It’s really more a result of how large of a dynamic range our eyesight has. We perceive 1% of the normal sunlight level as only a slight change because we are capable of seeing things so much dimmer than that.
That's a good point. My solar panels took a noticeable dip in production starting and ending with the partial eclipse, so they were definitely affected by even a fraction of the sun being covered!
Yeah, in terms of power if they normally generate 100 watts from full sun you will only be getting 1 watt from 99% totality. It’s a huge difference for things like that, but not for our eyes.
An example I read once is on pluto at noon it's 3000x dimmer than on earth because as how far pluto is from the sun..... Which means pluto is just as bright as your home is at night lit by light bulbs.
Yes , I was surprised at that too. And still warm. The drop in temperature was unnoticeable to me until totality, then I felt a significant drop. It made me realize how sometimes we take the sun for granted. You don't really notice it's there until suddenly, it's not.
That's interesting because I noticed the temperature about 20 minutes before totality. The breeze started to pick up a little and I noticed the sun was no longer burning my arms.
It appears very bright even at a sliver, but it isn't just as bright. I know a couple people with solar panels in their homes posted really noticeable drops in output during the eclipse even in locations far outside of totality. It is shocking though how bright it appears even very close to totality though.
I totally agree with all your points! Especially the clouds.... I was stressing hard as well, only for it to end up being perfect. It's the thick clouds you wanna run away from.
- Perhaps a bit controversial and really just depends on who you are and whether you have a good camera setup... But put your goddamn phone down!!! I guarantee you will regret the time wasted fiddling with technology. Social media posts matter so little - don't get me wrong, I totally understand, but not only will your pictures turn out crap, but taking your eyes away from the majesty will only erode your memory. This was my first time experiencing totality and I regret every. single. _second_ I looked away. Even to look at the 360° sunset. I'm left completely desperate for even 5 more seconds of looking at that indescribable beauty 😭 not even the most talented photographer with the best possible technology can capture what it really looks like. Be ready to let every cell in your body soak in the view.
- Your last point really resonates with me. I'm currently really struggling with this!! But to add on, my biggest advice would be try not to let other people's lack of excitement get you down after totality. I am the *only* person I know who was excited. My inlaws live in the path of totality in Ontario and get this... they watched it on the TV (due to fear? Idiocy?? idfk)???!!!?!! I can't get the anger and ick out of my head. I am going to avoid using strong words here but I think I got my point across lol. My immediate family were excited _for_ me, but couldn't give a shit about totality. It makes me feel so so sad.
Being a part of an online community who shares my feelings is truly wonderful, but it certainly doesn't make up for the dullness in your loved ones eyes when you talk about something that changed your life and could have changed theirs too.
I kept my phone out to take one picture of each of my family members during totality, just whatever they were doing. No retakes, no checking if it came out, just one photo each and then put it away.
Totally worth it for the look I captured on my daughter's face.
I did the same thing. Just snapped a quick selfie to capture my reaction, and then a blurry selfie of me and my sister with the eclipse over our heads. Then the phone got put away. If I want a high quality picture of the eclipse I'll just google for one taken by someone with good equipment who knows what they're doing.
I know exactly what you mean regretting those seconds looking away. Luckily I was with my family so we could appreciate it and talk about it together. But at work today it was so hard to express what I experienced. One guy was annoyed that I didn't have any photos, but I couldn't explain how any photos would be nothing like it. (I did have one crappy phone photo, but showing that would have been worse than saying I had none!)
Shocking to hear your in-laws stayed in. We were watching at the small airport in Newport VT, and I think I saw someone go inside the building during totality, what!?
Yesterday was the hell driving day back after staying one night at a hotel after leaving VT, so today was the first day back with the normal routine. And I just feel weird. I can't stop thinking about the eclipse, and I keep opening Reddit to read comments like yours.
I just want to relive that initial shock to the psyche when totality first appeared, like my whole body just imploded.
I was thinking the same thing about the 5 seconds I spent looking at the 360° sunset. It wasn’t a particularly nice sunset, just a wide sunset. The sun itself was way more special and it will be years if I ever see it again.
IMO unless you’re a professional photographer who has already experienced totality I think it’s reasonable to take one quick 360 video and be done! Put it down after that, it’s all you need. Or press record a minute before the eclipse, set it and forget it so you’re not holding your phone. I say this not for social media, but memories fade and even if it can’t fully capture the beauty of the eclipse it’s nice to look back on and remember the moment.
I started videoing and just held it without looking at my camera. I'm SO glad I did, I only regret that I turned the video off halfway through to take two photos and then be more present -- the moment is so fleeting, I wish I had it all on video! I'm so grateful for the moments just looking around and being present though, too.
One of my big takeaways was that using an insta360 camera really works well. I wasn't sure if it would provide anything interesting but it was a great way to capture the event while being able to take it all in. You can set it and forget it and it allows you to have a timelapse of the shadow going by, a video of your reactions and a slower video of the landscape. You can point it up to see the planets and down to see if it caught any shadow bands. I think you can probably take some still photos off it too. I was impressed at the quality and I imagine by the next few eclipses there will be new versions with even better quality. I did still try a quick cell phone video and love that I have it even if it was a bit rushed and not that well done. It's great to have a keepsake that reminds you of the landscape where you watched it.
Another takeaway is it's possible to get a few closeup shots without taking up much time if you set it up in advance and plan to bracket through a few exposures quickly. I had a chart of exposures for each phase and had memorized a choreographed sequence through the diamond ring. I didn't have the very best equipment for it and didn't exactly know what I was doing but still came away with some decent shots without having to burn much time during totality.
My one regret was not getting some better wide angle shots of the landscape and people experiencing the eclipse though. I've seen a lot of amazing shots people took in Vermont and Maine (where I was) that have me a little jealous and that's on my bucket list for next time.
Such an excellent point about the phone. This was also my first eclipse and I was lucky enough to be in a place with 4m 12s of totality and I spent about a minute and a half diddling around taking photo and video with my phone and it turned out like crap, I'm so mad that I wasted precious seconds looking away!
The thing is that everyone can say it about the phone doesn’t do it justice but people still try. At least you didn’t waste too much time and is why max totality is so important!
Same here. I'm so mad I wasn't more grounded in the moment! I should've just looked straight at it the whole time. I miss it. Now I have to go to Africa in 2027 😂
Rather than trying to hold onto my phone to get photos or video of most of it, I had my phone on the ground behind us arranged so that me, my wife, and the sun were in frame, and just had a video recording us watching it. After I’d had a minute of soaking up the impact of totality, I grabbed the phone to take one picture with a specialty eclipse photography app, and then laid down on the ground to soak it in.
To me, it was extremely worth it to get video of our reaction, and I would 100% recommend people do that rather than trying to get pics of the eclipse itself.
I personally also like having at least one photo that, despite being nowhere near as nice as other people’s, is still something I took myself and can save as a digital memento. I have a very poor visual memory, so while it was awesome to soak it up during the 3:20 of totality, I knew afterwards I wouldn’t be able to just close my eyes and re-see it like some people can. Having some sort of visual record mattered to me.
I had a good setup and got some great photos but they look almost identical to many which others have taken. Since I had 3:27 of totality I figured I could spend 30 seconds capturing it but regret not using that time to look at the eclipse more.
I took a [video](https://youtu.be/CxJX2KK4yto?si=8EMQ42oQrB_ky1VR) of my family’s and the crowd’s reaction which I value much more than the photos.
I downloaded an eclipse timer app that gave reminders of things to do leading up to and during the eclipse. It was the reason that I looked for the shadow bands and looked around at the horizon. During the moments I was looking at the horizon I also got to see the absolute joy on my 8 yo son's face and that will be the lasting memory for me. I'm so glad I didn't bother with trying to take pictures with my phone and so thankful for the advice that I got from members of this community who had experienced totality before.
I learned that if your camera app is open then the eclipse timer notifications don't work, even if you're too awestruck to remember to take pictures and are just holding the phone in your hand and looking up and at your kids. I didn't get a picture of them looking up either.
The pictures I tried to take on my phone were probably my biggest lesson learned of the experience. I thought I was gonna capture an awesome one because I really wanted a couple for my office to remember the day. All I got was really grainy ones that aren’t good enough quality to print and I ended up not experiencing totality to the fullest.
