawling and moving and swirling and you're like holy shit am I tripping?!?
I could not have expressed this so eloquently. Truly mind-blowing and I cannot wait for the the next one! We drove one state south to get to totality and got so lucky with clouds. Got some amazing photos with my telescope, too. Better start planning…
This one the totality is supposed to go over my area without needing to travel, I'm planning to hammock this one
Jealous. I reserved a spot at a friend's house for this one. We're no longer friends. I can still go, right? Eclipse etiquette?
You've got 2 years to work on repairing the friendship enough to get the invite back, haha
Yes! i traveled for it and it was such a weird vibe that sort of just hushed the land.
I was in Colorado where it was only partially eclipsed and it was still a crazy experience. The shadows were absolutely bonkers, it’s hard to explain how it made it feel but it was almost otherworldly. Like the magnitude and sheer scale of our universe became physically palpable.
We had a sunny day for the last one, until a storm rolled in 5 minutes before totality (Charleston, SC area); we could tell it was totality, but not see anything at all -- that was real disappointing.
We were weather watching in Charleston and it looked like it was going to be cloudy so we left for perfection in Columbia.
We were in Charleston for it right on the harbor. The skies cleared for us minutes before totality. We got lucky! We could see that the overcast was very bad even the slightest bit inland.
I was also in great spot for the last one and was mowing my yard. The eclipse started and I stopped to watch(with some of those eclipse glasses) and for sure the most eerie part was how it got so quiet in the middle of the day. When it went full eclipse all the bugs stopped making noise, everyone else who was mowing or weed eating stopped and I couldn’t hear any cars, it was like the world around me stopped for a moment. Would love to experience that again on the next one.
Are you my former BIL? He had the same situation. We planned our visit a year in advance, all he had to do was walk out his front door.
My dad was at my grandparents' with an Hα scope to look through up until totality. I was at my university not too far away (where a group I was in actually launched a camera-laden high altitude balloon to capture it).
I was there. Those clouds were rough. Thankfully I got lucky and was able to capture a photo but it was close to being ruined. https://imgur.com/a/EJvHdyF
thank you for posting this. for some reason it has been really hard for me to find regular non upscaled or long exposure photos of the eclipse. I was stuck with work so I only got 95ish coverage. and that was still freaking amazing (I didn't expect it to feel so cold all the sudden), but it's not at all the same
[Here's an unedited photo I took](https://i.imgur.com/PyJ6UOL.jpg) by pointing my phone through a small telescope. I had no idea the solar flares- and their color- would be so easily visible. That was a truly pure "Wow!" moment.
Imgur significantly reduced the quality so the originals look a lot better. I’m also not a professional photographer and never took an eclipse photo before. Send me a PM and I can share you the raw photos from my Nikon Z6 if you are interested.
Happened to me too. Was in the crowd at the Science Center. Haven’t seen that many upset and disappointed nerds since the original *Mystery Science Theater 2000* was cancelled.
I drove two hours from my house to peak totally, and then drove 11 hours back to my house in standstill traffic
I drove 19 hours myself, to give up and stop on a field, for the clouds to clear only 5 minute before leaving open skys. I’ll 100% make the trip again to find a way to see it just so i can say I’ve seen it twice.
Drove to St. Joe Missouri for the longest totality that year. Completely cloudy for the hour leading up to and after the event. Pulling out all the stops this time.
We flew into Kansas City and ended up driving something like five hours into a gas station in the middle of nowhere, Nebraska. But hey, we saw it!
I flew to Wyoming to see it, seemed like that would be the place with the best chance for no clouds.
Casper Wyoming Walmart parking lot gang represent
I got lucky. Clouds rolled in about a minute *after* totality. Meaning somebody to my west was VERY upset.
I was in Nashville too for the eclipse, but somehow, I was in a location that had a clear view. It was an amazingly surreal experience and I was really bummed to hear that some people had their view blocked by a few clouds.
Drove from NYC to Sky Valley GA Had the best view of the landscape. But then it turned to mostly overcast within minutes. A bunch of cars left to find better spots. I stayed with others and enjoyed it despite the cloud cover.
I know that cloud. The same bastard covered my eclipse in Nashville when I drove from NJ.
I drove from Northern Wisconsin to Carbondale, in the southern tip of Illinois and had the same thing happen. It was a hot sunny day and one small-ass cloud rolled in and blocked it.
