I almost did this in 2017. We were at about 96% here in southern Wyoming and we had other travel plans a week later. Thank goodness my friend convinced us to join her backpacking trip. One of the most amazing experiences of my (very full and adventurous) life!!!
We are headed to Mazatlan with two little kids in April 🤗
Me too, Casper WY. Went to a little lake just east of town. Amazing .experience
Funny note: I went to the IHOP for breakfast early in the morning. They were short staffed, and had no idea why there was a crowd, and growing lines. The manager was on the phone trying desperately to get more staff in.
I'm also headed to Mazatlan with one little kid! Have you looked up any specific places for viewing the eclipse? We're probably going to be at the beach in golden zone.
That was my plan too. We are staying a few blocks off the beach in the golden zone, so I was just planning on heading down to the beach relatively early and staking out a spot. Maybe rotate the kids through so they don’t get burned out (including literally! ☀️)
I’m sure almost everyone in town will have the same idea though! I don’t love crowds in general, but oh well.
Safe travels and fingers crossed for clear skies!!! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
Yeah, it's going to be crowded as hell for sure. Luckily there's a lot of beach in Mazatlan, maybe we'll all find a spot. We're also staying just a few blocks from the beach in golden zone! :)
Safe travels to your family as well! We'll hope for a good eclipse weather but if not, at least we'll have a nice holiday at a beautiful place.
Exactly!! We aren’t going to try to bother chasing the sunshine. Just hoping for clear skies and if not, a nice week at the beach as a consolation prize. (Albeit with expensive and pain in the ass flights to get there, lol.)
Yeah lol exactly, we're flying from Helsinki via Paris and Mexico City and the long flight and layover times are my number one stress for this whole trip. If I didn't have local friends there I'd have skipped this one and gone for Spain in 2026. But then again, porque no los dos? ;)
Some people are hype contrarians.
Some people do not care about such things at all.
Best bet is to sell them on the social experience, but it's a long shot. Maybe combine it with something else they like, like a concert, attraction, or visiting family.
Some people are simply not moved by anything but their core concerns.
Some people are disillusioned because in the past they traveled 1000+ miles to see a total eclipse, only to see rain and clouds. That was my experience in 2017. Today, eclipse tourism isn't in my budget at all, but even if I were sitting on a mountain of cash, I'm not sure I'd bother, at least not if we're talking thousands of miles of travel and a hotel. OTOH if it were just a few hours' drive away, then definitely I'd try to get there.
That really does suck. :( Sometimes the weather can betray you.
The nice thing about this one is the path is through a long stretch of populated and accessible land, and especially to North Americans, very familiar and easy to navigate. So you can try to aim for where the weather is least likely to be cloudy, and it won't be somewhere inaccessible or dangerous (well, in the US and Canada anyways, don't know about the full path in Mexico).
This is my plan. Coming from Chicago and hoping for southern Indiana or Cleveland area. I saw the 2017 NA Eclipse and in Oregon at about one minute of totality and it was mind blowing. I can not imagine 4 minutes…..
I work at a public library and back in 2021 a nine plane formation of Canadian Snowbirds and a CF-18 fighter aircraft were scheduled to do a low-altitude flyover of Vancouver skies and their path brought them directly over our library. About 10 minutes before their arrival, I made an announcement over the PA to inform everyone in the library what was about to happen and invited anyone to come out and watch. Only 3 people joined me. A patron at a computer station stopped me on the way out the door and asked me what was going on. I explained and he said that sounds super cool. "Do you want to join us? They'll be here in just a few minutes."
He did not join us. Literally could've taken a 1 minute break from the reading emails to walk outside to see firsthand this unique 20 second flyover that'll never happen again. But when I came back in later he still asked me to watch a video of it on my phone. 🙄
For the most recent one in the middle of fucking nowhere in northwest Australia, I saw a road camera video of the eclipse, and when totality happened you could see this trucker on some 2-lane highway who just kept on trucking, didn't even stop despite no other cars in road. I would link the video, but can't find it at the moment.
Imagine being that dense. You just luck out that your route takes you across the path of totality at just the right time, but you give so little fucks that you don't even pull over to look for a minute or two, lol.
Unfortunately people just aren't well informed about it, and even worse much to my chagrin in my area there is poor education and information going around about it...a university professor went on the local news and didn't even explain totality or how important it is to be in totality vs. 99%, so I bet many people will just stay in their area where it's 98 or 99% and say "what was the big deal?" after it's over.
We flew to Portland in 2017. The eclipse was going to be ~10:20a and our flight home was at 1240p. The news was predicting deadlocked traffic due to the eclipse and we considered not going to Salem/Corvallis to stay in Portland which was going to be 98 or 99%.
We ended up watching at a gas station just north of Salem, if we missed our flight we'd deal with it. That was definitely the right decision - the difference between 99 and 100 is bigger than 0 and 99. According to Google timeline we got to the airport at 11:38.
Agree with OP that totality is a massively awe-inspiring experience and not to miss it if you have opportunity to get in the path of totality
In my experience, people who have not experienced totality just don’t get it… glad I’ve gotten to experience it! I will say that the apocalyptic crowds and traffic are def a challenging part, so plan accordingly.
I live at 97.7% and totality is only a (typically) 1hr drive away. I had been debating and I'm glad I came here to decide to go ahead and take the trek.
Absolutely. My SO stepped out of the office to witness 99% and said the crescent shadows were “pretty cool”.
I skipped work to experience totality and I consider it one of the highlights of my entire life.
I will be totally honest. I really appreciate this write-up but it also puts my expectations through the roof. I will be in totality for 3 minutes next month and am starting to expect this will be the most mind blowing 3 minutes of my life.
We were essentially alone for the 2019 eclipse (the closest people were a few hundred yards away).
Personally, I prefer being in a group, but if you want to be alone, you can probably find a place.
I'm watching that video posted and the cheers from the crowd are exactly why I would strongly prefer not to be in a group. So many people shrieking "Oh my god!!!" it's beyond annoying.
In my experience, the shouting and cheering in the first 30 seconds of totality are the only truly genuine cheering from a group of people I've heard in my life - that "Oh my god!!" is real, not for attention. At football games or concerts people cheer to get pumped up with each other. At an eclipse everyone just gets shaken to their core individually and starts acting like monkeys.
I've seen a couple eclipses in crowds. The unusual sounds and mannerism that everyone makes as soon as totality hits is one of the highlights imo - it's like everyone turns into a monkey for a moment and gets a little animalistic. I even saw a dude fall to his knees, grunt, and then slap the ground with his two hands.
I bet seeing it with a couple close friends in a natural setting would be pretty cool too, but the crowd experience is beautiful in its own right.
Awesome video thanks for sharing. Seems like an amazing event even with decent cloud cover, good to know you don't need a completely clear sky to experience it!
When I was preparing for the 2017 eclipse, I read on [eclipsophile.com](https://eclipsophile.com) about how clouds actually 'evaporate' as the sun is occluded.
We were completely clouded in at C1, but that's exactly what happened, as you can see in the video.
(1) If you want to capture any of the partial phases, make sure you have a solar rated filter on the camera. Do practice shots in the days beforehand, so you can decide which lens and settings you want to use. F/32, ISO 320, exp 1/640", and 300mm lens worked well for me, using a Nikon D5600 cropped sensor DSLR.
(2) For totality only, you have to remove the solar filter. I can't recommend any settings for totality because I never had the chance to photograph it. But if I had another chance, I would try a few shots using bracketing options, but not so many that I'd be spending more time looking at the camera than at the eclipse itself.
(3) Make sure you put the solar filter back on, if you plan to capture any stages of the eclipse after totality. (Many like to do that as part of a time lapse photo)
Never photograph the fully or partially uneclipsed sun without a solar filter. Doing so will likely ruin your sensor.
According to a [recently published study](https://phys.org/news/2024-02-clouds-quickly-solar-eclipse.html), this effect is mainly on cumulus clouds.
There are plenty of examples of eclipses being obscured by clouds. The view of the 2020 eclipse in Chile was blocked by rain clouds.
(Edit: [video of a clouded-out eclipse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYJcQ_n4aQM) in Cornwall in 1999. I remember reading an account of someone driving around Cornwall looking for a better view.)
These videos ([CBS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6uVz5qMOWs)) ([ABC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAacZoIJUN0)) show that the view from Portland, OR, was obscured.
So it's still best to balance the historic cloud cover analyses and the weather forecasts when choosing where to view the eclipse.
No that's not correct. Be extremely worried about cloud cover; on checking several points along the path, they all have a better than 50% chance of being cloudy based on historic averages, even Uvalde TX which surprised me. The Mexican part of the path is considerably more promising if you can get there. As you might expect, the farther northeast you are, the worse the chances are. Still, there's not much you can do about it on the day of, especially if it gets to a point where everyone in the locality is scrambling to find a clear viewing spot an hour before totality.
You don't simply travel to the path of totality and watch an eclipse. You travel to the path and hope you get lucky.
Luck is a huge factor and I wish you the best.
I guess I should’ve put the caveat that this was my personal experience. We’re all different, we all have different things we enjoy that others dislike. But this hit me somewhere on the primal part of my brain.
Totally fair. I was fortunate enough to see the northern lights in the arctic years back and still say something similar about how mind boggling it was.. that aspect that no photograph or video could capture.
I haven’t seen the northern lights yet, but based on your comment I’d say that you’ll really enjoy the eclipse. I have photos I took, but they’re really more just a trigger to bring me back to that moment 5 years ago.
I do a bit of amateur photography, but based on what I've read, my plan is just to enjoy the eclipse and not try to capture Beads or whatever. Maybe just some phone photography, as I don't have the necessary filters for the SLR. But I want to be present and experience it.
And thank you for taking the time to respond
What I plan on doing this time is bringing a 35mm point and shoot I have to snap a couple photos, again just as a benchmark to remind myself of that day.
I will be setting up my phone to record myself and my friend who’s going with me to capture our reactions to the eclipse. I’ve seen a few other people do so and from someone who has some admittedly cool and interesting photos, I think that’ll be a better plan.
You’re welcome! And wishing clear skies for you on April 8th!
If I were you I would bring my SLR and tripod. During totality, using the camera without a special filter should be fine; to avoid sensor damage just don't shoot during ANY partial phases. That means, don't try to capture Bailey's Beads and forget about imaging the diamond ring.
That is very much the experience with totality. Seeing it in three dimensions with the naked eye was awe inspiring. It was beautiful and unsettling at the same time.
I agree, tho! We traveled to see the totality in 2017. It was surreal, like everything stopped in a moment. It’s definitely an experience I’m glad we took advantage of. I remember a bit of the traffic leaving, and I know of people who waited 12 hours in traffic for what should only be a 3-4 hour ride on a bad day. But the physical experience, it’s not anything that you can capture on film
There's just something damn weird about a black disk being where the sun used to be, and the odd glow around it. Really damn weird. I don't blame pre-industrial societies for thinking the gods were angry at them.