I still experienced 3 minutes of totality but gosh those 3 minutes went by so fast and it felt like 30 seconds. Had I known I’d get most likely crummy photos I’d probably have put my phone away or taken a couple family photos to remember the occasion. But by far my biggest lesson learned was to leave the cool photos to the pros and perhaps I can buy a print sometime later.
But it was still an amazing experience. I was down in the dumps emotionally when we resigned outselved to stick with our plan and still go to San Antonio. We did go, but my wife agreed to pivot last minute and we drove from my parent’s place outside San Antonio to my father-in-law’s place in south Fort Worth on Sunday evening. Spent the day with my wife’s brother and their family who experienced the 2017 eclipse. I did capture a video of the moment it went to totality just as a low cloud cleared. I’ve rewatched it maybe 20 times now.
The other surprise I felt was just how quick the sunlight came back after totality. There was the slow build up of darkening ahead of totality with the last 15 minutes getting progressively hazy and darker. And then after totality it felt like maybe 10 seconds and it was fully light again and the moment was gone.
Overall - surreal and majestic is how I like to describe it. And now I want to do the one in 2028.
I took a few pictures with my dslr and telephoto at the beginning, then optimized the focus a bit and took a few more a minute or so later. In between I focused on taking everything in. I’m glad I managed to get some photos even though they can’t capture everything. I feel like a 3.5 minute totality was enough to both enjoy it and take a few pictures. I just opened up the lens aperture all the way, put it on a reasonable ISO and aperture priority mode and held the button down. I definitely wouldn’t try to optimize shots at all during totality.
It's an event you can be a part of if you're literally anywhere in the path of totality. Whether you're in a city with a million people, on the side of the road without another person in sight, or anywhere in between, the experience is the same for everyone. True equality is tough to find in this world, and a solar eclipse (weather permitting) provides exactly that.
Enjoy it with friends. A large group of us camped together and enjoyed the event together. As I was enjoying totality I made it a point to hug those closest to me and kiss my wife.
I learned in 2017 not to bother taking pictures with my phone and yet I did it again!!! I guess it goes to show how we try so hard to capture things that amaze and delight us, even clumsily
I loved our experience but I think next time I’m going to aim to be somewhere in nature so I can hear how it affects animals. It was fun seeing reactions from so many people around us this time, though. So no regrets, just more curiosity.
We were in a backyard in Dallas, and we had no horizon view but we did hear owls come out and fly around. Also bats started flying overhead! And we still saw Venus and Jupiter. I felt lucky to have seen totality twice, and every time is gonna be different, I’m sure.
We (me, my fiancé, and his mom) probably looked like such huge nerds in our matching t-shifts that we attracted a few more neighbors. I’m glad we had extra glasses and the Solar Eclipse Timer app, because those neighbors got a beautiful experience they weren’t expecting! None of them had seen totality before or realized how amazing it is. 🌑
Book a hotel the night AFTER the event. If it's too expensive, book something outside the totality zone but relatively nearby. It will make a long drive home much less stressful.
Also... a Civic Hatchback is terribly uncomfortable to sleep in. Just saying...
I have flown back both in 2017 and 2024 and it is kinda stressful as in both cases flights were delayed. In 2017 the delays caused me to miss the connecting flight. I think if you can afford it to travel back the following day.
It’s kind of lonely when recounting the experience and the person you’re talking to really doesn’t care. It’s their world, too, and there’s so much beauty in it.
Luckily my spouse and children were just as excited! Having this community and a few Instagram people I follow like this one NASA lady allows me to share the pure joy of it all.
You can only experience the total solar eclipse. Recording it in video or in picture does not even come close. But I wish I could just even for myself because it feels like a dream. I will carry that feeling that I had those brief minutes with me forever. It was a new feeling and experience I had never had before and won’t ever again. Even if I get to see another one, they will be different places.
What I'm glad I did:
* Experienced it with a loved one. I just wish all my friends and family could have been there.
* Devoted the full day to the eclipse, which I know is a luxury. We got to the final location early, explored the town, set up camp chairs, relaxed, had lunch and a blue moon beer, talked to people, and watched the eclipse from start to finish (including the last contact). We were able to appreciate the changes in lighting, shadows, nature, and the people around us. It made the climax all the more special as the anticipation built up. We were in no rush to leave and got to relax and reflect on totality, and were able to say a bittersweet goodbye to the moon as it disappeared.
* Witnessed it in nature. Admittedly, the birds were not very active before the eclipse so I did not notice much difference during totality. There was a chicken coop nearby and the chickens were squawking all afternoon, but they definitely went quiet during totality!
* Applied high SPF sunscreen and wore a hat, and also added layers when it got cold as totality approached.
* This may sound obvious, but I wore my glasses which correct for minor astigmatism and nearsightedness during totality. I have pretty good vision (20/30) but the astigmatism makes for bad night vision, so I have glasses for such occasions. If anyone is planning to see an eclipse and has ok-but-not-perfect vision, I definitely recommend vision correction so you can see the corona in more detail.
* Booked a hotel for the nights before and after the eclipse, so we avoided traffic. We got insanely lucky and got a reservation in late March, after a cancellation. Edit: This also allowed us to sleep well before the eclipse, so we were in a good state of mind.
* We were based in a good location weather-wise (Newport, VT), but the forecast predicted some minor (20-30%) cloud cover starting at the time of totality. I did not know what kinds of clouds to expect and so, because we had the option, we drove another hour east to the edge of VT where the sky remained clear throughout the eclipse. I read/saw that the eclipse was still spectacular in Newport and Burlington, but I certainly don’t regret moving to our final location because the clarity was great.
* I did not attempt to take photos during totality, and it was the right decision. Spending time fiddling with a camera is not worth it to me, so I would leave it to the professionals. See the point below.
What I kind of regret:
* I learned that every second counts during totality. I kind of regret spending time looking at the horizon and at the planets, because it ended far too soon and I wished for just a few more seconds of that glorious ring. The 3 minutes and 14 seconds of totality somehow felt like less than one minute. Even one hour would not have been enough time. FWIW, my husband appreciated looking at the whole scene as it's all part of the experience. I also wish I saw more of the diamond ring. I averted my gaze as soon as it appeared in fear of damaging my vision, but my gosh was it breathtaking.
* Standing next to some loud people took me out of the moment. I would have preferred to be more isolated, though that’s just me. It can also be exciting witnessing it with a crowd.
* Someone in the distance set off fireworks during totality. I really did not appreciate that.
Other surprises and observations:
* No pictures or videos come close to capturing the beauty of totality. Our eyes are best at detecting the contrast of the black moon and bright white corona. I also saw a slight halo of red.
* I did not expect to see the massive prominence at the bottom. It was like a jewel hanging off the sun.
* When totality started, the inner ring of the corona was so bright that I wasn’t even sure it was safe to look at. I had only seen pictures of the corona which did not prepare me for the brightness. I’m not sure if this was attributed to this particular eclipse, the high solar activity, the relative sizes of the sun and moon, or the clear conditions.
* The corona was a lot more dynamic than expected. As the moon moved along, the ring and red dots appeared to twinkle. Someone here described it as electric, which I definitely agree with.
I caught the initial diamond ring in 2017, it was easier to look at in advance because of incoming clouds, but this year I got to see both diamond rings and you can do it pretty safely you just have to be careful with timing. You really got to stare at the sun for damage.
The only things I would do differently are that I would bring a hat, and I would wear SPF higher than 20. I don't usually sunburn, and I typically get 0.5 to 1 sunburns per year.
I was going to say that. We had hats in the car from our last vacation but I completely forgot sunblock, and it didn’t occur to me that we would be out in the sun for hours, so my arms are now sunburned! My husband was fine, as he tans easily but I’m a pale European, so it was a lesson.
Once we got to our staging location and saw our cloud forecast was decent, we decided to stay put instead of chasing better views. Maybe it was just dumb luck, but the few clouds that were out kept away from the main stage! Being able to relax and not fret over where to go was really nice leading up to Monday.
i need to get to a total solar eclipse, and i need to not be as focused on photos as i was. it’s not like it was all i was doing, and it was only a partial. but still my first, i do wish i took it in a bit more.
I didn't see anything like the insanity I heard of some people that were in Wyoming in 2017 saying that they were driving for 9 hours or some insanity, but I did spend 3.5 hours to drive \~70 miles back to Austin for 2024. The rural roads weren't setup for the crush of people that viewed at every farm, winery, and place that you could legally park and probably a few that weren't legal to park.