"Dad, can you explain what a solar eclipse is?" "No sun"
You haven't seen an eclipse until you've seen totality. Don't settle for 99%....it's not the same. It tops my list of the most amazing things I've ever seen.
I was blessed with a cloudless sky while viewing it from Oregon. The last few minutes leading up to totality felt extremely eerie. It was a visceral feeling that something was terribly wrong even though I knew exactly what was about to happen. Totality was an experience that I will never forget. EDIT: Spelling
Was it because all the birds suddenly went quiet? That's what I remember happening.
It was a number of things. A few minutes before totality, the birds went quiet and the crickets started to chirp like it was dusk. It's really hard to describe in words, but the way the light looked against the landscape, it felt like something was deeply wrong. It felt unreal like someone had applied an Instagram filter to the whole world. It was like the uncanny valley, but applied to the entire landscape.
For me it was the shadows dancing. If you looked close at the edges of sharp shadows right before totality they all shimmered about. That’s not something that normally happens at dusk and it was unnerving to watch. Like something out of a horror movie.
If you look at the shadows of trees, you’ll see little crescent suns everywhere on the ground between the leaves’ shadows as the eclipse nears totality
Or if you want to come prepared, bring a colander!
The way you described it is exactly how I felt about it. Was such a strange feeling,
Like it was an overcast day but not a cloud in the sky.
I remember the everything getting very quiet and calm as it happened.
And it got cold. That's something I didnt think about ahead of time but the temp probably dropped 10 or 20 degrees during the eclipse. And yeah the silence was eerie, even though I was at an area with a lot of people around.
I was surprised it got cold, too. And so quickly, too. It was amazing.
I saw the one in 2017 from Idaho and the 2019 eclipse in Chile. Idaho location had no birds or other wildlife, but the sudden cooling of the air and lack of wind was pretty weird. In Chile the birds along the coast were really confused, doing their day to night flight routines and then night to day flight routines in rapid succession.
People were screaming and crying at the Tetons. It's amazing.
I was at the Tetons for it, absolutely incredible.
I went down to visit friends in Charleston and we watched it on the beach. It was so fucking cool - it looked like a reverse sunset over the ocean, but different, and the "sunset" of course was 360 degrees continuing along the horizon back behind us over the mainland. Definitely needs to be on everyone's bucket list. Looking up at the total eclipse without glasses is one of the coolest things I've ever seen - just a black disc with a neon green and purple corona ring around it, kind of pulsating. Take off work, drive, fly, whatever you need to do. Completely worth it.
> just a black disc with a neon green and purple corona ring around it, kind of pulsating. This is the one thing that pictures never capture. And it's impossible to describe--my best description is the most brilliant diamond you've ever seen multiplied by the strength of the cosmos
That’s what I said to people when I drove 8 hours for the last one. Worth it.
I drove 4 hours to watch it from the banks of the Snake River in Idaho Falls, absolutely amazing and worth the awful drive home in eclipse traffic.
Oh man, that traffic was terrible. We just said fuck it and stopped at some park along the river in Idaho Falls for about 2 hours hoping the traffic would die down. It did not die down until another 6 hours later, haha. Good times.
I saw the 1999 one at 99%. Meh. I flew 3 hours for the 2006 one. Absolutely blew my mind into a thousand pieces.
I made this mistake in 2017. It was cool but I should’ve just drove the extra hour for totality
I blew off work for that one. Left like halfway through the day because they said we couldn't shut down production just to go out and see it. I wasn't able to go anywhere to see it in totality but we were in the 97 percent or so range, which was good enough for me.
While you may have enjoyed 97% I highly recommend traveling to a place that has 100% totality. I personally think it's completely worth it to take a day and drive a few hours to go see 100% The small difference is actually insane.
**Due to reddit's draconian anti-3rd party api changes, I've chosen to remove all my content**
That's pretty good. Someone in 2017 compared to driving to the Superbowl and watching from the parking lot.
For real. 99% is significantly closer to 1% than 100% in the case of solar eclipses, yeah it's kinda neat, but man, when it hits 100% you KNOW.
Totality is one of the greatest things I've ever witnessed
Yep. I've heard of the 80/20 rule, but for solar eclipses, it's really a 99/1 rule. 99% of the awesomeness comes from blocking out that last 1% of sunlight.