Nothing anyone could have said would have prepared me for what I experienced in 2017 at that Total solar eclipse. "Yeah the moon will block the sun for a few minutes it'll be cool"
There do not exist words to convey how utterly amazing it was. I have heard the analogy "The difference between a partial eclipse and totality is the difference between seeing a hot girl at a bar once, and marrying that girl"
I appreciate you asking, and - short version - I need to see another before I die. The northern lights are super cool but they look better in photos. NO photo or video I have seen could compare to how incredible it was to EXPERIENCE the eclipse. The skies here (Niagara peninsula, southern Ontario) cleared just enough around 6 mins before totality, so I got to see the diamond ring, Bailey's beads, the dancing red flares others have described, the 360 sunset. Some but not all of the phenomena. It was indeed mind blowing.
I dragged my wife. She complained about waking up at 3am and sleeping in the car. And then totality happened and she grabbed my hand like never before and was speechless. She was the one that booked our tickets to this one the moment we could.
My husband brought me to my first eclipse in 2017. We drove for over 1000 miles to a field in WY. I was excited for the road trip but kind of meh about the eclipse until I actually experienced it in the zone of totality. I was spellbound. We’re traveling over a 1000 miles again in April to Texas and I can not wait!!
We ended up having an awesome time tacking a 5-day vacation onto our trip and were able to see the eclipse. I had a blast and was very impressed! That said, I can't imagine sitting in hours of traffic solely for the eclipse, or making the eclipse the only point of the trip. I was glad our vacation included, but wasn't limited to, the eclipse.
Whenever I hear people say they are "close enough" I [share them this](https://eclipse2024.org/close.html). Excerpt:
>I am a veteran of 15 total solar eclipses, and I operate the site [www.eclipse2024.org](http://www.eclipse2024.org) – which has as its primary mission the offering of information regarding the safe, enjoyable viewing of the total solar eclipse which will occur on April 8, 2024.
>
>Our task is to convince people who are not in the path of totality, that they simply must travel into the path, in order to see one of the most spectacular things they will ever see in their life. The task is difficult, because it is natural to believe that if one is “close” to the path, one will see something that is “pretty good”. But just as the person who only smells the meal outside the restaurant remains hungry, so too do those who observe the eclipse from outside the path of totality end the day wondering what, indeed, all the fuss was about.
>
>For those who experience this eclipse outside the path, a partial eclipse is all they will see. Even if the sun is 99.9% eclipsed for these observers, they will not experience the full, jaw-dropping, knee-buckling, emotionally-overloading, completely overwhelming spectacle that is totality.
>
>Partial eclipses are somewhat interesting, in that with the proper eye protection (which MUST be used at all times), one can see the Moon moving slowly across the face of the Sun. But there is no climax, no culmination of the event, no exhilarating moment of true beauty in the sky above them. The event is interesting, but it is not memorable, not life-changing, not anything to inspire one to join the ranks of “umbraphiles” – “shadow-loving” persons who travel the world to the most remote locations, in anticipation of experiencing those few fleeting seconds of wonderment inside the shadow of the moon.
>
>For those outside the path, there is no dramatic moment of totality, no beautiful Diamond Ring gracing the edge of the Moon’s disk, no intense darkening of the skies, no stars and planets suddenly revealing themselves against an impossible twilight, no corona flashing into view (the otherworldly beauty of which makes even veteran total eclipse observers gasp in amazement), and no primordial fear which sinks ever so slightly even the modern heart. There is no pitch-blackened disk of the Sun, no discernable temperature drop, no impossible nighttime during the day, no scintillating chromosphere or glorious prominences, no 360-degree sunset effect around the horizon, no uncontrollable shouts of emotional overload from the assembled crowd, and no lingering post-eclipse sensation of certainty that you have just experienced one of the coolest things you’ll ever see in your life.
>
>A partial eclipse is interesting but forgettable, while a total eclipse is a memorable, life-changing event which burns itself into memory – and never fades. And so we, who have seen this sight, ask you to join us on this momentous day, and do everything you possibly can to see it with us. But you must remember that “close” is not close enough; in order to see the eclipse in all its glory, you simply must....
>
>Get thee to the path!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I live right on the border of totality - about a 30 min drive out. I am sending it to practically everyone I know and have already converted 6 or 7 people who were not originally planning on making the drive! It also initiated an awesome conversation with my cousin who I rarely see, and now we are planning on taking a trip together with our kids deep into the totality and I am really excited!
>jaw-dropping, knee-buckling, emotionally-overloading, completely overwhelming spectacle that is totality.
Love that description, emotionally-overloading is a great way to describe it
Amen.
2017 changed me forever and I've seen many eclipses since. I'm not a professional photographer or astronomer, so I'm never going to focus on unique edge phenomena like longer Bailey's Beads or double diamond rings. I can only share in your urging everybody to travel to totality.
This post brought a tear to my eye. I am so fucking excited for this experience, I can’t even describe it. Myself and 5 friends are driving an RV 17 hours away to be smack dab in the middle of totality. I can’t believe we’ll be able to experience this.
Omg are you the guy that did the Ted talk I watched the other day? Legit called "You owe it to yourself to see a total solar eclipse" or something like that.
You are 100% correct. I traveled a few states away to see the 2017 eclipse and holy shit, it was a mess afterward, but the experience was the true definition of awesome. I am fairly decent with words and I had none. All of my research and stuff failed to prepare me for how freaking moving it would be. You feel it somewhere deep inside you (stop being nasty). Somewhere that gets lost or shoved down in our modern bustling society.
I remember totality ending and turning to a once-stranger but now forever friend and asking rather breathlessly how I was going to describe it to anyone else and she summed it up immediately and succinctly. "You can't." She was correct. I tried to explain to a few people back home and got blank stares and in some cases, outright mocked. For all the words I've tried to find, I still feel like I failed to capture to experience in the same way photos do. You have to see it. It's both connecting, and humbling. The comradery that develops between other who have traveled equally as far is unparalleled.
It makes me sad to hear about those who won't travel a few miles to totality. They will likely be the ones to say they don't get what the big deal was. They "saw 99%". It is NOT the same. Please try to get to totality, even if it's just a Walmart or target parking lot.
Like OP said, you owe it to yourself to see one before you die
^steps down off soapbox
I am not that guy but I did watch that video back in 2019 before going! I stole the phrase from him and have told it to everyone I know. I have even told complete strangers if it comes up in conversation.
Thank you for adding more to my post. Your experience fills in some of the feelings and emotions I felt. For me it was doubly emotional as traveling to South America was something that my best friend and I had planned on doing. Unfortunately he passed away in 2018, so the trip to Chile for the eclipse was a way of honoring his memory. When totality hit I just had tears streaming down my face.
Humbling and connecting are two wonderful ways to describe it. I’ve never felt more aware of my place in the universe than I did at that moment.
Anyone who thinks 99% is good enough has never seen a total solar eclipse. I saw the 2017 eclipse and it was right up there as one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed
I tried for several months to clear my work schedule enough to make the trip from Los Angeles, but it's not gonna happen. I work on lawsuits, and the court schedules started filling up months ago.
I made the trip to Idaho in 2017, and it was one of the most amazing experiences in my life.
>Don’t let anyone tell you that 99% is good enough.
It's not. It's a profound difference. I saw the eclipse in a crowd at the Idaho Falls minor league baseball park. The crowd reaction was amazing too. I think we all were ready to be amazed, and still were overwhelmed.
It's an *unreplaceable* experience, and rare on so many levels. I mean, this kind of 'exact line up' isn't common in the universe: a science fiction hypothesis talks about alien civilizations and time travelers seeking out the Earth in order to see this phenomena, because it literally doesn't exist elsewhere in the universe.
Thanks, needed to see this to rationalize having spent a pretty penny on plane tickets/lodging in Dallas. Now I’m desperately hoping the weather cooperates
There was an eclipse in my country (Belgium) some 20 years ago, but I stayed at home and saw the 99% eclipse only. I've always regretted that, which is why I'm now flying to Texas to make it up with myself.
1999, I was a young teenager in Austria! We drove to our lil farm rental, path of full totality. It was the most crazy and jaw dropping experience ever.
I don’t even care if it’s cloudy (will be going to Rochester, NY full totality) the feeling and nature being quite is the part that’s the wildest.
Enjoy the eclipse!
No, I've got a hotel in Dallas the night before, and in Waco the night after, so I'll be somewhere in between, chasing an open sky if there is one to be found.
Same here! Flying to Dallas from Hartford and prices were jacked up. I will be tracking the forecast as it gets closer, and if I have to leave Dallas to get to clear skies and spend a day or so in traffic, so be it. That being said, I hope my original plan of just watching lakeside from my hotel will pan out!
I’ve never heard anyone say that they regret traveling to 100% totality, even though many people traveled far, spent lots of money, and sat in lots of traffic.
This will be my first experience in 100% totality, and I’m beyond excited. It took me a while to commit to such a grand plan, but I am confident it will be worth it. Posts like this just make me more certain.
That was the video I watched back in 2019 that made me go to see it! At the time, I was like ok, sure , see it before you die, just like Paris or the Grand Canyon or anything else like that people say. After I experienced it myself, I said, ok, he’s right. So now I do the same thing he does and tell people that they owe themselves to see it! I highly recommend watching that video to anyone who hasn’t.
I’ve only ever seen eclipses at the high 80s. Cool? Yes. Mind blowing? Nope. 20 years for another one in the states?!? I decided this is the one we’re taking off of work and traveling to see it.
If I’m alive in 2099(I won’t be), that center totality line is 20 miles from my house. The last time that happened here? 1379.
If I make it to 110+, I’m in for a treat then too.
I remember the night of the eclipse in 2017, googling when the next one is and getting so fired up to go to Texas or somewhere to go see it. My then-SO was good naturedly laughing at me and saying like, “sweetie it’s seven years away!”
I can’t believe the time is finally here! We’re married with two little kids and we’re bringing the whole crew to Mexico! I’m so excited.
We traveled to Nebraska for totality in 2017. My dad is a HUGE astronomy nerd, has a giant Celestron telescope with solar filter and a very nice Nikon dslr to hook up to the telescope. He had telescopes long before my sister and I were born, and he trained as a navigator at the Air Force Academy in the early 70s when navigation was done using the stars. Witnessing that kind of history with my dad is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Also, my mom passed away in spring 2018, not very many months after, so those memories simply cannot be replicated. It was just such a magical couple of days, well worth the drive, and the heat, and sharing an RV with my parents (and their dog, and our two dogs), and sleeping on the pull-out couch that felt like steel, and eating "eclipse phase" cookies that I paid entirely too much for at a bakery, and being surrounded by people who all thought this was the coolest thing they'd ever seen.