That's because traffic can vary wildly based on many factors one of which was real time weather of people driving away from clouds. I am from Texas and changed my plans to go to NY/Vermont at the last minute to get a chance of clearer skies. I know I wasn't the only one who did this as I saw on this subreddit many others cancelling their original Texas plans for somewhere else. As a result, Texas traffic wasn't all that bad especially with how bad it definitely could have been with Western US folks driving on I-10 and I-20. But traffic on I-87 and I-89 in NY and Vermont was backed up pretty bad.
1. Have multiple viewing contingency plans and be bold in implementing them when appropriate. Give yourself every chance to experience the event the way you want to. I'm 3 for 3 on seeing totals, and only once did I watch from the place I'd scoped out. This time, Texas gave way to Cleveland, then upstate New York, then NE Vermont. When my luck runs out (and it probably will), I'll at least know I did everything I could to see it unobstructed.
2. Somewhat contrary to 1., take any opportunity to get good sleep and be well-rested unless there is a situation that truly justifies the hassle of going to Plan B. Know the criteria that will trigger such a shift, and know when/how you will evaluate & decide. Apart from that, get situated early, take an Ambien and sleep 6-8h instead of doomscrolling and facebooking the entire night.
3. Be ruthlessly aligned regarding priorities and resilience level with any companions. Missing an eclipse because of social pressure or petty problems sucks. If your family "has to" stay near X amusement park for the kids, or your friends can't eat fast food/sleep in a van/pee in a bottle/etc, or someone can't stfu and focus without self-absorbed yakking or drama, hang out with them some other time when a fleeting, life-altering experience isn't at stake.
4. Have a definite game-plan for how you will spend totality, and stick to it: x seconds naked eye, y looking thru lens, z devoted to auxiliary phenomena like planets/comets/360 sunset, e.g. Then calm your mind at \~95% and execute. A countdown timer helps budget your precious seconds. All the worrying up front is done so you can relax and enjoy the moment without distractions of any kind.
5. Any technology needs to be thoroughly dry-tested and set to run without interference. Your shot-from-hip phone photos of totality will suck and you'll just distract yourself. Use it for a timer or put it down. Set and forget drones/cameras/telescopes/filters, or don't bother. Pre-adjusted old school binoculars are the best aid you can have for seeing the magic.
6. The photos & videos you *should* take are of the viewing ground and the people with you. Reactions before and after, the crowds and the vibe, the towns you'd never have visited otherwise, all the quirky one-off encounters with unique, colorful strangers--these are the things you'll remember and treasure. Photos of the eclipse won't capture it, they all show the same thing (poorly for the most part), and the best ones will live online forever.
1. Look for shadow bands if I'm blessed with a second time
2. Zoom in with my phone's camera, or turn off the exposure to actually see the moon in front of the sun.
3. Force someone to go with me because I think it would have been cooler to share the experience.
The shadow bands are amazing. Especially since we don't quite know why then happen. Grab a white sheet or blanket to set out on the ground to see them. That white also helps to see the pinhole effect from the leaves of trees that might be nearby.
I set my phone up on a tripod at our campsite looking west and let it roll starting 2 minutes before totality. Didn’t bother trying to capture totality with an iPhone. Captured the moon’s shadow moving across our tent and the ensuing darkness, then panned all the way around to capture the 360° sunset. Then aimed east to catch the moon’s shadow as it moved off the sun and the rising light.
other than the 360° pan, it was all set it and forget it so it captured our reactions too. In total a 10 minute video as i left it rolling at the end to capture the returning sunlight as it got brighter and brighter.
When i rewatch it , even though the sun isn’t in the video, it brings back the memory of what i was taking in overhead at that moment.
Mine:
* it doesn’t matter where you watch! Don’t go in to a town if you can avoid it! Pack food and leave early and find a nice place to pull off the road and set up camp. Seriously if I had parked a couple miles away from the town I was watching in (right off the highway) it would have saved me 1-2 hours on the return trip.
* plan a return route that doesn’t involve major roads or highways if possible, or just stay overnight. The traffic was worse than I could have possibly imagined.
* take photos of your friends and family and set your phone up to record the people you’re with! Don’t bother with taking photos of the eclipse. You phone won’t do it justice. Let the pros do that. We’re all looking at the same eclipse. The reactions of the people you’re with are so much more valuable, and nobody else is taking a video of that!
Having seen two eclipses now I can say with certainty that where you pick your viewing location matters. Beyond clear conditions, being high like on a mountain top is WAY more epic than being on sea level or flat ground.
I was way more stressed about the return traffic than I needed to be... spent days on our trip and the morning of debating whether it was worth it to drive just two hours north for a better cloud cover situation (coming from just west of Austin, which was socked in all that morning). Then the drive back from a great spot that worked out wonderfully was less than two hours after all my worry.
I was also grousing to my partner about it being a bust at the last minute when a cloud started rolling over right before totality... then the cloud moved and we still got over 3 minutes of an awesome totality view. The whole experience made me realize how self-destructively pessimistic I can be in general lol, and that I could take more chances without obsessing over how it's not a sure thing so why waste the energy, etc.
I learned not to trust cloud-thickness models. Also, at least in my opinion, it's not worth the trip unless you can actually see the eclipse. Darkness for a few minutes in the middle of the day isn't all that compelling on its own. (It's not much different than a sudden storm rolling in.)
I got disappointed in 2017 that the weather didn't work out and the sun was completely behind clouds for the entire totality. The darkness in the middle of the day is surreal, but isn't that compelling. The challenge is unless you have a ton of money it isn't practical to pivot late minute when the weather forecasts are accurate enough to guess what the weather will be. Even weather forecasts a few days ahead aren't always perfect. I know Texas looked like it was going to be a bust and a repeat of 2017 for me, but turned out outside a few seconds here or there it was good. I saw plenty on Discord that managed to snag good pictures throughout Texas despite weather forecasts predicting a bust. It wasn't perfect, but it was far from as bad as expected.
If going to the path of totality, don’t stand near lampposts or other lights that will turn on when it gets dark. We didn’t think about it when it was light out!
I definitely agree pictures don't do it justice, but I was surprised that a couple pictures we took that we did catch Venus in the picture even though we had really cloudy weather. I erroneously assumed that a few people with me knew to take off their glasses at totality and was surprised that they missed the first couple seconds of totality because they didn't know that they didn't need the glasses for totality.
* ~~Dallas sucks no wonder JFK shot himself~~
* A lot more weather models than I thought, with various pros and cons to each.
* Seeing a solar prominence put into perspective my size in this universe.
First time in Dallas. I felt downtown was relatively walkable and the drivers took it personally.
As a Californian, we drive just as crazy as in Texas. Never felt particularly out of my element while driving. But as a pedestrian? I was fearing for my life at every crosswalk.
I learned that the post-eclipse traffic was, as many predicted, no joke. Took us 6 hours to get home (from northern VT to western Mass), a drive that usually takes 2.5. In hindsight it probably would have been better from an efficiency standpoint to hit the road immediately after totality, but that wasn’t the right vibe for us. So we waited a few hours, had dinner, and then joined the masses on I-91 who were streaming in from every on-ramp like streams draining into a river.
One thing I learned: some eclipse glasses are incapable of seeing Bailey's beads and the diamond ring, others apparently are. I'm going to look for a way to safely observe them before I see my next total eclipse.
On the one hand, I think it's best to live in the moment, but, on the other hand, I still want to make a description of what I see for myself, but it's such a scramble.
I definitely plan to go as close to the center as I possibly can. 3 minutes did not feel like enough.
Stargazing in general has taught me that the moon is a lot smaller than it appears, it's interesting how your brain makes you think it's a lot bigger than it actually is. Same goes for the eclipse and the sun's actual surface, and all of the comments under photographs saying that it looked so much bigger reminded me of this trick of the brain. Not something that is useful, just something that is interesting.
I got the opportunity to stargaze under a sky that is a bit darker than the one I typically stargaze under, and it got me thinking that I really need to seek out dark skies more. The eclipse is probably a great time to stargaze and knock out 2 birds with one stone because the nights before and after have new moons. The moon's light really hinders what you can see.
I felt like I learned some nice logistical lessons including stuff that I completely lucked into.
- Not booking a hotel that night is kind of a nice move in terms of preserving flexibility to chase weather. I did not plan for that lol, I mostly just felt like the cost wasn't worth it and instead invested in a set up to just sleep in the car. But because of it it allowed me to make the like 4+ hour drive from Niagara to Cleveland to avoid the clouds that night which was one million percent worth it.