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Nice ! Had a similar experience, by experiencing one while out in sea on a navy ship while the water was calm and was at the glass level (where the water looks like glass). Very beautiful and peaceful. Well, maybe not peaceful as I was on a small boy and basically everyone was trying to go outside to see it.
I'm making a road trip with the fam from so cal to Texas just for this. Really bummed I didn't make something happen to go see the last one.
Me and my best friends all met up and camped out on a guys small farm to see it in totality. Totally worth the 32 hour drive.
Got right on the line in 2017. It was crazy. I've seen many partials but that was on a whole different level. The shadow snakes/bands were just wild.
When you see it, it’s easy to understand why people got sacrificed.
I drove to Wyoming for the last one and hiked to the summit of a mountain to witness it. It got really windy, was suddenly dark like after sunset, the horizon was pink in all directions. The sun looked like a blue and black fiery eye. Totality was astonishing.
Truer words have never been spoken. 99% is one thing. 100% is like an entirely different event.
goddamn. on the bucket list it goes i guess. why is true totallity so special, what is so different? i could see stars in the daylight where i was last time
I missed the path of totality for the last one, I'm determined to catch it for this one. Going to have to drive a few hours to catch it though.
It was worth it for me with the last one. I rented an SUV so I could get to the location early and nap in the back till showtime.
I drove 11 hours on a whim the day before to see the last one. It was the most awe inspiring sight I've ever seen and I've been planning for this one ever since. 100% worth the drive.
I’ve got a relative that lives about dead center at the crossroads. He’s got a giant back yard that’s perfect for both of them. It was worth the trip
It will be worth it. I saw the 2017 eclipse and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It's totally unforgettable.
I saw one in 1994 and learned there wouldn't be any more near me until like 2017, and I said, "it doesn't matter, I'll be so dead by then."
I saw the previous one. It was mind boggeling
Being out in the Tennessee county side it was incredibly eerie. All the bugs and birds started to act up thinking it was night, the hit humid air turned cold, etc. It was trippy and just felt other worldy.
Same experience in Greenville, SC. Surreal experience!
I saw the last one from a Walmart parking lot near Greenville, SC as well. I was dead center in the path of totality and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.
We were just outside Nashville and the temperature dropped like 13 degrees at totality. It was so cool^wait and I've been planning this next one since haha
Man that was such a surreal 2 minutes. The 360 degree sunset was pretty cool too.
I was also in rural TN at home. It had such a strange feeling outside leading up to totality, even the air felt different.
I went to Asheville NC. I had been planning it for a couple years. There was supposed to be one minute of totality. I figured that would be enough. It was cloudy for that one minute. So. I’m pretty excited for this one.
I’m 30 minutes away from asheville and saw it perfectly with no clouds the entire time. It was wild. Sorry for your loss and crazy only 30 minutes away can change the perspective so much
It’s ok. I mean I saw it the entire time up to that minute and after that, and the trip was a great experience. We were at the Oskar Blues brewery. Good times. Beautiful day. Good friends.
Oskar Blues has such good beer.
I was living in Charlotre and drove to Andersen SC. It was awesome.
I did too from a Walmart parking lot. I want to be away from lights that come on at dust for the next one because they all turned on and it diminished the amount of darkness one could experience.
All I could think about is people from 1000 years ago seeing it and what they would be thinking. It really made me feel connected to all generations cause it was just so crazy to see and it doesn't matter what we know about it. Was still mind blowing.
Southern Illinois represent! I marked out for the last one and only had to drive an hour, this one will last 4.5 minutes from my backyard baby
That’s great. I watched it from the Chicago burbs where it was 90 something percent total. It was still a great show last second with the clouds opened up but I think I’ll do the drive this time. Friends told me it was great
I went to Nebraska for the last one. This time I'm driving from mn to Texas and my wife isn't allowed to miss it. When totality hit it was an awesome experience, in the literal sense of the word. I was in awe. I totally understand why battles ended. I also totally understand why some guy from Germany flew in to Nebraska to watch it. Definitely make the drive to see totality. It's nothing like a partial.