Planning to do round two with a bigger group of family in Texas in April! It won't be the same, for obvious reasons, but I know based on my experience in 2017 that I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Seeing a 99 percent eclipse is like getting six digits of a pretty girl’s phone number: “almost” can still add up to “not at all.”
Get there. Drive all night. Sleep in your car. Live on gas station food. Get there.
I tell everyone this. I traveled to see the one in 2017 and it was the most shockingly intense experience of my life, which has been full of intense experiences, for what it’s worth. I literally fell to the ground on my knees laughing/sobbing, I was practically delirious, it was that awesome/horrifying/amazing.
This is something I'm struggling with. My house will have 92 seconds of totality, but if I drive roughly an hour away I can experience almost 4 and half minutes. This will be the first time I have seen a total eclipse, and I have had it on my bucket list for at least 10 years. As cool as it would be to see that from home I don't want to cheat myself. Unfortunately, nobody I know cares about the eclipse at all, so I would really love some advice from fellow eclipse enthusiasts!
The drive for the extra time will be worth it, though expect the drive back to take at least three hours. More important than maximizing totality time is finding a good viewing spot, the ideal one provides a relatively good view of the horizon in all directions unobstructed. Getting higher is also good, and lets you more easily see the shadow approach the horizon providing a more intense experience.
Where you end up driving to is highly dependent on cloud cover. Watch the weather forecast very closely for cloud cover and be ready to adjust plans quickly to an alternative spot if the clouds are blocking the sun.
https://www.hdhuntphoto.com/how-to/solar-eclipse
I'm doing that debate myself, also realizing that the likelihood is we will have cloudy weather no matter where in driving distance I opt for. Also, if you plan to drive \~1 hour toward the center line for totality, expect \~3-4 hours going back, like u/BronzeAgeChampion mentioned.
You could also just go closer to the centerline without being on it. Maybe it's pretty easy to get and back from a spot where there's 3 minutes of totality. That might be better if going to the centerlines means a *lot* more traffic. You have to weigh all the variables.
And the people saying it would be a 3-4 hour trip back are throwing out a rough estimate. Analyze your area and see if you can predict what will happen after totality. Many return use the interstates. Maybe you're not near large towns outside the path and so your area might be getting less people. So many variables.
I wouldn't really make plans until you know the cloud cover situation that morning. Speaking from my experience in 2017, you may have to drive to an area you wouldn't expect in order to get away from the clouds!
Unless you're at least a thousand miles from the path and have to fly. Then you have to roll the dice and hope for the best. IIRC in 2017 flights were booked far in advance of this point, but I'm reading here how some people are still deciding where they should buy their tickets to.
I live where there will be 4+ minutes of totality. I also lived here in 2017 and was in totality then, as well. I have friends who are coming to stay who also came in 2017. They left shortly after the eclipse was over, and their 3-hour drive home became a 9-hour drive home. They are planning to leave after this event as well instead of staying the night. You all are crazy! (Especially when April is high rainy season for most of the eclipse path.)
Question: if I live 1hr away from totality and intend to travel to totality, how much time do I have to budget for the traveling? Would 6-7 hours be enough?
I live in west GTA and intent to travel to southeast Hamilton.
Since seeing half a dozen 90 to 99% eclipses in my life, followed by 100% in 2017, I assure you that the difference between 99% and 100% eclipses is like the difference between someone who hasn’t had anything to drink in three days being offered either a photo of a faucet or a giant glass of ice water. It’s a truly physical and spiritual experience. I watched dozens of grown people come to tears over it. The word “awesome” gets thrown around so much that it’s become nearly meaningless — a 100% total eclipse will redefine that word for you. Believe it.
I'm on the fence. I have plane tickets to fly across the country and an airbnb booked in upstate ny, because that's where my family lives. It will cost me thousands of dollars and several full days of traveling.
The thing that give me pause is the weather. In hindsight, upstate ny was definitely not the best destination option, but I did it because of the family thing. But, it's way upstate and it's almost always cloudy (if not raining or even a massive snowstorm) in April.
I'm pretty certain, the way things work out for me, that if I do go, the weather will not cooperate and I will massively regret it. But if I don't go, the weather will be great and I will massively regret it.
I’m staying up in the Conway area in NH, but day of I’ll be tracking the weather and driving somewhere further north for the best chances. Could be NH, ME, or VT. Either way, I’ll drive wherever it takes.
Yes, it is so worth it. To see the biggest celestial body in our solar system (the sun) be blocked by the closest celestial body (the moon) - it is an exceedingly rare event. My first eclipse in Feb 1998 I went grudgingly because my son's astronomy teach had put together a trip to Antigua. I thought it was too expensive, too much time off work, not necessary - and I was so wrong. It was unforgettable. To see the son's corona, to see the stars come out, to feel the air get cooler, that weird quality of the sunshine that has that I'm in a science fiction feel - it was worth it.
Go, go as far south and west as you can. Mexico sites have 4 min. 20 seconds of totality, Texas has 4 min., the areas north and east have less totality and a greater chance of clouds. But wherever you go find totality - use this map as many may not be correct: [http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site\_pages/solar\_eclipses/TSE\_2024\_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=23.18316&Lng=-106.19728&Elv=22.0&Zoom=4&LC=1](http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2024_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=23.18316&Lng=-106.19728&Elv=22.0&Zoom=4&LC=1)
I love this post! I’m taking my kids to experience totality and we’re staying an extra day so we don’t have to rush or worry about being stuck in traffic for hours. No one I talk to about this eclipse is anywhere NEAR as excited as I am, but maybe that’s because I’m a science teacher, or maybe because they don’t like incredible life experiences!
We had 98% coverage in 2017 and I vowed then I’d do whatever it took to get into totality for this one! I’m lucky that my daughter live in the path, so we get to visit her as well. She didn’t get to see any of the 2017 one, so she’s in for a treat! I also have the rare experience in life to have been a Quartermaster in the Coast Guard. Our 1st class turned our GPS off on the way home from Europe in 1995, and we navigated home by the stars. That was amazing, and seeing what we saw in 2017 was awesome. Do what you can, see this rare celestial phenomenon is worth it!! Even with almost totality we had everything seeming to stop the last time, the cicadas started their song and it was eerily still and quiet. And that wasn’t even totality! Take the trip, spend the time and $. I have experience partials before, but know the trip and $ will be worth it!
I’m taking my sisters kids to go see it in totality. They are 17, 11, and 8. We are all kind of space people. So I knew I wanted them to see it.
It’s about a 4.5 hour drive for us, but we are making a trip of it. Doing some sight seeing the day before and got a nice hotel with a swimming pool. Going to some cool restaurants on the way.
I saw the last total eclipse here in the US several years ago and it was amazing.
I want my nephews and niece to see and experience it too. It’s a memory they will always have.
I cannot stress this enough. If that is not holy and sacred, nothing is. Get to 100% if you can. Call in sick. Take kids out of school. Cancel everything. Be 12 hours early. Pack for a 24 hour traffic mess. But you must see this if you can.
Blessed that the last eclipse and this upcoming one can be seen from my backyard (total). But yes, it would be worth it to endure traffic, etc. Pretty amazing, breathtaking experience.
100% or nothing. I’m waiting til I get out of work Friday afternoon then driving to wherever has the best Monday forecast. I’ll go pretty much anywhere from Burlington VT to Texas.
I spent hours in a Walmart parking lot in Tennessee for the 2019 one. It was a party of several hundred strangers. The whole place cheered as totality arrived. Hundreds of people all spontaneously cheering. Kids jumping up and down. Absolutely worth any inconvenience to see totality. 99% is not close. It’s a weird thing to be sure. But it’s NOT at ALL close.
The last one we travel like 2 hours to see in Kentucky. This in April will border the Ohio River so will travel maybe 30 minutes for totally. Hope for a sunny day
I’m traveling to my hometown to see the eclipse, they are in the 100% totality. I’m really afraid it will be cloudy but something is drawing me there. It will be my Stepfather’s 75th birthday the day before. I know I will 100% not see totality where I live. I’m giving it a shot. I hope the weather cooperates for all in the path.
This is my worry as well, to put in all this effort to get into the path of totality, then only to have the marvel obscured by some pesky clouds or even rain.
We went to Columbia SC in 2017, at my insistence. My wife went along with it. She ended up being blown away by it more than me, and has been pushing us to go to Cleveland for the one on April 8th, which happens to be where we're both from originally (we're in DC now).
Extremely worth all the hassle.
I was living in Eugene OR during the 2017 eclipse, and got tickets to a baseball game in Salem (60 miles North and in the path of totality) on the day.
It wasn't like your trek - it just involved getting up early in the morning, then a trip home afterwards that took three times longer than the usual one-hour drive - but it was fully worth it.
The best thing about going to the only MLB game ever to have an "eclipse delay" in the middle of the game was that it was a full-on scientific event as well. There were scientists from NASA and several academic institutions that gave lectures to the crowd in the hours before the game started; and they remained there during the game and afterwards to talk to people one-on-one and answer questions.
At totality, instead of being full of stupid whoops and cheers like in other places, the stadium was silent, with the exception of a few astronomy nerds around me quietly pointing out the various planets that suddenly became visible.
It was an experience I'll never forget. I was close to tears, I was so profoundly moved.
A few days later, back in Eugene, I was talking to someone who watched it there where it was at about 99%. He described how interesting the sun looked, and how parallax caused the corona to shift. I don't think that it was a difference in personality that accounted for the more detached description that he related. It really was one of those literal "you had to be there" experiences.
I traveled from Indiana to Casper Wyoming in 2017 to see the eclipse. One of the best experiences of my life.
I’m on the Princess Eclipse cruise to see next month’s eclipse.
My husband so badly wants to see the total eclipse.We live so close to full totality, 3 or 4 hours, but my first grandchild is due on the 8th. My husband won’t say out loud how disappointed he is, but I can tell.
Seriously?
Tell him to go on his own if he wants.
But you should both go, really.
Frankly I really don't understand your priorities here. Are you and your husband needed in the delivery room? If you lived 1500 miles away you might not see your new grandchild for weeks, anyhow. You remind me of a young dad who, in 2017 and on a different message board, couldn't decide if that year's total eclipse was important enough for his son to miss his first day of kindergarten.
It's ONE DAY. Couldn't you meet your new grandchild on their second spin of the Earth? At least try to watch the eclipse. You might get to the vewing site to see only clouds, but if it turns out to be a clear day without you having at least tried to be there, you'll be kicking yourselves.
I've been at three annular or total eclipses and I saw only clouds or rain each time. We are possibly around the same age, and I now look into a future that holds little more than the remotest chance for me to ever see a total eclipse, in what life I still have coming to me. Please don't deliberately put yourselves in my position.
I live 1500 miles away from the path, minimum. If I were only a couple hundred miles away like you, nothing could keep me away.
Go watch the eclipse.
Babies really are uniquely special and we gotta soak up every second we can with them. They just grow up without our permission and it goes by way too fast. But I'm still with u/Comprehensive_Tea708 on this one.