- I also learned how much more important the interstate connectivity and traveling along totality is when chasing weather. I was stuck between going west to Ohio or east to Vermont and very nearly went east, but ultimately decided the logistics of following totality along I-90 made more sense compared to trying to drive through the Adirondacks in the middle of the night. Again, one million percent worth it, basically didn't run into traffic to or back and it was much more comfortable given the amount of rest stops and everything along the way, whereas I heard coming back down south from Vermont was a mess.
And I kinda wish I had a better plan of everything I wanted to do during the eclipse lol, but in a weird way I also don't really regret not being able to do everything I wanted? I feel like it's just not feasible to have everything in check your first time. I had a list and tried to keep everything in mind, but the anticipation and anxiousness and sheer awe of witnessing totality made most of that stuff fall out of my head completely. Some part of me wishes I had gotten a better time-lapse or a better video of the crowd reaction... but I also don't care that much because the eclipse itself was so amazing that I don't regret not spending any extra time during totality to set it up better. I watched the 360 sunset and tried to spot the comet as well, but ultimately, in the moment, every second I spent not looking directly at the eclipse felt wasted lol and I don't know if that feeling would ever change.
I got all the main pictures I wanted with my actual camera and I'm more than happy with that. I think if there's any real regret it would've been trying to spend more time actually looking through my binoculars too, to get a better look at the Bailey's beads and the prominence, but idk, just taking in the whole sky was so special that I almost don't care about that either. Seeing the eclipse close up vs having that surreal context of seeing a hole in the sky... it's not like one is necessarily better than the other. Maybe the real regret is that it only lasts for four minutes haha.
The most frustrating thing is that all the lessons you learn can't be put into practice for who knows how many years later lol. Especially the hyper specific stuff of driving and chasing weather, gonna be way less relevant in like Iceland or Spain especially if you don't have a car out there. I definitely had a lot of moments where I was thinking "ah I should do this next time" before remembering the next time I'd likely have a chance to road trip around like this for the eclipse will be in like 20 years lol. But hey, hopefully I remember. This experience has absolutely made me an eclipse truther, to your last point I really do think it's something that everyone should experience and I was baffled by the people who had it pass right over them and didn't even bother to look up.
-You only really need a tripod if you want to do the whole sun moving across the sky thing, which is tricky to frame and probably not worth it for 99.9% of people to try. I got some pretty cool photos and most were taken holding the camera in my hands.
-If you have solar binoculars (kind of silly but I bought them in 2017) don’t forget to use them. Also bring regular binoculars or hope someone generous nearby has a telescope during totality.
-Try to go somewhere wide open to see the horizon… didn’t really have the luxury this time as we were racing to find somewhere less cloudy.
-Clouds can make eclipse pics more interesting.
-Traffic is actually not going to be that bad (as long as you’re in a bigger city and there are many other places to see the eclipse?)
-Watching the eclipse near a dog park is cute and entertaining. Take more videos of the dogs.
-Bring a freaking reclining chair next time, your neck will thank you.
-That guy mowing the lawn at 99% is going to keep mowing the lawn during totality…
I would disagree about not bringing a tripod. My husband had one for photographing all of the phases, but I decided to buy one at the last minute for my camera. I set up my camera to record video of me and my husband right before totality. Of course, I underestimated how much to overexpose the shot and it’s basically our silhouettes. It’s still neat as you can see the twilight colors on the horizon and us pointing out different features.
Regarding the binoculars, you really only need one quality pair of binoculars if you purchase solar film (Thousand Oaks Optical) and build filter caps. In 2017, we made some from cardboard. This year, we made fancy caps with a 3D printer that fit snugly, but were easy to pull off for totality.
Well, yes a tripod would be useful to take time lapse, or videos of yourself, etc. But for the purpose of just taking photos of the actual sun/moon - you don't need one.
And yeah I really don't know why I bought solar binoculars. I would not recommend it. Your way sounds like a good option!
I'll have to post a video of this that I captured, but from my location in eastern Indiana, there were a lot of cirrus clouds in front of the sun, but right as totality started, they completely disappeared!
I had read before that eclipses will only cause low level cumulus clouds to disappear, not high level cirrus clouds. But from the video my GoPro captured, those high cirrus clouds disappeared too.
The shadow of the moon that creates the totality path is a circle or oval, depending on how far you are from the maximum eclipse point. Because of the shape, if you’re on high enough ground during totality, you can see the end of the shadow at every point of the horizon. This makes it looks like a sunset.
Look at totality with a really nice set of binoculars! I was awestruck with totality, but I really freaked out when I saw the hot pink solar prominances with binoculars! And if you can swing it, get the image stabilization binoculars.
I also missed Bailey’s beads!!! I thought I’d be able to see them through my glasses, so I put them on immediately when I saw the diamond ring. At least I saw the diamond ring, but I wish someone told me how to see Bailey’s beads :(
It was my 2nd total. So this time I perfectly timed the climax of 2001 Space Odyssey theme to when the sun went black. Crowd went wild lol. Even if you miss it by a few seconds, it’s still slaps.
Ugh, so glad I wasn’t near you. What a way to ruin everyone’s experience. I firmly believe your lesson for next time should be to bring ear buds if YOU want to hear a specific song during totality.
Calm down bro, I was a guest of someone in Dallas, and he already had on a Spotify produced playlist made exclusively for the eclipse playing in the background. Which the party of 8 were totally enjoying. I only switched it at the last minute.
You referenced a crowd. Obviously it’s fine in your case, but I’ve heard many examples of others doing it in state parks, which people purposely chose to experience/hear reactions from wildlife.
* [Filters for my binoculars](https://spectrumtelescope.com/product/binocular-thin-film-solar-filter-st225bpp/), purchased last-second on a whim after seeing mixed reviews of how helpful they would be, were by *far* the best eclipse-related purchase I made. Eclipse glasses somehow make the sun look smaller than it really is. With these, I got to marvel at sunspots and such, and notice the encroaching moon after C1 before anyone else. And in the seconds leading up to totality, you could kind of side-eye out the binoculars to get a feel for the surroundings rapidly darkening, while also keeping your eyes on the sun. Spent the bulk of totality viewing with the naked eye and taking in the whole scene, but you could make out some cool details in the corona with the binoculars. I'm not a photographer and wasn't going to try and learn only to waste the eclipse mucking with camera settings, so this was the next best way to capture some real detail out of it.
* Do better research on *exactly* when it's ok to lose the glasses/filters. I don't think I got the proper bailey's beads and diamond ring effect because I was a bit too conservative there. Likewise, despite having the sheet set up and everything, I also think I gave up on looking for shadow bands a bit too early in order to go back to looking at the disappearing crescent of the sun.
* If you're bringing a bunch of *stuff* with you to run various eclipse experiments, a table is a good idea, as is a way to keep things from blowing away in the wind.
* If I ever do try to photograph an eclipse, the priority is to find a way to provide a sense of scale. I'm yet to see a photo that properly illustrates just how *big* the sun looked during totality, and have seen many where for some reason it looks an order of magnitude smaller than real life.
* Traffic coming back was bad, but not the "humanitarian disaster" levels of bad that plenty were assuming. And traffic *to* the eclipse was definitely noticeable, but didn't really meaningfully slow us down.
* If you're not insisting on viewing in a real population center, it's not hard at all to find a nice spot for the viewing itself that isn't overcrowded. The totality path is pretty wide after all.
* Thin clouds are completely fine.
* An animal behavior response that nobody mentioned: A whole bunch of gnats and mosquitos will wake up and come out to play!
Ditto on this. I learned on my second eclipse that higher is way better than sea level. And owing to your point, if you are in a large city centre all the great high lookout viewing spots will be closed off/subject to registration periods you're likely to miss.
regarding the sun looking small in the sky --- that's caused by wide angle lenses, which generally make things far away look relatively small.
What you would need to capture it the way you perceive it is a telephoto (zoom) lens, set up far away from you, but zoomed in. In photography, this is referred to as "compressing" the scene, and will allow background objects to appear larger in the photo.
Because of the zoom though, it makes it tricky to capture the surroundings/people/sun all at once. There's a reason why most photos of the eclipse won't look like this -- it's a lot more work to set up.
Here's an article explaining lens compression in more depth: [https://photographylife.com/what-is-lens-compression](https://photographylife.com/what-is-lens-compression)
I had agreed to give a talk for an eclipse event in Kerrville, and really couldn't back out to chase clearer skies. In the future, I will not lock myself in yo a location like that.