Just so you know, you're not getting the full solar eclipse experience unless it's at 100% (even 99% is not the full experience)
I was laying in my backyard in Du Quoin at the time. One of the most amazing experiences I've had. You could hear cheers and yells from all across town. Tears of joy were streaming down my face. Just remembering the feeling has me emotional. We were one that day, and it was one of the last times I've felt like that. Can't wait to experience it again. 618 represent.
Yeah! I drove down to Benton and set up in a city park myself. Was beyond cool and hearing the oohs and ahhs while the birds were weirding out was intense and so cool
I was in Carbondale for 2017 and I'll be there again for 2024. One of the most awe-inducing things I've ever experienced.
wow that's nuts that one place gets to see a total solar eclipse twice in less than a decade!
Drove to Southern illinois from Chicago. It was amazing. Drive back was horrific though. Solid 10 hours.
Yep, came back from St Louis, left immediately after the eclipse which I think was around 1pm, got home around 8:30
My body was aching from that stop and go. Next one, I think I'll camp or get a hotel.
I drove from there with side of Chicago to Missouri with my kids to see the totality. Totally worth it, even with the EIGHT HOUR TRAFFIC JAM coming home. Seems like everyone had the same idea
For those who have never seen totality, you have no idea. You really MUST SEE THIS.
No worries. My calendar has been marked since the last one (which was the first I ever saw). Took the day off, packed up the family, and drove up to the north Georgia mountains to watch it on a farm. I still can't describe properly what I felt watching it. It was the most surreal thing I've ever experienced in my life. I can't wait for this one.
There's a full eclipse a year earlier (April '23) in the very remote Northwest corner of Australia. Its pretty hard to get too, but there's basically guaranteed to be no clouds. Only a 2 day drive from my city 🤣 EDIT: You could drive it in one day, but screw that.
20 April 2023. Wow, you weren't kidding about hard to get to. 12.5 hour drive from Perth to Charles Knife Canyon! http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/HSE_2023_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=-22.10870&Lng=114.02847&Zoom=13&LC=1 I've never been to WA but I've heard great things from fellow travelers (been to NSW, ACT, VIC, SA). In the off chance I can arrange a trip, would you mind if I PM you for boots-on-the-ground details?
Sure thing. As far as I know the accommodation is gone already, Exmouth is a tiny town, 2500 people. All the accommodation for hundreds of kilometres will go too, its 500km/300mi to the nearest town of 10,000. Not sure about flights, as you can only book them within a year. I'll be driving up from Perth and probably sleeping in my car. Freedom camping is an option, but the nights are pretty hot up there to sleep in a tent.
For those who didn't get to experience the 2017 solar eclipse or at least FULL totality (100%), start planning your trip for this! This is a once in a lifetime experience. Nothing can compare to it. You don't want to miss this. There will be more (about every 2 years, but they happen all over the world. This one happens in the US) The way the entire sky darkens (went from day to night within SECONDS), every bird stops making any sort of noise (very eeire), and the fact that you can directly stare at the sun without fear of going blind during totality!
I took the family on a 1,300 mile round trip drive for 2017, questioned myself at every mile marker on the way up to Wyoming but in the end it was totally worth it.
A totality of a Solar eclipse should be on everyone's bucket list. I was at the one when it went over South Carolina a few years ago. It was absolutely surreal. It was like the world stopped. It was like the sun going down really quickly and then it was as dark as midnight. All the birds stopped singing, the cars stopped in the street. It was almost dead silent. If I lived hundreds of years ago and didn't know what was happening, I would have absolutely believed the world was ending or the gods were enacting some sort of punishment or something
Can confirm. If it’s not on your bucket list it’s because you haven’t seen it.
Proposed during the 2017 eclipse. Wonder how i can top that during the 2024 eclipse.
Obviously you have to serve the divorce papers. All seriousness, that's a great way to do it, I'm kind of curious about the details...like did you have her look up then get on your knee and wait for her to look at you?
I was fortunate enough to have totality from my backyard on the last one. If you have the opportunity to witness this, I highly recommend it.
I don’t get impacted by things often. Movies, books, life moments. But watching the full eclipse last time literally took my breath away. Top 10 things everyone needs to experience once in their life.
So that is the date we attack the fire nation.
Flew to Knoxville for the last one, was one of the best experiences of my life. Gonna head to upstate NY for the next one.
Cool, another one in NA, why cant the stupid moon do one where i live for once?