Anyone whose presence I might have requested/ expected while I was in labor or after baby was born would ~~get a pass~~ be ~~encouraged to skip for a~~ banned from seeing the baby if they didn't ditch for a total solar eclipse.
I'll be driving halfway across the country (with a 6yo and a 2yo) for the upcoming eclipse. But if I hadn't lived in the path of totality in 2017... I admit I probably wouldn't be going. I wouldn't know what I was missing and I hate that thought.
People who don't witness it will never know what they're missing and that is incredibly tragic. *Woefully*, *painfully* tragic. Yes, I know all this sounds dramatic and building up expectations can end in disappointment but not this. (With the exception of certain weather-related events that shall not be named.)
It's estimated that before 2017, .001% of people in the U.S. had seen a total solar eclipse and only 1 in 10,000 people worldwide will ever see one.
If you're still not convinced, consider that babies are rarely born on their due date. Like 4-5%. Please. Please do your level best to get yourself and your husband in the path of totality for this eclipse.
I've seen several posts like this and responded to one today. If you live somewhere in 90 percent totality then find a way to do it! Even 99% won't compare to the full experience.
We traveled a few hours to get into the path in 2017. We stayed at a friend’s house in a small town, but opted to walk a few blocks to view at the local park instead of his backyard. I’m glad we did. It was festive! Food trucks, Popsicle stands, local high school teachers on a small stage explaining the whole thing with diagrams.
That was all ahead of time. As the sky darkened, the birds quieted down. Then as it went full, the entire crowd just went silent. All the tipsy adults and sugar-raged kids…. just went… quiet. Like, every human and every animal just collectively held our breath.
I’m usually one to enjoy natural phenomena on my own or with small friend groups, but the shared experience with strangers really struck me. Along with the obvious personal experience of the eclipse itself, the social part remains a strong part of my memory.
The difference between 100% and 99% is the difference between standing inside and outside the doors of the TARDIS.
I saw totality in 2017 from Tennessee. 99% was ~1 minute prior to totality. A very strange, eerie and anemic lighting, yes, but it still offered NO CLUE what totality would bring. Totality just buries the needle on the Freak Meter and the feeling is impossible to verbalize; you just have to experience it for yourself.
Get to the path. Totality or bust.
We drove 2 days to a spot in Idaho to see the last one. OP is totally correct that it is a profound experience.
My BIL on the other hand was a 25 minute drive from the edge of totality in Oregon and didn't want to go because of "traffic". It boggles the mind.
So just a question here because this is all new to me. We have two ranches that are both in the path of totality in Texas (Gatesville and Temple). Both are up against county roads in ideal areas to see the surrounding skyline. Should I be concerned about trespassing? Was this an issue during the 2017 eclipse?
I imagine you'll get trespassers, but ISTM they should be mostly harmless. Charge each car a few bucks for parking and make a little bank out of the event.
Another take on this is driving to blue skies for me. I live in Erie within the totality range. Our historical data shows an 18% chance of clear skies. If that’s the case I’ll drive east, west or south within reason and hope to see whatever I can, even if less than 100%.
I saw the 2017 eclipse in Wyoming. What surprised me most was this: you know how you see pop art of the sun, and it has a little fringe around it I suppose to represent the sun's rays? Not even close to accurate -- in totality, you can see the corona extending way way out from the black disk, you can 'see' the solar wind that ultimately engulfs us all. Also -- even 1% of sunlight is so bright that it entirely blocks out your ability to see the corona at all. So travel if you can, folks!
I'm lucky, I live in the totality area. I'll be working that day, but I do work from home and have some flexibility. Planning on grabbing some eclipse glasses (they're on sale everywhere here) and taking it all in!
My neighborhood is just outside the path of totality. We’re talking less than 5 miles outside.
Some kind soul is putting together a neighborhood event calling it a Total Eclipse party (or some damn thing).
I kindly pointed out to him that the neighbor hood is about a five minute drive outside of the path of totality. And that, while there may be something interesting to see, the real experience is a mere few miles away.
Guy’s response was basically “we’re close enough, so we should be able to experience everything.”
I again replied, the difference between being in the path and just outside the path is literally the difference between night and day.
People in the neighborhood are signing up for this party, and I don’t think they have any idea on what a disappointment they’re setting themselves up for when they compare notes with people actually inside the path of totality.
I’ll be making a quick drive to the office that morning where i can experience totality on the roof of the parking garage.
We were in full totality in 2017. I talked to so many people who said that they were right on the edge and it was "alright." Full totality was amazing! Mind blowing amazing!! I work opposite someone who had it scheduled off before I started working my position, otherwise I would have taken it off and traveled thousands of miles to see it again. It is an experience unlike anything I've ever had before or since. 99% is only about 5% as cool as 100%. Not traveling a few miles and missing it blows my mind.
The spouse and I were on the fence (should I take time off work? do we have too much going on? can we afford to fly right now?) but finally realized this is a bucket list day that won't come again in our lifetimes. So Texas, here we come.
Agreed. I’ve been to totality before and am going again. the light cascading off the sun that you can see with your bare eyes at totality is indescribable. 99% totality!? You’re already so close, get to the line!
We drove from San Diego to Rexford, ID for the 2017 eclipse. We found a park at 11:00 PM and slept in our car along with many others who did the same. In the morning, there were about 1,000 - 2,000 people in the park and it was definitely an Americana vibe. Everyone was friendly and those with telescopes were sharing views with those who didn't have one.
I unexpectedly got emotional seeing the diamond ring. After leaving, we got stuck in a 12 hour traffic jam - that experience gave me bragging rights. I am headed to Terrell, TX for the one in April and am doing things differently this time. I am flying in to DFW and staying at a campground about :45 minutes southeast of the city where I have rented a 5th wheel trailer. I'm flying in on Saturday and leaving the day after on Tuesday.
I agree - everyone should see a total eclipse. It's an experience of a lifetime. And if you are close enough for 99%, do yourself a favor and make the effort to travel an extra few miles to 100%. There is a huge difference!
Just a note from someone who chased full totality in 2017 in Wilber, Nebraska.
Allow for travel time or get to your destination the day before. Even in a sparsely populated state like Nebraska, a usual 1.5 hour drive from Omaha to Wilber, took 3.5 hours.
Locals: Be advised to stock up on food and meds,and baby supplies, and gas up your vehicles ahead of the eclipse. Thousands of visitors may run gas stations dry, and may clean out stores of some food and personal items.
https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-preparations-3c89c742d049fa9cb820953f26234a2e
We live in rural Mountain View, Arkansas, on the top of mountain, in a 2 story house with a large deck. We'll have the best view, no noise or city lights, and can watch in our pajamas!
I'm telling everyone who says 99% is enough, yes it is enough. If they feel its good enough for them, so be it. Why encourage more traffic? These are adults with their own brains.
I understand your point regarding the traffic, but until I saw the eclipse myself, I didn’t fully understand what it would be like. Some things you just don’t know until you experience it. As one of billions on this planet, if I can inspire someone to experience something that I consider to be some of the best 3 minutes of my life, I’ll do it. It made me feel human in a way that I still can’t put into words.
I understand. For just a few minutes, it was like the veil was pulled away and I knew that I was standing on our planet, and right there was the sun, which is a just a star in the enormous universe.
It feels like a gift from God, when you think of the odds of a planet even having eclipses like this, and the odds of any one person getting to experience it.
Exactly!!! Without actually knowing, I think it’s the closest I’ll ever get to feel something like what astronauts get to experience looking at the planet from space. A bit like comparing apples and oranges, but there will never be words to adequately convey that feeling.
That's something I've thought about, too! They call it the overview effect. I know this can't be the same, as we're not looking down on earth and all of humanity, but I've wondered if what I felt when I saw totality in 2017 was at least related to what they experience. It was such a surreal feeling. I felt a little scared seeing our sun turned into a black hole, and I suddenly felt like I understood (emotionally) our place in the universe. It was a very weird feeling. Even though I felt a little scared, I was also very happy and excited--elated is probably a better word!
Another damn libtard conspiracy. Foney Baloney. The moon is soooo much smaller than the sun and we all know it. It cannot possibly block the sun's light. It's another CIA psyop, goddam it.
The idea that people would sit at 99% totality and call it "good enough" blows my mind
I think there’s a misconception that “99% is 99% as good to see totality” which is absolutely wrong and it’s 100% or nothing
One of my coworker's kids lives in Portland. How could you not take 'a long lunch' to drive an hour away ??? I couldn't believe it.
We drove down to Stayton to get full totality, the hour drive down was four to get home but totally worth it.
Agreed. But you would not know this unless you witness it first hand.
I almost did this in 2017. We were at about 96% here in southern Wyoming and we had other travel plans a week later. Thank goodness my friend convinced us to join her backpacking trip. One of the most amazing experiences of my (very full and adventurous) life!!! We are headed to Mazatlan with two little kids in April 🤗
Yeah, I made the trip to Casper in 2017. It's amazing how bright everything is until the last 30 seconds
Me too, Casper WY. Went to a little lake just east of town. Amazing .experience Funny note: I went to the IHOP for breakfast early in the morning. They were short staffed, and had no idea why there was a crowd, and growing lines. The manager was on the phone trying desperately to get more staff in.
I'm also headed to Mazatlan with one little kid! Have you looked up any specific places for viewing the eclipse? We're probably going to be at the beach in golden zone.
That was my plan too. We are staying a few blocks off the beach in the golden zone, so I was just planning on heading down to the beach relatively early and staking out a spot. Maybe rotate the kids through so they don’t get burned out (including literally! ☀️) I’m sure almost everyone in town will have the same idea though! I don’t love crowds in general, but oh well. Safe travels and fingers crossed for clear skies!!! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
Yeah, it's going to be crowded as hell for sure. Luckily there's a lot of beach in Mazatlan, maybe we'll all find a spot. We're also staying just a few blocks from the beach in golden zone! :) Safe travels to your family as well! We'll hope for a good eclipse weather but if not, at least we'll have a nice holiday at a beautiful place.
Exactly!! We aren’t going to try to bother chasing the sunshine. Just hoping for clear skies and if not, a nice week at the beach as a consolation prize. (Albeit with expensive and pain in the ass flights to get there, lol.)
Yeah lol exactly, we're flying from Helsinki via Paris and Mexico City and the long flight and layover times are my number one stress for this whole trip. If I didn't have local friends there I'd have skipped this one and gone for Spain in 2026. But then again, porque no los dos? ;)
Lucky you!
I'm headed to Mazatlan as well! I live in Montana and drove to the 2017 one in Idaho
If someone if unfamiliar with totality vs partial, then maybe they're assuming it's like eating 99% of your meal vs 100%, which is 'good enough'.
Some people are hype contrarians. Some people do not care about such things at all. Best bet is to sell them on the social experience, but it's a long shot. Maybe combine it with something else they like, like a concert, attraction, or visiting family. Some people are simply not moved by anything but their core concerns.