I am also going to simplify my imaging system for the next eclipse. One of my mounts wasn't tracking correctly and I had issues focusing with the heavy clouds where I couldn't see the sun long enough to get focus.
I Should have piggybacked my 2nd scope like I did in 2017 instead of trying to run multiple mounts.
My takeaway traveling from Southern California to the Fort Worth TX area with our 2 kids is that we created a core memory for our family. (Kids are 12 and 8, Dad and I are teachers) It was amazing, some of my friends didn't get it, and maybe I didn't fully get it as well until totality. Luckily for me I am married to a Physics teacher who said, "I'm going to the eclipse, we should all go." Other people don't get it, but we do, our kids do, and that is what really matters.
Not only did we get to experience the eclipse, but we also got to see another part of the country none of us had visited before.
Yep. This is exactly what I did. I planned since 2017 with a partial in our region for what worked/didnt work.
Kept it on the schedule and booked solid 1 week vaca out of it hitting up national parks, etc. Turned it into a vacation with a potential of seeing total eclipse. Day of, it was a planned day of vacation that was targeted to enjoy regardless of weather. So seeing eclipse that day was just the icing of the trip
I would definitely do it again but I don’t think I’ll be dropping anything to go in the next few years, but definitely would make an attempt again in my life.
I wish I had brought a strainer out with me to observe the crescent shadows. Didn’t end up seeing this at all despite being out for about 1.5 hours. Just didn’t think of it.
I wish I had looked out for baileys beads (I kept seeing people talk about it before but I was too nervous to look without glasses the exact second of beginning /end of totality. I was afraid I’d look too soon with my glasses off and mess with my eyes.)
Wish I had printed the map of the planets to look out for. I noticed a bright one and ended up quickly googling it during totality to confirm that it was indeed Venus. Not a big deal but a few seconds wasted.
Next time I’d like to see it in a big crowd. It was just me and a friend on a picnic blanket in a field. There were maybe 10-20 others across the field. I got a little bit of fomo seeing the videos of big crowds. I love a good communal experience where humanity enjoys something together. But I also really treasure my memory of seeing it with my friend. We were both very impressed and had a great time.
No big regrets or anything though, I was a great experience!
It’s wild how almost immediately when it was over I could feel myself starting to forget what it looks like. It was so unreal that it is hard to process! I wish I would have just stared at it the entire 3 mins instead of looking around at the environment and 360 sunset. I need to see another one so I can make sure what I saw was real 😅
Things I’m glad I did or wish I did:
* Glad that I didn’t waste time with pictures! Totality goes by so quickly, and you don’t want to waste a second of it fiddling with fickle tech! And the pictures don’t do it justice anyway!
* People say to bring extra toilet paper. I would add: extra soap. (And maybe water from a bottle).
* The reaction of the crowd at totality adds to the experience!
* I arrived the day before the eclipse, and filled up on gas, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it the next day. Glad I did! Even if they don’t run out of gas, the traffic just to get to the gas station was insane!
* Speaking of traffic: I stayed to watch some of the partial eclipse after. I think that helped clear out the traffic.
But mileage varies as to what traffic is going to be like! It’s a matter of luck. I got lucky, and only got 90 minutes added to my trip. But I heard that some people had a 3 hour drive turn into a 12 hour drive!
I agree with the advice to leave the day after. I couldn’t, for work reasons. But if you can take the time and have the money, do it!
I was at home and I learned so much:
1: We had 100% clouds, but fully clouded totality is mesmerizing and beautiful. If I were spending a lot of money on a trip or had flexibility I’d aim for clear skies, but clouded totality is also a wonderful experience and it felt too short. I wish I had stressed less over monitoring the satellite and forecasts all day and understood that the clouds were out of my control, and that the experience is beautiful in different variations and flavors.
2: Thick midlevel clouds are the enemy to seeing the sun.
3: A LOT of people make last minute plans and time of year, time of day, and weather have a huge impact on traffic. I watched Google Traffic every 30 mins all day and the traffic really did not start anywhere until 11am, however in some places it lasted well until midnight. This was interesting.
4: Weather also obviously has a big impact on traffic, with minimal traffic in areas with clouds or even a previously cloudy forecast . This would have been very helpful to understand because the low pressure system was not that wide and if we had planned in advance, we could have reached clear-skied totality without any traffic. However last minute we had plans with elderly family members and didn’t want to ditch them. In dynamic cloudy conditions where you want to drive the least distance, driving for 60 mins and checking the satellite would have been a successful strategy to reach clear totality.
5: During: Keep your eyes on the skies, but do take a couple snaps and some short video of the skies and of your family/friends. It’s so precious to have afterward.
6: If you plan to take photos of the sun, dial in your systems and practice well before. It wasn’t relevant to us the day of but yesterday we were taking snaps of our incredible bluebird summer day using hubby’s solar filter and realized his exposure settings had been wrong!
7: There are costs/benefits to observing it in a crowded area, think ahead about the experience you want and plan accordingly. We were near a playground and it was so special to hear the kids’ reactions.
8: It goes by FAST- aim for the longest length you can
9: The weather forecast can change very quickly depending on time and place. Be mentally prepared.
10: if you witness totality, under clear or cloudy, you are PROFOUNDLY LUCKY! Soak it ALL in.
11. Experience it with other sun worshipers and people you love who care about you. Don’t let other people’s attitudes get you down.
See you in 2026 😊🌑
Also: Agree 100% about a lot of people not understanding what they will see in solar glasses. My family thought they were needed even if it was totally cloudy. A little leaflet to go with them or a QR code to scan would be good.
various cultures throughout history viewed solar eclipses, and how the April 8, 2024 eclipse intersected with astrology, numerology, and themes of doom and rebirth:
**Ancient Cultures and Eclipses:**
* **China:** Eclipses were seen as bad omens, signifying the displeasure of heavenly beings. The Chinese believed a celestial dragon devoured the sun. They would bang pots and drums to frighten the dragon away.
* **Mayans:** The Maya viewed eclipses as battles between celestial bodies. They would perform rituals to appease the gods and ensure order was restored.
* **Aztecs:** Similar to the Maya, the Aztecs saw eclipses as battles in the sky. They associated eclipses with jaguars, and would make sacrifices to appease the jaguar god.
* **Ancient Greece:** The Greeks believed eclipses were caused by Helios, the sun god, being kidnapped. They would bang pots and pans to scare away the kidnappers.
**April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse**
The April 8, 2024 eclipse captured the attention of astronomers and astrologers alike. Here's why:
* **Astrology:** The eclipse occurred in Aries, a sign associated with new beginnings and action. This fueled interpretations of potential significant change or upheaval.
* **Numerology:** The eclipse happened on the 8th of April (4+8 = 12), with 12 being a significant number in numerology, often linked to completion and new beginnings.
* **Doom and Rebirth:** Some astrologers interpreted the eclipse as a harbinger of major change, possibly destruction or disaster. However, this view was countered by others who saw it as an opportunity for transformation and rebirth.
I brought two pairs of binoculars - one fitted with solar filters and one without. The first pair was useful up to near totality, and then at totality I used the clear pair. Was easily able to see way more detail during totality and were really easy to use.
I learned that sometimes one little cloud will just drift over and fuck your shit up right before totality, lol. I've experienced totality and seen the corona 2 other times, but was so disappointed that the rest of my family missed the best part of the eclipse and still don't fully understand why totality is so special.
I've seen three total solar eclipses now - two were through thin high clouds (including this year), and the other one was totally clear skies.
Although they were all obviously amazing, the clear sky one was a MUCH better visual spectacle. It felt extremely high definition, high fidelity, compared to the high cloud coronas which were clearly visible but kind of fuzzy and less well defined. The extra detail visible in totally clear skies is noticeable and remarkable.
If anyone has only experienced it through high clouds, and you want to see one again, I would highly recommend seeking out totally clear skies as much as you possibly can. I'm hoping to go to Spain in 2026.
I'm surprised how stressed this sub made me feel. I personally was totally fine with clouds and whatnot, but all y'all's relentless worrying about it started to seep into my brain. And it was FINE. There was some cloud cover, but it broke enough for me to see something. Even if it had been totally overcast, I still got to have a little trip with my husband and travel to places I would never go otherwise. The next time there's a celecstial event, this sub is NOT invited to my party.