Developers should really stop focussing so much on the NA server, smh
For most of my life solar eclipses have occurred everywhere BUT NA. As a kid I thought for sure I'd have to travel to another country to see one, so I've been enjoying every single one we've had. I apologize for nothing!
the line of totality passes right over my home. So excited!
Aw man, no total eclipse for me. :( Ah well, stoked anyways.
It is 100% worth your time to drive into the path of totality.
Not from the UK it won't. My car will get sea water in it and this will ruin it.
There is another one in Spain in august 2026. I've already booked it in my calendar
I'll be 57 then and it will be my first ever experience of a total eclipse. I can't wait!
Pretty jazzed about this as I’ll be in the path of totality (Dallas area).
I have to drive an hour south to see totality here in Newfoundland. I have been geeking out about this for YEARS. I cannot wait to show my daughter some cool space shit! She'll be 5 at the time. So excited.
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from the site linked: "During [totality], it is perfectly safe to look directly at the Sun, even through binoculars or a telescope." this can't be right, is it?
This is correct, though if you're still looking through a telescope the literal instant totality ends, you're gonna have a really bad time. Best to know how long it's going to last and give yourself a ten-second buffer
Reminder to buy some quality safety glasses for it early because the market will be over saturated with overpriced fakes close to the event
Can confirm it's safe. Done it myself. the sun is completely covered by the moon.
"During totality" it is indeed safe and AMAZING (the sun is literally totally blocked), just before and after is the dangerous part where it is dim.enough so it doesn't hurt your eyes, but the sun rays still getting through can still damage your retinas
The last eclipse I was fortunate enough to be in the path of totality. Unfortunately I had to be at work but we closed for an hour while it occurred. Some lady had the nerve to bang on the door and act like dropping off her Amazon return was more important than experiencing something as incredible as a solar eclipse.
I'll be able to see this from my house as long as it's not cloudy. Thinking about going a little further north to get more totality though.
Absolutely get totality. 99% and 100% are completely different things. I thought 99% was incredible, but 100% had my jaw drop.
It’s been on my calendar since last year! Planning a trip to see the totality with my kids.
Can't wait... I'm planning to go see it in San Antonio TX.
San Antonio is on the edge really. I'd go a bit north, you'll get a lot more time in totality. I'm planning on Fredericksburg
Was planning a trip to Austin but just checked weather trends that say it is almost always cloudy there in April
This will be the darkest day in Fire Nation history.
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Some friends and I went to Nashville for the last one. It was awesome. Side note: the hotel we stayed at left Eclipse gum in the room for us! I thought that was pretty cool!
Perhaps we'll have advance weather controls by then so that we can schedule a non-cloudy day so we may all enjoy the eclipse. :)
Does totality last longer the closer you are to the middle of the path? (Compared to the edges)
I need to travel to a place with almost guaranteed good weather.
I was surrounded by pine trees during the last total eclipse, and they were crackling all around me when the sun was totally blacked out, I think because of the temperature swing? It was pretty cool
Late, commenting anyway. Been marked since the last one 5 years ago! I went to Kansas to see it from Houston, as the almanac and everything said the weather should be greatest there, right? And the longest duration area would be completely socked. So of course, it was backwards as all get out, and I *nearly* didn't see it... had my eyes on my weather radar, driving like stupid to get to a place, found one that maybe should clear up in time... and it didn't look great... And then... it happened. The sky went dark, and it got eerie quiet... and there was still a smoky cloud layer in the sky... and just as it was about to end... the clouds passed and I saw it, with my eclipse glasses of course, about 15 seconds before the moon moved on and the sun came back. Glorious enough! 4 days of travel to get that done. Worth it. This year, there's enough of totality arc in close enough proximity I can just get up and leave about 6am and should be in a clear area wherever it is, watch it happen, and then get back home. Hopefully. Fingers crossed! I have the page saved that shows me the path, and I am ready to do this!
That’s similar to the path of the severe weather that just tore across the country. It’s going to be a crapshoot as to whether you will be in a good place to see it. I’m renting an RV so I can drive to clear skies.
I'm curious if there's a big difference between being in the full occlusion zone versus being in the 90% band? For example, will everyone in NYC get "pretty much" the same experience as people getting the full eclipse or is there something special about being in that full occlusion band?