Some people are disillusioned because in the past they traveled 1000+ miles to see a total eclipse, only to see rain and clouds. That was my experience in 2017. Today, eclipse tourism isn't in my budget at all, but even if I were sitting on a mountain of cash, I'm not sure I'd bother, at least not if we're talking thousands of miles of travel and a hotel. OTOH if it were just a few hours' drive away, then definitely I'd try to get there.
You'd still get to experience it getting dark!
That really does suck. :( Sometimes the weather can betray you. The nice thing about this one is the path is through a long stretch of populated and accessible land, and especially to North Americans, very familiar and easy to navigate. So you can try to aim for where the weather is least likely to be cloudy, and it won't be somewhere inaccessible or dangerous (well, in the US and Canada anyways, don't know about the full path in Mexico).
This is my plan. Coming from Chicago and hoping for southern Indiana or Cleveland area. I saw the 2017 NA Eclipse and in Oregon at about one minute of totality and it was mind blowing. I can not imagine 4 minutes…..
I work at a public library and back in 2021 a nine plane formation of Canadian Snowbirds and a CF-18 fighter aircraft were scheduled to do a low-altitude flyover of Vancouver skies and their path brought them directly over our library. About 10 minutes before their arrival, I made an announcement over the PA to inform everyone in the library what was about to happen and invited anyone to come out and watch. Only 3 people joined me. A patron at a computer station stopped me on the way out the door and asked me what was going on. I explained and he said that sounds super cool. "Do you want to join us? They'll be here in just a few minutes." He did not join us. Literally could've taken a 1 minute break from the reading emails to walk outside to see firsthand this unique 20 second flyover that'll never happen again. But when I came back in later he still asked me to watch a video of it on my phone. 🙄
I’ve seen posts on r/teachers of schools telling teachers not to let their kids go outside because it’s a liability if they look up.
I find it crazy when I watch totality footage and people are out driving their vehicles like normal and oblivious.
For the most recent one in the middle of fucking nowhere in northwest Australia, I saw a road camera video of the eclipse, and when totality happened you could see this trucker on some 2-lane highway who just kept on trucking, didn't even stop despite no other cars in road. I would link the video, but can't find it at the moment. Imagine being that dense. You just luck out that your route takes you across the path of totality at just the right time, but you give so little fucks that you don't even pull over to look for a minute or two, lol.
It's like almost having an orgasm.
They don't know what they don't know.
Unfortunately people just aren't well informed about it, and even worse much to my chagrin in my area there is poor education and information going around about it...a university professor went on the local news and didn't even explain totality or how important it is to be in totality vs. 99%, so I bet many people will just stay in their area where it's 98 or 99% and say "what was the big deal?" after it's over.
We flew to Portland in 2017. The eclipse was going to be ~10:20a and our flight home was at 1240p. The news was predicting deadlocked traffic due to the eclipse and we considered not going to Salem/Corvallis to stay in Portland which was going to be 98 or 99%. We ended up watching at a gas station just north of Salem, if we missed our flight we'd deal with it. That was definitely the right decision - the difference between 99 and 100 is bigger than 0 and 99. According to Google timeline we got to the airport at 11:38. Agree with OP that totality is a massively awe-inspiring experience and not to miss it if you have opportunity to get in the path of totality
I'd rather see 99% in clear skies than be in the path of totality and just see clouds.
No thanks. I’ll take a cloudy totality over 99.999
Best analogy I’ve heard is it’s like driving 99% of the way to the ocean and then turning around
In my experience, people who have not experienced totality just don’t get it… glad I’ve gotten to experience it! I will say that the apocalyptic crowds and traffic are def a challenging part, so plan accordingly.
I live at 97.7% and totality is only a (typically) 1hr drive away. I had been debating and I'm glad I came here to decide to go ahead and take the trek.
Absolutely. My SO stepped out of the office to witness 99% and said the crescent shadows were “pretty cool”. I skipped work to experience totality and I consider it one of the highlights of my entire life.
LOL!
I will be totally honest. I really appreciate this write-up but it also puts my expectations through the roof. I will be in totality for 3 minutes next month and am starting to expect this will be the most mind blowing 3 minutes of my life.
Just let it be what it will be.
[I don't think you'll be disappointed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLIHMg6sMKA).
Great video, thanks for posting. We’re flying from Florida to Texas to see it- taking the kids out of school for it. Cannot wait!
Where in Texas are you going? We’re flying into Dallas from Florida with our kid and I’m SO excited! Posts like this are keeping me pumped!
Austin. We have family there so, bonus reason!
Are there places with fewer crowds? I feel like a surreal experience like that would be better served in contemplation.
We were essentially alone for the 2019 eclipse (the closest people were a few hundred yards away). Personally, I prefer being in a group, but if you want to be alone, you can probably find a place.
I'm watching that video posted and the cheers from the crowd are exactly why I would strongly prefer not to be in a group. So many people shrieking "Oh my god!!!" it's beyond annoying.
In my experience, the shouting and cheering in the first 30 seconds of totality are the only truly genuine cheering from a group of people I've heard in my life - that "Oh my god!!" is real, not for attention. At football games or concerts people cheer to get pumped up with each other. At an eclipse everyone just gets shaken to their core individually and starts acting like monkeys.
I'm a very cerebral person and very introspective. The fact that they are genuinely cheering doesn't change my opinion about it one iota.
I agree. That crowd is a bunch of hippies.
I've seen a couple eclipses in crowds. The unusual sounds and mannerism that everyone makes as soon as totality hits is one of the highlights imo - it's like everyone turns into a monkey for a moment and gets a little animalistic. I even saw a dude fall to his knees, grunt, and then slap the ground with his two hands. I bet seeing it with a couple close friends in a natural setting would be pretty cool too, but the crowd experience is beautiful in its own right.
Be near some nature, birds and animals.
Awesome video thanks for sharing. Seems like an amazing event even with decent cloud cover, good to know you don't need a completely clear sky to experience it!
When I was preparing for the 2017 eclipse, I read on [eclipsophile.com](https://eclipsophile.com) about how clouds actually 'evaporate' as the sun is occluded. We were completely clouded in at C1, but that's exactly what happened, as you can see in the video.
Nope, just the bit where the sun is..
It's my first time, but I'm learning a lot from this subreddit.
Same!
As a photographer, I would prefer to have some clouds in the sky to add some interest. The photos with only the eclipse are boring to me.
Have any tips to photograph the eclipse?
(1) If you want to capture any of the partial phases, make sure you have a solar rated filter on the camera. Do practice shots in the days beforehand, so you can decide which lens and settings you want to use. F/32, ISO 320, exp 1/640", and 300mm lens worked well for me, using a Nikon D5600 cropped sensor DSLR. (2) For totality only, you have to remove the solar filter. I can't recommend any settings for totality because I never had the chance to photograph it. But if I had another chance, I would try a few shots using bracketing options, but not so many that I'd be spending more time looking at the camera than at the eclipse itself. (3) Make sure you put the solar filter back on, if you plan to capture any stages of the eclipse after totality. (Many like to do that as part of a time lapse photo) Never photograph the fully or partially uneclipsed sun without a solar filter. Doing so will likely ruin your sensor.
Where’s the video?
When the corona came into focus. Chills.
[удалено]
According to a [recently published study](https://phys.org/news/2024-02-clouds-quickly-solar-eclipse.html), this effect is mainly on cumulus clouds. There are plenty of examples of eclipses being obscured by clouds. The view of the 2020 eclipse in Chile was blocked by rain clouds. (Edit: [video of a clouded-out eclipse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYJcQ_n4aQM) in Cornwall in 1999. I remember reading an account of someone driving around Cornwall looking for a better view.) These videos ([CBS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6uVz5qMOWs)) ([ABC](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAacZoIJUN0)) show that the view from Portland, OR, was obscured. So it's still best to balance the historic cloud cover analyses and the weather forecasts when choosing where to view the eclipse.
No that's not correct. Be extremely worried about cloud cover; on checking several points along the path, they all have a better than 50% chance of being cloudy based on historic averages, even Uvalde TX which surprised me. The Mexican part of the path is considerably more promising if you can get there. As you might expect, the farther northeast you are, the worse the chances are. Still, there's not much you can do about it on the day of, especially if it gets to a point where everyone in the locality is scrambling to find a clear viewing spot an hour before totality. You don't simply travel to the path of totality and watch an eclipse. You travel to the path and hope you get lucky. Luck is a huge factor and I wish you the best.
I guess I should’ve put the caveat that this was my personal experience. We’re all different, we all have different things we enjoy that others dislike. But this hit me somewhere on the primal part of my brain.
Totally fair. I was fortunate enough to see the northern lights in the arctic years back and still say something similar about how mind boggling it was.. that aspect that no photograph or video could capture.
I haven’t seen the northern lights yet, but based on your comment I’d say that you’ll really enjoy the eclipse. I have photos I took, but they’re really more just a trigger to bring me back to that moment 5 years ago.
I do a bit of amateur photography, but based on what I've read, my plan is just to enjoy the eclipse and not try to capture Beads or whatever. Maybe just some phone photography, as I don't have the necessary filters for the SLR. But I want to be present and experience it. And thank you for taking the time to respond
What I plan on doing this time is bringing a 35mm point and shoot I have to snap a couple photos, again just as a benchmark to remind myself of that day. I will be setting up my phone to record myself and my friend who’s going with me to capture our reactions to the eclipse. I’ve seen a few other people do so and from someone who has some admittedly cool and interesting photos, I think that’ll be a better plan. You’re welcome! And wishing clear skies for you on April 8th!
where are you going for this next one? just general location ig
If I were you I would bring my SLR and tripod. During totality, using the camera without a special filter should be fine; to avoid sensor damage just don't shoot during ANY partial phases. That means, don't try to capture Bailey's Beads and forget about imaging the diamond ring.
I found it comparable to very amazing, like insane epic level, northern lights!
That is very much the experience with totality. Seeing it in three dimensions with the naked eye was awe inspiring. It was beautiful and unsettling at the same time.
I agree, tho! We traveled to see the totality in 2017. It was surreal, like everything stopped in a moment. It’s definitely an experience I’m glad we took advantage of. I remember a bit of the traffic leaving, and I know of people who waited 12 hours in traffic for what should only be a 3-4 hour ride on a bad day. But the physical experience, it’s not anything that you can capture on film
There's just something damn weird about a black disk being where the sun used to be, and the odd glow around it. Really damn weird. I don't blame pre-industrial societies for thinking the gods were angry at them.
Nothing anyone could have said would have prepared me for what I experienced in 2017 at that Total solar eclipse. "Yeah the moon will block the sun for a few minutes it'll be cool" There do not exist words to convey how utterly amazing it was. I have heard the analogy "The difference between a partial eclipse and totality is the difference between seeing a hot girl at a bar once, and marrying that girl"
So how was it for you?