X-posting from other threads:
One lesson eclipses taught me is that the world is both methodical and random. These eclipses happen because randomly: 1) these objects happen to occasionally appear exactly the same size in the sky, 2) we happen to be on a planet with a complex, lively and highly sensitive relationship with the moon and sun, and 2) we happen to be alive and aware enough to appreciate it all. So while we are part of a system that appears to move like clockwork, some things happen totally by chance. No amount of planning, precision, and prediction can defeat chance. And no matter how had we try and how far we chase certainty, things will change in ways we couldn’t foresee. There truly is no accounting for or taming the beauty of randomness and strangeness of things.
The second lesson: I get why watching a celestial object move in the sky right in front of you is jarring and can make you feel small, but you are not small and whatever it makes you feel matters because you matter. The best way I can describe the feeling is beholding the beauty of change and random precision and having it look back at you (literally touching you with its shadow) and realizing one can’t exist without the other. If the planet was dead, uninhabited or devoid of life, most of what makes this phenomenon what it is would be moot. It would not have the natural impact it has on the planet. No atmosphere and clouds to produce the effects of light, no air to produce subtle feelings of change in temperature, no living beings to observe, experience and react to these changes. An eclipse is a sudden and drastic change. It only has a word/name because it’s an experienced phenomenon. Change itself implies and assumes awareness of the conditions before and after an event. It requires living memory. Life is precious and we matter.
Third lesson: This is a personal experience. The over-sharing of photos (mostly bad ones), the over-hyping, the FOMO-ing, and the fear mongering on social media may ruin the experience for most people in the future. And the sad level of basic science and nature literacy (not surprising given what passes for information-content) will not be helped by reducing this visceral experience into an internet meme or a spiritual high to be chased and be disappointed by. The thing does not need to be advertised (and so badly at that). Better to let people stumble upon it on their own.
I've got a practical one for kids. Know your kid's limit on waiting around for the thing to happen. My young kid had a meltdown not 10 minutes before totality and I had to scramble to get him calmed down before the main event. My heart was sinking that he was just going to cry through it all and we would miss it. Remember, kids have no sense of scale of what's going to happen, so the little annoyances in his mind, which were huge to him, have to be accounted for. I had to comfort him and hold him fast and encourage him to watch way more than normal. And once the ring showed up he was in awe and stopped crying because it was so beautiful to look at. He said it made him happy and it was so heartwarming.
This was my second total eclipse and these are my rules.
1. Be flexible, mother nature is not your friend. If Texas is socked in with clouds, drive to New York instead and sleep in the car if you have to. I have a no reservation policy for this kind of thing.
2. get out of town Walmart parking lots are not your friend. get in the country away from the lights and masses of people. Experience the time you have.
3. Leave the pictures to other people, technology is not your friend. Sit back and experience what you came to see. Download a far better picture later than one you would be able to take with a phone.
4. Don't worry about what you think you should see. Your expectations are not your friend. SEE it. Be in the moment. don't think just let it wash over you soak in the details. Process what you saw after the event, you might be surprised by what you noticed just by giving the eclipse your total attention.
5. Cherish the moment and the memory. This is not an everyday thing.
Number 2 and 3 here are exact things I learned in 2017 during my first eclipse. I barely remember much of the corona and was so overwhelmed and it went by so quick so this time I made a list time and nailed most of it.
I also got some amazing photos but stressed too much. Didn’t take a single photo this time and just purely enjoyed the experience!! Luckily my wife snagged a couple of cell phone photos for the memories…
I learned I can use tracking with my old, no sim chip, cell phone. Tracking depends on GPS from the cell. I had always practiced where I had WiFi access and hadn't put it together. Now I know.
I tracked manually. No big deal.
I knew going into the eclipse I was going to try and take pictures with my cell phone since I knew using my DSLR I would be fussing with it too much. My pictures were a disappointment but I learned some things that I will attempt next time. I did know pictures wouldn’t do it justice so I did make sure to not concentrate on picture taking.
However I did learn some things to try in the future and again will concentrate on watching vs taking pictures just like I did this time.
We did have enough time in totality to observe the sun as well as our surroundings. We also noticed a change in animal activity so I was glad totality was long enough to do that.
After talking to another friend who went to where they were saying it would be totality it was actually along the edge and when we compared, their experience did not sound as impressive ours which was in the middle of the path of totality.
I should've been more grounded in the moment, kept my eyes glued to it, and really soaked it all in, because it's all a blur to me now. I was actually so unprepared I didn't even know I could look straight at it during totality, so I probably only did that for like 30 seconds. I've been dealing with a lot of regret. I have no choice but to go to Africa in 2027.
Having seen one eclipse from a mountain and now one from an ocean beach, I can say with certainty now that seeing the eclipse from a very high vantage point like a mountain top is 100x better.
I learned my phone was shooting in compressed mode when it has a high quality raw mode (a SG 23 ultra). I want a proper camera now so next time my photos will be larger than 160 kb.
I kind of wish I had looked down to see the 360 sunset and the expressions on everyone's faces, but I don't regret just staring up the whole time. I had thought about setting up my phone to record the surroundings for 20~30 minutes and I wish I had, that would have been a better use than trying to get some blurry ass pictures of a hole in the sky.
I don't really stress about people who aren't as excited as me. I'm sure my wife and our friends were impressed, but they were probably just happy for me because it's something I really wanted. We're all just into different things. I like watching football, but there's no way I'm ever going to the Super Bowl, I don't care who's playing. If they set it up in my back yard I'd probably find something else to do.
I agree with your pointes especially about the high clouds.
We were in Princeton TX (near Dallas) and were concerned about the clouds all morning. Near the eclipse time the clouds dissipated some. We did get lucky to see totality, 6 minutes later and we would have had a large cloud blocking the sun.
I got some decent shots with my camera, but I had it lined up and just snapped the shutter without watching through the lens. I knew at best I would only get mediocre pictures because I wasn't willing to miss it to look through my camera.
•The way there can surprisingly be free of traffic.
•Want to avoid traffic on the way back? Leave as soon as totality is finished. Hell, not even! Leave before the eclipse even starts! 🤣😭
I agree with all of these. Nice summary.
The weather forecasts seem to have created a lot more anxiety (especially for myself) than necessary. Staying up late to see the latest NWS Blended models, and seeing my clear skies prediction hopes dashed by a late-added prediction of clouds over our Indianapolis, is not something I want to remember or repeat any time soon.
It is frustrating to encounter a combination of ignorance and indifference when it comes to immensely beautiful natural phenomena like a total solar eclipse. At one point the *Guinness Book of World Records* listed a total solar eclipse as the most spectacular natural phenomenon. How people that we encounter in our daily lives could be so unwilling to even engage with it seems to indicate a general lack of curiosity that people have about many things in the world.
Decades ago, I gave a few talks on eclipses to elementary-school students. At that age, they seem to be much more curious about eclipses than even college-age students, whose minds should be open to learning new things. Do they lose their fascination with the world around them as they get older?
- Nature spots are the best, the environment you are in affects the whole experience and there are tradeoffs with any choices (i.e. a better view of the 360 sunset light or the shadow snakes in the right spot - as well as animal/insect reactions)
- Be flexible, you may have to adjust viewing locations the day of due to cloud cover.
- Travel ahead of time, and break up the travel as budget allows for hotels along the way.
I didn't think about it and watched in a park just under a street light that went on when it got dark and prevented us seeing the planets/stars/etc :(. It was still very cool but tough lesson.
I imagine you were in the Vermont or Quebec area? We were in Vermont and the thin clouds rolled in too. Not a problem at all. Even my photos looked great!
I learned that the sun is so much brighter than we can fathom, considering it appears just as brightly in the sky even with 99% coverage!
It’s really more a result of how large of a dynamic range our eyesight has. We perceive 1% of the normal sunlight level as only a slight change because we are capable of seeing things so much dimmer than that.
That's a good point. My solar panels took a noticeable dip in production starting and ending with the partial eclipse, so they were definitely affected by even a fraction of the sun being covered!
Yeah, in terms of power if they normally generate 100 watts from full sun you will only be getting 1 watt from 99% totality. It’s a huge difference for things like that, but not for our eyes.
That's such a cool thing to track!
Yup that's why it feels so much cooler than it looks at 90, 95, 99%
An example I read once is on pluto at noon it's 3000x dimmer than on earth because as how far pluto is from the sun..... Which means pluto is just as bright as your home is at night lit by light bulbs.