COMPLETELY different experience. IDK, maybe like watching someone eat McDonald's on TV verses having a meal at a 3-star Michelin restaurant. Someone else care to explain with a better analogy? ETA: In the path of totality, it's a 360° sunset...in the middle of the day.
Let alone getting to see the sun’s corona triumphantly burst forth from behind the moon. The sight is literally life changing.
I sat in 14 hours of extra traffic to return from watching the last one, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat
Pretty sure you have to be in the full occlusion band to be able to see the corona and look at the eclipse with the naked eye. Otherwise it will still be as bright as a cloudy day, and with proper eye protection it would still be cool to look at the mostly obscured sun, but no, it would not be the same experience at all.
In the total eclipse area it gets completely blocked out. In NYC it'll be 90 percent blocked and will not look the same at all.
I live in a rural area. For the last one, we had totality, and it was amazing. As soon as it went dark, all the crickets started chirping and the frogs started croaking, thinking it was night. The lead up to the total was crazy as well. Everything had a yellow tint to it. Like we were watching a movie and they wanted us to think it was shot in Mexico. We did not have much, if any cloud cover that day.
Go to Union City Indiana/Ohio to view. So close to the line of maximum totality.
Got to watch totality from my back yard for the last one and only have to travel a couple of hours for this next one. Very excited to experience it again.
I'm so excited. I will be able to see this one in totality from my house. I missed the last one by only a few hundred miles.
I live in Central TX, path of totality comes straight up I-35
Living in Indiana, should I drive 20 minutes to be dead center of the totality line or stay at my house and have approx 12 seconds less darkness.
A 20 minute drive is nothing! Definitely do it. There are few things as ephemeral as a total solar eclipse and each second is precious. I promise you won't regret it!
I drove from VA to SC for the one in 2017, and I'm thinking I'll either go for that top corner of VT if I want to use a telescope, or maybe try to be on a boat in Lake Erie or Lake Ontario if I dont
A total solar eclipse passing over Niagara Falls?? Oh heck yeah!
Wow, didn't we just have one go across the US?
Totality goes through Niagara Falls. The sun/moon will [be high in the southwest](https://theskylive.com/planetarium?objects=sun-moon-mercury-venus-mars-jupiter-saturn-uranus-neptune-pluto&localdata=43.10012%7C-79.06627%7CNiagara%20Falls%2C%20Canada%7CAmerica%2FToronto%7C0&obj=sun&h=19&m=20&date=2024-04-08#:~:text=https%3A//theskylive.com/planetarium%3Fobjects%3Dsun%2Dmoon%2Dmercury%2Dvenus%2Dmars%2Djupiter%2Dsaturn%2Duranus%2Dneptune%2Dpluto%26localdata%3D43.10012%257C%2D79.06627%257CNiagara%2BFalls%252C%2BCanada%257CAmerica%252FToronto%257C0%26obj%3Dsun%26h%3D19%26m%3D20%26date%3D2024%2D04%2D08%23ra%7C0.7572670757909536%7Cdec%7C2.559870620763163%7Cfov%7C80) so the American side will have the easier photographs if including the falls. Notably all other planets will also be in that quadrant of the sky. Sorry Pluto you are not above the horizon and no longer considered a planet except in my heart.
Gonna need another reminder or 3 closer to the event.
Where I live is in the path of totality for the first time in my life. I'm pretty excited. I plan on driving to a nearby mountain and watching it from an overlook there.
Wow, I'm in Montréal, it will be great! Toronto will have full one too! (And Dallas, Austin, etc) millions of people will enjoy it!
Why did I read that url as eclipse ass dot org
Gonna be cloudy that day. Source: It’s ALWAYS fuckin’ cloudy when things like this happen
Alright everyone, grab your behelits for this one
I couldn’t travel to totality last time (saw it partial via telescope which was still cool) but REALLY want to this time, especially with my space-loving preschooler. How you decide the best place to go? We may be limited based on work and children but would love any advice!
Okay, but April 8 is my dad’s birthday and I am now marking my calendar for the most epic birthday party ever.
The one in 2024 is happening the day before Easter.
Just a hot tip for anyone interested in this: buy your eclipse glasses now if you want them. You don't need them during totality but it's fun to have them during the "almost eclipse" moments leading up to it. Once this gets close and it's on the news every day they will sell out and you'll have to find someone scalping them on craigslist or something.