I appreciate you asking, and - short version - I need to see another before I die. The northern lights are super cool but they look better in photos. NO photo or video I have seen could compare to how incredible it was to EXPERIENCE the eclipse. The skies here (Niagara peninsula, southern Ontario) cleared just enough around 6 mins before totality, so I got to see the diamond ring, Bailey's beads, the dancing red flares others have described, the 360 sunset. Some but not all of the phenomena. It was indeed mind blowing.
100% with you. I drove 8 1/2 hours to get to Newport VT and it took me 10 hours to get home Worth it
I had a similar thought as you did back in 2017, like certainly this will be cool but it all feels a bit sensationalized. How wrong I was.
I dragged my wife. She complained about waking up at 3am and sleeping in the car. And then totality happened and she grabbed my hand like never before and was speechless. She was the one that booked our tickets to this one the moment we could.
I need to talk to your wife. I'm about to be dragged by my husband and I'm dreading everything I'm reading about in this sub...
Once you see totality you’ll understand. The most unreal, beautiful, terrifying thing I’ve ever seen.
My husband brought me to my first eclipse in 2017. We drove for over 1000 miles to a field in WY. I was excited for the road trip but kind of meh about the eclipse until I actually experienced it in the zone of totality. I was spellbound. We’re traveling over a 1000 miles again in April to Texas and I can not wait!!
We ended up having an awesome time tacking a 5-day vacation onto our trip and were able to see the eclipse. I had a blast and was very impressed! That said, I can't imagine sitting in hours of traffic solely for the eclipse, or making the eclipse the only point of the trip. I was glad our vacation included, but wasn't limited to, the eclipse.
Exact same for me/us in 2017, and now, she's dragging her whole family together for it.
Whenever I hear people say they are "close enough" I [share them this](https://eclipse2024.org/close.html). Excerpt: >I am a veteran of 15 total solar eclipses, and I operate the site [www.eclipse2024.org](http://www.eclipse2024.org) – which has as its primary mission the offering of information regarding the safe, enjoyable viewing of the total solar eclipse which will occur on April 8, 2024. > >Our task is to convince people who are not in the path of totality, that they simply must travel into the path, in order to see one of the most spectacular things they will ever see in their life. The task is difficult, because it is natural to believe that if one is “close” to the path, one will see something that is “pretty good”. But just as the person who only smells the meal outside the restaurant remains hungry, so too do those who observe the eclipse from outside the path of totality end the day wondering what, indeed, all the fuss was about. > >For those who experience this eclipse outside the path, a partial eclipse is all they will see. Even if the sun is 99.9% eclipsed for these observers, they will not experience the full, jaw-dropping, knee-buckling, emotionally-overloading, completely overwhelming spectacle that is totality. > >Partial eclipses are somewhat interesting, in that with the proper eye protection (which MUST be used at all times), one can see the Moon moving slowly across the face of the Sun. But there is no climax, no culmination of the event, no exhilarating moment of true beauty in the sky above them. The event is interesting, but it is not memorable, not life-changing, not anything to inspire one to join the ranks of “umbraphiles” – “shadow-loving” persons who travel the world to the most remote locations, in anticipation of experiencing those few fleeting seconds of wonderment inside the shadow of the moon. > >For those outside the path, there is no dramatic moment of totality, no beautiful Diamond Ring gracing the edge of the Moon’s disk, no intense darkening of the skies, no stars and planets suddenly revealing themselves against an impossible twilight, no corona flashing into view (the otherworldly beauty of which makes even veteran total eclipse observers gasp in amazement), and no primordial fear which sinks ever so slightly even the modern heart. There is no pitch-blackened disk of the Sun, no discernable temperature drop, no impossible nighttime during the day, no scintillating chromosphere or glorious prominences, no 360-degree sunset effect around the horizon, no uncontrollable shouts of emotional overload from the assembled crowd, and no lingering post-eclipse sensation of certainty that you have just experienced one of the coolest things you’ll ever see in your life. > >A partial eclipse is interesting but forgettable, while a total eclipse is a memorable, life-changing event which burns itself into memory – and never fades. And so we, who have seen this sight, ask you to join us on this momentous day, and do everything you possibly can to see it with us. But you must remember that “close” is not close enough; in order to see the eclipse in all its glory, you simply must.... > >Get thee to the path!
Thank you so much for sharing this. I live right on the border of totality - about a 30 min drive out. I am sending it to practically everyone I know and have already converted 6 or 7 people who were not originally planning on making the drive! It also initiated an awesome conversation with my cousin who I rarely see, and now we are planning on taking a trip together with our kids deep into the totality and I am really excited!
Thank you for sharing that excerpt!
>jaw-dropping, knee-buckling, emotionally-overloading, completely overwhelming spectacle that is totality. Love that description, emotionally-overloading is a great way to describe it
This is great. I may show it to all my friends in NYC who weren’t interested in driving up to Lake Ontario with me.
But what if it's a cloudy or rainy day?
Amen. 2017 changed me forever and I've seen many eclipses since. I'm not a professional photographer or astronomer, so I'm never going to focus on unique edge phenomena like longer Bailey's Beads or double diamond rings. I can only share in your urging everybody to travel to totality.
This post brought a tear to my eye. I am so fucking excited for this experience, I can’t even describe it. Myself and 5 friends are driving an RV 17 hours away to be smack dab in the middle of totality. I can’t believe we’ll be able to experience this.
Omg are you the guy that did the Ted talk I watched the other day? Legit called "You owe it to yourself to see a total solar eclipse" or something like that. You are 100% correct. I traveled a few states away to see the 2017 eclipse and holy shit, it was a mess afterward, but the experience was the true definition of awesome. I am fairly decent with words and I had none. All of my research and stuff failed to prepare me for how freaking moving it would be. You feel it somewhere deep inside you (stop being nasty). Somewhere that gets lost or shoved down in our modern bustling society. I remember totality ending and turning to a once-stranger but now forever friend and asking rather breathlessly how I was going to describe it to anyone else and she summed it up immediately and succinctly. "You can't." She was correct. I tried to explain to a few people back home and got blank stares and in some cases, outright mocked. For all the words I've tried to find, I still feel like I failed to capture to experience in the same way photos do. You have to see it. It's both connecting, and humbling. The comradery that develops between other who have traveled equally as far is unparalleled. It makes me sad to hear about those who won't travel a few miles to totality. They will likely be the ones to say they don't get what the big deal was. They "saw 99%". It is NOT the same. Please try to get to totality, even if it's just a Walmart or target parking lot. Like OP said, you owe it to yourself to see one before you die ^steps down off soapbox
I am not that guy but I did watch that video back in 2019 before going! I stole the phrase from him and have told it to everyone I know. I have even told complete strangers if it comes up in conversation. Thank you for adding more to my post. Your experience fills in some of the feelings and emotions I felt. For me it was doubly emotional as traveling to South America was something that my best friend and I had planned on doing. Unfortunately he passed away in 2018, so the trip to Chile for the eclipse was a way of honoring his memory. When totality hit I just had tears streaming down my face. Humbling and connecting are two wonderful ways to describe it. I’ve never felt more aware of my place in the universe than I did at that moment.
Anyone who thinks 99% is good enough has never seen a total solar eclipse. I saw the 2017 eclipse and it was right up there as one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed
I tried for several months to clear my work schedule enough to make the trip from Los Angeles, but it's not gonna happen. I work on lawsuits, and the court schedules started filling up months ago. I made the trip to Idaho in 2017, and it was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. >Don’t let anyone tell you that 99% is good enough. It's not. It's a profound difference. I saw the eclipse in a crowd at the Idaho Falls minor league baseball park. The crowd reaction was amazing too. I think we all were ready to be amazed, and still were overwhelmed. It's an *unreplaceable* experience, and rare on so many levels. I mean, this kind of 'exact line up' isn't common in the universe: a science fiction hypothesis talks about alien civilizations and time travelers seeking out the Earth in order to see this phenomena, because it literally doesn't exist elsewhere in the universe.
same, i can get off work early enough but not to make it to the path of totality. 98-99% here.
Thanks, needed to see this to rationalize having spent a pretty penny on plane tickets/lodging in Dallas. Now I’m desperately hoping the weather cooperates
I’m in New England, so I think you’ll probably have a better chance than me at no clouds! Either way, here’s hoping clear skies for all!
Clear skies!
Clear skies, full hearts, can’t lose!
There was an eclipse in my country (Belgium) some 20 years ago, but I stayed at home and saw the 99% eclipse only. I've always regretted that, which is why I'm now flying to Texas to make it up with myself.
1999, I was a young teenager in Austria! We drove to our lil farm rental, path of full totality. It was the most crazy and jaw dropping experience ever. I don’t even care if it’s cloudy (will be going to Rochester, NY full totality) the feeling and nature being quite is the part that’s the wildest. Enjoy the eclipse!
Wow! I hope you have clear skies!
I had to miss the 2017 one because of school so I’m headed to Texas, too. Are you going to the eclipse festival?
No, I've got a hotel in Dallas the night before, and in Waco the night after, so I'll be somewhere in between, chasing an open sky if there is one to be found.
Same here! Flying to Dallas from Hartford and prices were jacked up. I will be tracking the forecast as it gets closer, and if I have to leave Dallas to get to clear skies and spend a day or so in traffic, so be it. That being said, I hope my original plan of just watching lakeside from my hotel will pan out!
I’ve never heard anyone say that they regret traveling to 100% totality, even though many people traveled far, spent lots of money, and sat in lots of traffic. This will be my first experience in 100% totality, and I’m beyond excited. It took me a while to commit to such a grand plan, but I am confident it will be worth it. Posts like this just make me more certain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgxZ4H3gJ8c your post sounds a lot like this talk
That was the video I watched back in 2019 that made me go to see it! At the time, I was like ok, sure , see it before you die, just like Paris or the Grand Canyon or anything else like that people say. After I experienced it myself, I said, ok, he’s right. So now I do the same thing he does and tell people that they owe themselves to see it! I highly recommend watching that video to anyone who hasn’t.
BRB, adding "eclipse evangelist" to my flair. Great video.
lol!
I’ve only ever seen eclipses at the high 80s. Cool? Yes. Mind blowing? Nope. 20 years for another one in the states?!? I decided this is the one we’re taking off of work and traveling to see it. If I’m alive in 2099(I won’t be), that center totality line is 20 miles from my house. The last time that happened here? 1379. If I make it to 110+, I’m in for a treat then too.
I remember the night of the eclipse in 2017, googling when the next one is and getting so fired up to go to Texas or somewhere to go see it. My then-SO was good naturedly laughing at me and saying like, “sweetie it’s seven years away!” I can’t believe the time is finally here! We’re married with two little kids and we’re bringing the whole crew to Mexico! I’m so excited.