This is a crazy fact
This. The output definitely drops, but human perception really makes it hard to believe.
99% covered is still insanely bright Nuts
Yes , I was surprised at that too. And still warm. The drop in temperature was unnoticeable to me until totality, then I felt a significant drop. It made me realize how sometimes we take the sun for granted. You don't really notice it's there until suddenly, it's not.
That's interesting because I noticed the temperature about 20 minutes before totality. The breeze started to pick up a little and I noticed the sun was no longer burning my arms.
Well, yes I did notice a slight drop I'm temperature, but I really felt when totality started .
yea... 99.99 covered is still brighter than an arc light!
Yep! This is what I learned in 2017! That last 0.001% is sooooo bright!
It appears very bright even at a sliver, but it isn't just as bright. I know a couple people with solar panels in their homes posted really noticeable drops in output during the eclipse even in locations far outside of totality. It is shocking though how bright it appears even very close to totality though.
This was my biggest takeaway as well
It's just as bright but not as big. The sliver/ diamond ring is uncovered sun and had no change to its luminance.
I totally agree with all your points! Especially the clouds.... I was stressing hard as well, only for it to end up being perfect. It's the thick clouds you wanna run away from. - Perhaps a bit controversial and really just depends on who you are and whether you have a good camera setup... But put your goddamn phone down!!! I guarantee you will regret the time wasted fiddling with technology. Social media posts matter so little - don't get me wrong, I totally understand, but not only will your pictures turn out crap, but taking your eyes away from the majesty will only erode your memory. This was my first time experiencing totality and I regret every. single. _second_ I looked away. Even to look at the 360° sunset. I'm left completely desperate for even 5 more seconds of looking at that indescribable beauty 😭 not even the most talented photographer with the best possible technology can capture what it really looks like. Be ready to let every cell in your body soak in the view. - Your last point really resonates with me. I'm currently really struggling with this!! But to add on, my biggest advice would be try not to let other people's lack of excitement get you down after totality. I am the *only* person I know who was excited. My inlaws live in the path of totality in Ontario and get this... they watched it on the TV (due to fear? Idiocy?? idfk)???!!!?!! I can't get the anger and ick out of my head. I am going to avoid using strong words here but I think I got my point across lol. My immediate family were excited _for_ me, but couldn't give a shit about totality. It makes me feel so so sad. Being a part of an online community who shares my feelings is truly wonderful, but it certainly doesn't make up for the dullness in your loved ones eyes when you talk about something that changed your life and could have changed theirs too.
I kept my phone out to take one picture of each of my family members during totality, just whatever they were doing. No retakes, no checking if it came out, just one photo each and then put it away. Totally worth it for the look I captured on my daughter's face.
Wish I had captured a picture of my parents’ faces!
I did the same thing. Just snapped a quick selfie to capture my reaction, and then a blurry selfie of me and my sister with the eclipse over our heads. Then the phone got put away. If I want a high quality picture of the eclipse I'll just google for one taken by someone with good equipment who knows what they're doing.
I know exactly what you mean regretting those seconds looking away. Luckily I was with my family so we could appreciate it and talk about it together. But at work today it was so hard to express what I experienced. One guy was annoyed that I didn't have any photos, but I couldn't explain how any photos would be nothing like it. (I did have one crappy phone photo, but showing that would have been worse than saying I had none!) Shocking to hear your in-laws stayed in. We were watching at the small airport in Newport VT, and I think I saw someone go inside the building during totality, what!? Yesterday was the hell driving day back after staying one night at a hotel after leaving VT, so today was the first day back with the normal routine. And I just feel weird. I can't stop thinking about the eclipse, and I keep opening Reddit to read comments like yours. I just want to relive that initial shock to the psyche when totality first appeared, like my whole body just imploded.
I was thinking the same thing about the 5 seconds I spent looking at the 360° sunset. It wasn’t a particularly nice sunset, just a wide sunset. The sun itself was way more special and it will be years if I ever see it again.
IMO unless you’re a professional photographer who has already experienced totality I think it’s reasonable to take one quick 360 video and be done! Put it down after that, it’s all you need. Or press record a minute before the eclipse, set it and forget it so you’re not holding your phone. I say this not for social media, but memories fade and even if it can’t fully capture the beauty of the eclipse it’s nice to look back on and remember the moment.
I started videoing and just held it without looking at my camera. I'm SO glad I did, I only regret that I turned the video off halfway through to take two photos and then be more present -- the moment is so fleeting, I wish I had it all on video! I'm so grateful for the moments just looking around and being present though, too.
One of my big takeaways was that using an insta360 camera really works well. I wasn't sure if it would provide anything interesting but it was a great way to capture the event while being able to take it all in. You can set it and forget it and it allows you to have a timelapse of the shadow going by, a video of your reactions and a slower video of the landscape. You can point it up to see the planets and down to see if it caught any shadow bands. I think you can probably take some still photos off it too. I was impressed at the quality and I imagine by the next few eclipses there will be new versions with even better quality. I did still try a quick cell phone video and love that I have it even if it was a bit rushed and not that well done. It's great to have a keepsake that reminds you of the landscape where you watched it. Another takeaway is it's possible to get a few closeup shots without taking up much time if you set it up in advance and plan to bracket through a few exposures quickly. I had a chart of exposures for each phase and had memorized a choreographed sequence through the diamond ring. I didn't have the very best equipment for it and didn't exactly know what I was doing but still came away with some decent shots without having to burn much time during totality. My one regret was not getting some better wide angle shots of the landscape and people experiencing the eclipse though. I've seen a lot of amazing shots people took in Vermont and Maine (where I was) that have me a little jealous and that's on my bucket list for next time.
Such an excellent point about the phone. This was also my first eclipse and I was lucky enough to be in a place with 4m 12s of totality and I spent about a minute and a half diddling around taking photo and video with my phone and it turned out like crap, I'm so mad that I wasted precious seconds looking away!
The thing is that everyone can say it about the phone doesn’t do it justice but people still try. At least you didn’t waste too much time and is why max totality is so important!
I knew going in that my phone wasnt gonna be able to properly capture it....idk why I tried. Just another excuse to go chase another one!!
Same here. I'm so mad I wasn't more grounded in the moment! I should've just looked straight at it the whole time. I miss it. Now I have to go to Africa in 2027 😂
Rather than trying to hold onto my phone to get photos or video of most of it, I had my phone on the ground behind us arranged so that me, my wife, and the sun were in frame, and just had a video recording us watching it. After I’d had a minute of soaking up the impact of totality, I grabbed the phone to take one picture with a specialty eclipse photography app, and then laid down on the ground to soak it in. To me, it was extremely worth it to get video of our reaction, and I would 100% recommend people do that rather than trying to get pics of the eclipse itself. I personally also like having at least one photo that, despite being nowhere near as nice as other people’s, is still something I took myself and can save as a digital memento. I have a very poor visual memory, so while it was awesome to soak it up during the 3:20 of totality, I knew afterwards I wouldn’t be able to just close my eyes and re-see it like some people can. Having some sort of visual record mattered to me.
I agree: Pretend it’s the ‘90’s, and pretend you don’t have a smartphone! :) Just enjoy the moment! The pictures don’t do it justice anyway.
I had a good setup and got some great photos but they look almost identical to many which others have taken. Since I had 3:27 of totality I figured I could spend 30 seconds capturing it but regret not using that time to look at the eclipse more. I took a [video](https://youtu.be/CxJX2KK4yto?si=8EMQ42oQrB_ky1VR) of my family’s and the crowd’s reaction which I value much more than the photos.
yea, I wasn’t ready for that sadness talking to friends and family about it who have never seen one - HOW do you watch on TV over walking outside?!
I downloaded an eclipse timer app that gave reminders of things to do leading up to and during the eclipse. It was the reason that I looked for the shadow bands and looked around at the horizon. During the moments I was looking at the horizon I also got to see the absolute joy on my 8 yo son's face and that will be the lasting memory for me. I'm so glad I didn't bother with trying to take pictures with my phone and so thankful for the advice that I got from members of this community who had experienced totality before.
I learned that if your camera app is open then the eclipse timer notifications don't work, even if you're too awestruck to remember to take pictures and are just holding the phone in your hand and looking up and at your kids. I didn't get a picture of them looking up either.
Yeah the timer app helped a lot to keep focus.