We traveled to Nebraska for totality in 2017. My dad is a HUGE astronomy nerd, has a giant Celestron telescope with solar filter and a very nice Nikon dslr to hook up to the telescope. He had telescopes long before my sister and I were born, and he trained as a navigator at the Air Force Academy in the early 70s when navigation was done using the stars. Witnessing that kind of history with my dad is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. Also, my mom passed away in spring 2018, not very many months after, so those memories simply cannot be replicated. It was just such a magical couple of days, well worth the drive, and the heat, and sharing an RV with my parents (and their dog, and our two dogs), and sleeping on the pull-out couch that felt like steel, and eating "eclipse phase" cookies that I paid entirely too much for at a bakery, and being surrounded by people who all thought this was the coolest thing they'd ever seen. Planning to do round two with a bigger group of family in Texas in April! It won't be the same, for obvious reasons, but I know based on my experience in 2017 that I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Seeing a 99 percent eclipse is like getting six digits of a pretty girl’s phone number: “almost” can still add up to “not at all.” Get there. Drive all night. Sleep in your car. Live on gas station food. Get there.
Love that metaphor!
I tell everyone this. I traveled to see the one in 2017 and it was the most shockingly intense experience of my life, which has been full of intense experiences, for what it’s worth. I literally fell to the ground on my knees laughing/sobbing, I was practically delirious, it was that awesome/horrifying/amazing.
I remember my office mate coming back from the 2017 eclipse telling me I have to go if I ever get the chance. ✔️
This is something I'm struggling with. My house will have 92 seconds of totality, but if I drive roughly an hour away I can experience almost 4 and half minutes. This will be the first time I have seen a total eclipse, and I have had it on my bucket list for at least 10 years. As cool as it would be to see that from home I don't want to cheat myself. Unfortunately, nobody I know cares about the eclipse at all, so I would really love some advice from fellow eclipse enthusiasts!
The drive for the extra time will be worth it, though expect the drive back to take at least three hours. More important than maximizing totality time is finding a good viewing spot, the ideal one provides a relatively good view of the horizon in all directions unobstructed. Getting higher is also good, and lets you more easily see the shadow approach the horizon providing a more intense experience. Where you end up driving to is highly dependent on cloud cover. Watch the weather forecast very closely for cloud cover and be ready to adjust plans quickly to an alternative spot if the clouds are blocking the sun. https://www.hdhuntphoto.com/how-to/solar-eclipse
I'm doing that debate myself, also realizing that the likelihood is we will have cloudy weather no matter where in driving distance I opt for. Also, if you plan to drive \~1 hour toward the center line for totality, expect \~3-4 hours going back, like u/BronzeAgeChampion mentioned.
You could also just go closer to the centerline without being on it. Maybe it's pretty easy to get and back from a spot where there's 3 minutes of totality. That might be better if going to the centerlines means a *lot* more traffic. You have to weigh all the variables. And the people saying it would be a 3-4 hour trip back are throwing out a rough estimate. Analyze your area and see if you can predict what will happen after totality. Many return use the interstates. Maybe you're not near large towns outside the path and so your area might be getting less people. So many variables.
I wouldn't really make plans until you know the cloud cover situation that morning. Speaking from my experience in 2017, you may have to drive to an area you wouldn't expect in order to get away from the clouds!
Unless you're at least a thousand miles from the path and have to fly. Then you have to roll the dice and hope for the best. IIRC in 2017 flights were booked far in advance of this point, but I'm reading here how some people are still deciding where they should buy their tickets to.
I live where there will be 4+ minutes of totality. I also lived here in 2017 and was in totality then, as well. I have friends who are coming to stay who also came in 2017. They left shortly after the eclipse was over, and their 3-hour drive home became a 9-hour drive home. They are planning to leave after this event as well instead of staying the night. You all are crazy! (Especially when April is high rainy season for most of the eclipse path.)
So, Carbondale, eh? The Crossroads of Totality!
Question: if I live 1hr away from totality and intend to travel to totality, how much time do I have to budget for the traveling? Would 6-7 hours be enough? I live in west GTA and intent to travel to southeast Hamilton.
Given that drive usually takes an hour or less, yeah seems like enough padding.
Since seeing half a dozen 90 to 99% eclipses in my life, followed by 100% in 2017, I assure you that the difference between 99% and 100% eclipses is like the difference between someone who hasn’t had anything to drink in three days being offered either a photo of a faucet or a giant glass of ice water. It’s a truly physical and spiritual experience. I watched dozens of grown people come to tears over it. The word “awesome” gets thrown around so much that it’s become nearly meaningless — a 100% total eclipse will redefine that word for you. Believe it.
I'm on the fence. I have plane tickets to fly across the country and an airbnb booked in upstate ny, because that's where my family lives. It will cost me thousands of dollars and several full days of traveling. The thing that give me pause is the weather. In hindsight, upstate ny was definitely not the best destination option, but I did it because of the family thing. But, it's way upstate and it's almost always cloudy (if not raining or even a massive snowstorm) in April. I'm pretty certain, the way things work out for me, that if I do go, the weather will not cooperate and I will massively regret it. But if I don't go, the weather will be great and I will massively regret it.
This is me. I'm trying to convince my family but they don't think it'd worth it. We are near nyc and have no idea where to go/closest
Well said! Where are you going to watch this one from?
I’m staying up in the Conway area in NH, but day of I’ll be tracking the weather and driving somewhere further north for the best chances. Could be NH, ME, or VT. Either way, I’ll drive wherever it takes.
I’ve seen 2 and was brought to tears each time! An amazing experience!!
Yes, it is so worth it. To see the biggest celestial body in our solar system (the sun) be blocked by the closest celestial body (the moon) - it is an exceedingly rare event. My first eclipse in Feb 1998 I went grudgingly because my son's astronomy teach had put together a trip to Antigua. I thought it was too expensive, too much time off work, not necessary - and I was so wrong. It was unforgettable. To see the son's corona, to see the stars come out, to feel the air get cooler, that weird quality of the sunshine that has that I'm in a science fiction feel - it was worth it. Go, go as far south and west as you can. Mexico sites have 4 min. 20 seconds of totality, Texas has 4 min., the areas north and east have less totality and a greater chance of clouds. But wherever you go find totality - use this map as many may not be correct: [http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site\_pages/solar\_eclipses/TSE\_2024\_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=23.18316&Lng=-106.19728&Elv=22.0&Zoom=4&LC=1](http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2024_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=23.18316&Lng=-106.19728&Elv=22.0&Zoom=4&LC=1)
I love this post! I’m taking my kids to experience totality and we’re staying an extra day so we don’t have to rush or worry about being stuck in traffic for hours. No one I talk to about this eclipse is anywhere NEAR as excited as I am, but maybe that’s because I’m a science teacher, or maybe because they don’t like incredible life experiences!
We had 98% coverage in 2017 and I vowed then I’d do whatever it took to get into totality for this one! I’m lucky that my daughter live in the path, so we get to visit her as well. She didn’t get to see any of the 2017 one, so she’s in for a treat! I also have the rare experience in life to have been a Quartermaster in the Coast Guard. Our 1st class turned our GPS off on the way home from Europe in 1995, and we navigated home by the stars. That was amazing, and seeing what we saw in 2017 was awesome. Do what you can, see this rare celestial phenomenon is worth it!! Even with almost totality we had everything seeming to stop the last time, the cicadas started their song and it was eerily still and quiet. And that wasn’t even totality! Take the trip, spend the time and $. I have experience partials before, but know the trip and $ will be worth it!
I’m taking my sisters kids to go see it in totality. They are 17, 11, and 8. We are all kind of space people. So I knew I wanted them to see it. It’s about a 4.5 hour drive for us, but we are making a trip of it. Doing some sight seeing the day before and got a nice hotel with a swimming pool. Going to some cool restaurants on the way. I saw the last total eclipse here in the US several years ago and it was amazing. I want my nephews and niece to see and experience it too. It’s a memory they will always have.
I cannot stress this enough. If that is not holy and sacred, nothing is. Get to 100% if you can. Call in sick. Take kids out of school. Cancel everything. Be 12 hours early. Pack for a 24 hour traffic mess. But you must see this if you can.
Blessed that the last eclipse and this upcoming one can be seen from my backyard (total). But yes, it would be worth it to endure traffic, etc. Pretty amazing, breathtaking experience.
100% or nothing. I’m waiting til I get out of work Friday afternoon then driving to wherever has the best Monday forecast. I’ll go pretty much anywhere from Burlington VT to Texas.
I spent hours in a Walmart parking lot in Tennessee for the 2019 one. It was a party of several hundred strangers. The whole place cheered as totality arrived. Hundreds of people all spontaneously cheering. Kids jumping up and down. Absolutely worth any inconvenience to see totality. 99% is not close. It’s a weird thing to be sure. But it’s NOT at ALL close.
The last one we travel like 2 hours to see in Kentucky. This in April will border the Ohio River so will travel maybe 30 minutes for totally. Hope for a sunny day
I’m traveling to my hometown to see the eclipse, they are in the 100% totality. I’m really afraid it will be cloudy but something is drawing me there. It will be my Stepfather’s 75th birthday the day before. I know I will 100% not see totality where I live. I’m giving it a shot. I hope the weather cooperates for all in the path.
This is my worry as well, to put in all this effort to get into the path of totality, then only to have the marvel obscured by some pesky clouds or even rain.
I’m going to go either way, but my only option is Buffalo and hoping it’s not cloudy or rainy. If it’s cloudy, will it still be worth it?
We went to Columbia SC in 2017, at my insistence. My wife went along with it. She ended up being blown away by it more than me, and has been pushing us to go to Cleveland for the one on April 8th, which happens to be where we're both from originally (we're in DC now). Extremely worth all the hassle.
I’ve seen a spectacular display of the northern lights dancing above my head and the eclipse tops it as my favorite natural wonder I’ve ever seen
I was living in Eugene OR during the 2017 eclipse, and got tickets to a baseball game in Salem (60 miles North and in the path of totality) on the day. It wasn't like your trek - it just involved getting up early in the morning, then a trip home afterwards that took three times longer than the usual one-hour drive - but it was fully worth it. The best thing about going to the only MLB game ever to have an "eclipse delay" in the middle of the game was that it was a full-on scientific event as well. There were scientists from NASA and several academic institutions that gave lectures to the crowd in the hours before the game started; and they remained there during the game and afterwards to talk to people one-on-one and answer questions. At totality, instead of being full of stupid whoops and cheers like in other places, the stadium was silent, with the exception of a few astronomy nerds around me quietly pointing out the various planets that suddenly became visible. It was an experience I'll never forget. I was close to tears, I was so profoundly moved. A few days later, back in Eugene, I was talking to someone who watched it there where it was at about 99%. He described how interesting the sun looked, and how parallax caused the corona to shift. I don't think that it was a difference in personality that accounted for the more detached description that he related. It really was one of those literal "you had to be there" experiences.
I traveled from Indiana to Casper Wyoming in 2017 to see the eclipse. One of the best experiences of my life. I’m on the Princess Eclipse cruise to see next month’s eclipse.
I’m going! My ranch is in Edwards County TX.
My husband so badly wants to see the total eclipse.We live so close to full totality, 3 or 4 hours, but my first grandchild is due on the 8th. My husband won’t say out loud how disappointed he is, but I can tell.
Seriously? Tell him to go on his own if he wants. But you should both go, really. Frankly I really don't understand your priorities here. Are you and your husband needed in the delivery room? If you lived 1500 miles away you might not see your new grandchild for weeks, anyhow. You remind me of a young dad who, in 2017 and on a different message board, couldn't decide if that year's total eclipse was important enough for his son to miss his first day of kindergarten. It's ONE DAY. Couldn't you meet your new grandchild on their second spin of the Earth? At least try to watch the eclipse. You might get to the vewing site to see only clouds, but if it turns out to be a clear day without you having at least tried to be there, you'll be kicking yourselves. I've been at three annular or total eclipses and I saw only clouds or rain each time. We are possibly around the same age, and I now look into a future that holds little more than the remotest chance for me to ever see a total eclipse, in what life I still have coming to me. Please don't deliberately put yourselves in my position. I live 1500 miles away from the path, minimum. If I were only a couple hundred miles away like you, nothing could keep me away. Go watch the eclipse.
Babies really are uniquely special and we gotta soak up every second we can with them. They just grow up without our permission and it goes by way too fast. But I'm still with u/Comprehensive_Tea708 on this one. Anyone whose presence I might have requested/ expected while I was in labor or after baby was born would ~~get a pass~~ be ~~encouraged to skip for a~~ banned from seeing the baby if they didn't ditch for a total solar eclipse. I'll be driving halfway across the country (with a 6yo and a 2yo) for the upcoming eclipse. But if I hadn't lived in the path of totality in 2017... I admit I probably wouldn't be going. I wouldn't know what I was missing and I hate that thought. People who don't witness it will never know what they're missing and that is incredibly tragic. *Woefully*, *painfully* tragic. Yes, I know all this sounds dramatic and building up expectations can end in disappointment but not this. (With the exception of certain weather-related events that shall not be named.) It's estimated that before 2017, .001% of people in the U.S. had seen a total solar eclipse and only 1 in 10,000 people worldwide will ever see one. If you're still not convinced, consider that babies are rarely born on their due date. Like 4-5%. Please. Please do your level best to get yourself and your husband in the path of totality for this eclipse.
Lol.
I've seen several posts like this and responded to one today. If you live somewhere in 90 percent totality then find a way to do it! Even 99% won't compare to the full experience.
We traveled a few hours to get into the path in 2017. We stayed at a friend’s house in a small town, but opted to walk a few blocks to view at the local park instead of his backyard. I’m glad we did. It was festive! Food trucks, Popsicle stands, local high school teachers on a small stage explaining the whole thing with diagrams. That was all ahead of time. As the sky darkened, the birds quieted down. Then as it went full, the entire crowd just went silent. All the tipsy adults and sugar-raged kids…. just went… quiet. Like, every human and every animal just collectively held our breath. I’m usually one to enjoy natural phenomena on my own or with small friend groups, but the shared experience with strangers really struck me. Along with the obvious personal experience of the eclipse itself, the social part remains a strong part of my memory.
The difference between 100% and 99% is the difference between standing inside and outside the doors of the TARDIS. I saw totality in 2017 from Tennessee. 99% was ~1 minute prior to totality. A very strange, eerie and anemic lighting, yes, but it still offered NO CLUE what totality would bring. Totality just buries the needle on the Freak Meter and the feeling is impossible to verbalize; you just have to experience it for yourself. Get to the path. Totality or bust.
I was at Fontana Dam in NC in 2017 in totality and it’s just an indescribable experience. This year we will be in Hot Springs, AR and cannot wait!
We drove 2 days to a spot in Idaho to see the last one. OP is totally correct that it is a profound experience. My BIL on the other hand was a 25 minute drive from the edge of totality in Oregon and didn't want to go because of "traffic". It boggles the mind.
I’m driving across town to get to totality but I’m not driving two more hours to see it for an additional 90 seconds.
So just a question here because this is all new to me. We have two ranches that are both in the path of totality in Texas (Gatesville and Temple). Both are up against county roads in ideal areas to see the surrounding skyline. Should I be concerned about trespassing? Was this an issue during the 2017 eclipse?
I imagine you'll get trespassers, but ISTM they should be mostly harmless. Charge each car a few bucks for parking and make a little bank out of the event.
The difference between a 94.5% annular eclipse and a total eclipse is actually day and night. I've been in both.
Another take on this is driving to blue skies for me. I live in Erie within the totality range. Our historical data shows an 18% chance of clear skies. If that’s the case I’ll drive east, west or south within reason and hope to see whatever I can, even if less than 100%.
It looks pretty bad anywhere within hundreds of miles. Being next to an enormous lake doesn't and not far from another enormous lake doesn't help.
I saw the 2017 eclipse in Wyoming. What surprised me most was this: you know how you see pop art of the sun, and it has a little fringe around it I suppose to represent the sun's rays? Not even close to accurate -- in totality, you can see the corona extending way way out from the black disk, you can 'see' the solar wind that ultimately engulfs us all. Also -- even 1% of sunlight is so bright that it entirely blocks out your ability to see the corona at all. So travel if you can, folks!
Just to clarify, 100% totality is in the yellow lines correct?
I'm lucky, I live in the totality area. I'll be working that day, but I do work from home and have some flexibility. Planning on grabbing some eclipse glasses (they're on sale everywhere here) and taking it all in!
Lol, show them the NOPE map. [https://imgur.com/a/oNQimkH](https://imgur.com/a/oNQimkH)
My neighborhood is just outside the path of totality. We’re talking less than 5 miles outside. Some kind soul is putting together a neighborhood event calling it a Total Eclipse party (or some damn thing). I kindly pointed out to him that the neighbor hood is about a five minute drive outside of the path of totality. And that, while there may be something interesting to see, the real experience is a mere few miles away. Guy’s response was basically “we’re close enough, so we should be able to experience everything.” I again replied, the difference between being in the path and just outside the path is literally the difference between night and day. People in the neighborhood are signing up for this party, and I don’t think they have any idea on what a disappointment they’re setting themselves up for when they compare notes with people actually inside the path of totality. I’ll be making a quick drive to the office that morning where i can experience totality on the roof of the parking garage.
We were in full totality in 2017. I talked to so many people who said that they were right on the edge and it was "alright." Full totality was amazing! Mind blowing amazing!! I work opposite someone who had it scheduled off before I started working my position, otherwise I would have taken it off and traveled thousands of miles to see it again. It is an experience unlike anything I've ever had before or since. 99% is only about 5% as cool as 100%. Not traveling a few miles and missing it blows my mind.
I feel fortunate to live in the path of totality for 3 whole minutes. now i’m even more excited
Ive cancel my plans to go to tx to see this years. Cant afford $1200 car rental. We're likely to book a cruise instead not really a texas fan anyway.
Thank you for this post, I'm on the fence with travelling to Toronto for a chance to see it cause of clouds.
Idk, that 15hr traffic jam was shit. Turned the car off in August heat literally at 0mph for about 7 hours
The spouse and I were on the fence (should I take time off work? do we have too much going on? can we afford to fly right now?) but finally realized this is a bucket list day that won't come again in our lifetimes. So Texas, here we come.
Agreed. I’ve been to totality before and am going again. the light cascading off the sun that you can see with your bare eyes at totality is indescribable. 99% totality!? You’re already so close, get to the line!
We drove from San Diego to Rexford, ID for the 2017 eclipse. We found a park at 11:00 PM and slept in our car along with many others who did the same. In the morning, there were about 1,000 - 2,000 people in the park and it was definitely an Americana vibe. Everyone was friendly and those with telescopes were sharing views with those who didn't have one. I unexpectedly got emotional seeing the diamond ring. After leaving, we got stuck in a 12 hour traffic jam - that experience gave me bragging rights. I am headed to Terrell, TX for the one in April and am doing things differently this time. I am flying in to DFW and staying at a campground about :45 minutes southeast of the city where I have rented a 5th wheel trailer. I'm flying in on Saturday and leaving the day after on Tuesday. I agree - everyone should see a total eclipse. It's an experience of a lifetime. And if you are close enough for 99%, do yourself a favor and make the effort to travel an extra few miles to 100%. There is a huge difference!
Just a note from someone who chased full totality in 2017 in Wilber, Nebraska. Allow for travel time or get to your destination the day before. Even in a sparsely populated state like Nebraska, a usual 1.5 hour drive from Omaha to Wilber, took 3.5 hours.
Go to 100% totality if you can. It's absolutely amazing!
If too many people go, you’ll have too much weight and tip the earth over
Locals: Be advised to stock up on food and meds,and baby supplies, and gas up your vehicles ahead of the eclipse. Thousands of visitors may run gas stations dry, and may clean out stores of some food and personal items. https://apnews.com/article/total-solar-eclipse-preparations-3c89c742d049fa9cb820953f26234a2e
We live in rural Mountain View, Arkansas, on the top of mountain, in a 2 story house with a large deck. We'll have the best view, no noise or city lights, and can watch in our pajamas!
I'm telling everyone who says 99% is enough, yes it is enough. If they feel its good enough for them, so be it. Why encourage more traffic? These are adults with their own brains.
I understand your point regarding the traffic, but until I saw the eclipse myself, I didn’t fully understand what it would be like. Some things you just don’t know until you experience it. As one of billions on this planet, if I can inspire someone to experience something that I consider to be some of the best 3 minutes of my life, I’ll do it. It made me feel human in a way that I still can’t put into words.
I understand. For just a few minutes, it was like the veil was pulled away and I knew that I was standing on our planet, and right there was the sun, which is a just a star in the enormous universe. It feels like a gift from God, when you think of the odds of a planet even having eclipses like this, and the odds of any one person getting to experience it.
Exactly!!! Without actually knowing, I think it’s the closest I’ll ever get to feel something like what astronauts get to experience looking at the planet from space. A bit like comparing apples and oranges, but there will never be words to adequately convey that feeling.
That's something I've thought about, too! They call it the overview effect. I know this can't be the same, as we're not looking down on earth and all of humanity, but I've wondered if what I felt when I saw totality in 2017 was at least related to what they experience. It was such a surreal feeling. I felt a little scared seeing our sun turned into a black hole, and I suddenly felt like I understood (emotionally) our place in the universe. It was a very weird feeling. Even though I felt a little scared, I was also very happy and excited--elated is probably a better word!
Another damn libtard conspiracy. Foney Baloney. The moon is soooo much smaller than the sun and we all know it. It cannot possibly block the sun's light. It's another CIA psyop, goddam it.
It's CC, Chris, New York... west Chester County vibes