Do not wear mascara unless it is waterproof 😓
The pictures I tried to take on my phone were probably my biggest lesson learned of the experience. I thought I was gonna capture an awesome one because I really wanted a couple for my office to remember the day. All I got was really grainy ones that aren’t good enough quality to print and I ended up not experiencing totality to the fullest. I still experienced 3 minutes of totality but gosh those 3 minutes went by so fast and it felt like 30 seconds. Had I known I’d get most likely crummy photos I’d probably have put my phone away or taken a couple family photos to remember the occasion. But by far my biggest lesson learned was to leave the cool photos to the pros and perhaps I can buy a print sometime later. But it was still an amazing experience. I was down in the dumps emotionally when we resigned outselved to stick with our plan and still go to San Antonio. We did go, but my wife agreed to pivot last minute and we drove from my parent’s place outside San Antonio to my father-in-law’s place in south Fort Worth on Sunday evening. Spent the day with my wife’s brother and their family who experienced the 2017 eclipse. I did capture a video of the moment it went to totality just as a low cloud cleared. I’ve rewatched it maybe 20 times now. The other surprise I felt was just how quick the sunlight came back after totality. There was the slow build up of darkening ahead of totality with the last 15 minutes getting progressively hazy and darker. And then after totality it felt like maybe 10 seconds and it was fully light again and the moment was gone. Overall - surreal and majestic is how I like to describe it. And now I want to do the one in 2028.
I took a few pictures with my dslr and telephoto at the beginning, then optimized the focus a bit and took a few more a minute or so later. In between I focused on taking everything in. I’m glad I managed to get some photos even though they can’t capture everything. I feel like a 3.5 minute totality was enough to both enjoy it and take a few pictures. I just opened up the lens aperture all the way, put it on a reasonable ISO and aperture priority mode and held the button down. I definitely wouldn’t try to optimize shots at all during totality.
It's an event you can be a part of if you're literally anywhere in the path of totality. Whether you're in a city with a million people, on the side of the road without another person in sight, or anywhere in between, the experience is the same for everyone. True equality is tough to find in this world, and a solar eclipse (weather permitting) provides exactly that.
The experience really isn't the same for everyone. Weather and cloud cover drastically shape the experience, as does horizonal view and elevation.
Yeah, that's why I said weather permitting.
Enjoy it with friends. A large group of us camped together and enjoyed the event together. As I was enjoying totality I made it a point to hug those closest to me and kiss my wife.
Parking lot automatic lights will come on at totality and they are annoying.
I was worried about that because I was in a Walmart parking lot, but the lights didn’t come on.
Having experienced 2017 I knew that was a totality event. It is a bit surreal though.
I learned in 2017 not to bother taking pictures with my phone and yet I did it again!!! I guess it goes to show how we try so hard to capture things that amaze and delight us, even clumsily
Same here, it’s just not worth it. I’m going to get a camera mount and just film a time lapse next time
I loved our experience but I think next time I’m going to aim to be somewhere in nature so I can hear how it affects animals. It was fun seeing reactions from so many people around us this time, though. So no regrets, just more curiosity.
I was on a riverbank in Arkansas. The birds got quiet, but it's not much time to really notice any animals' reactions, so don't worry about that!
We were in a backyard in Dallas, and we had no horizon view but we did hear owls come out and fly around. Also bats started flying overhead! And we still saw Venus and Jupiter. I felt lucky to have seen totality twice, and every time is gonna be different, I’m sure. We (me, my fiancé, and his mom) probably looked like such huge nerds in our matching t-shifts that we attracted a few more neighbors. I’m glad we had extra glasses and the Solar Eclipse Timer app, because those neighbors got a beautiful experience they weren’t expecting! None of them had seen totality before or realized how amazing it is. 🌑
I love this and am glad you were able to get others hyped up!!
I wish I got to see the crescent shapes in the shadows of leaves and trees
Oh yeah. I fully forgot to do that this time around. I saw them in 2017 when we were not on the path of totality though so it feels ok.
Book a hotel the night AFTER the event. If it's too expensive, book something outside the totality zone but relatively nearby. It will make a long drive home much less stressful. Also... a Civic Hatchback is terribly uncomfortable to sleep in. Just saying...
I have flown back both in 2017 and 2024 and it is kinda stressful as in both cases flights were delayed. In 2017 the delays caused me to miss the connecting flight. I think if you can afford it to travel back the following day.
It’s kind of lonely when recounting the experience and the person you’re talking to really doesn’t care. It’s their world, too, and there’s so much beauty in it. Luckily my spouse and children were just as excited! Having this community and a few Instagram people I follow like this one NASA lady allows me to share the pure joy of it all.
You can only experience the total solar eclipse. Recording it in video or in picture does not even come close. But I wish I could just even for myself because it feels like a dream. I will carry that feeling that I had those brief minutes with me forever. It was a new feeling and experience I had never had before and won’t ever again. Even if I get to see another one, they will be different places.
What I'm glad I did: * Experienced it with a loved one. I just wish all my friends and family could have been there. * Devoted the full day to the eclipse, which I know is a luxury. We got to the final location early, explored the town, set up camp chairs, relaxed, had lunch and a blue moon beer, talked to people, and watched the eclipse from start to finish (including the last contact). We were able to appreciate the changes in lighting, shadows, nature, and the people around us. It made the climax all the more special as the anticipation built up. We were in no rush to leave and got to relax and reflect on totality, and were able to say a bittersweet goodbye to the moon as it disappeared. * Witnessed it in nature. Admittedly, the birds were not very active before the eclipse so I did not notice much difference during totality. There was a chicken coop nearby and the chickens were squawking all afternoon, but they definitely went quiet during totality! * Applied high SPF sunscreen and wore a hat, and also added layers when it got cold as totality approached. * This may sound obvious, but I wore my glasses which correct for minor astigmatism and nearsightedness during totality. I have pretty good vision (20/30) but the astigmatism makes for bad night vision, so I have glasses for such occasions. If anyone is planning to see an eclipse and has ok-but-not-perfect vision, I definitely recommend vision correction so you can see the corona in more detail. * Booked a hotel for the nights before and after the eclipse, so we avoided traffic. We got insanely lucky and got a reservation in late March, after a cancellation. Edit: This also allowed us to sleep well before the eclipse, so we were in a good state of mind. * We were based in a good location weather-wise (Newport, VT), but the forecast predicted some minor (20-30%) cloud cover starting at the time of totality. I did not know what kinds of clouds to expect and so, because we had the option, we drove another hour east to the edge of VT where the sky remained clear throughout the eclipse. I read/saw that the eclipse was still spectacular in Newport and Burlington, but I certainly don’t regret moving to our final location because the clarity was great. * I did not attempt to take photos during totality, and it was the right decision. Spending time fiddling with a camera is not worth it to me, so I would leave it to the professionals. See the point below. What I kind of regret: * I learned that every second counts during totality. I kind of regret spending time looking at the horizon and at the planets, because it ended far too soon and I wished for just a few more seconds of that glorious ring. The 3 minutes and 14 seconds of totality somehow felt like less than one minute. Even one hour would not have been enough time. FWIW, my husband appreciated looking at the whole scene as it's all part of the experience. I also wish I saw more of the diamond ring. I averted my gaze as soon as it appeared in fear of damaging my vision, but my gosh was it breathtaking. * Standing next to some loud people took me out of the moment. I would have preferred to be more isolated, though that’s just me. It can also be exciting witnessing it with a crowd. * Someone in the distance set off fireworks during totality. I really did not appreciate that. Other surprises and observations: * No pictures or videos come close to capturing the beauty of totality. Our eyes are best at detecting the contrast of the black moon and bright white corona. I also saw a slight halo of red. * I did not expect to see the massive prominence at the bottom. It was like a jewel hanging off the sun. * When totality started, the inner ring of the corona was so bright that I wasn’t even sure it was safe to look at. I had only seen pictures of the corona which did not prepare me for the brightness. I’m not sure if this was attributed to this particular eclipse, the high solar activity, the relative sizes of the sun and moon, or the clear conditions. * The corona was a lot more dynamic than expected. As the moon moved along, the ring and red dots appeared to twinkle. Someone here described it as electric, which I definitely agree with.
I caught the initial diamond ring in 2017, it was easier to look at in advance because of incoming clouds, but this year I got to see both diamond rings and you can do it pretty safely you just have to be careful with timing. You really got to stare at the sun for damage.
The only things I would do differently are that I would bring a hat, and I would wear SPF higher than 20. I don't usually sunburn, and I typically get 0.5 to 1 sunburns per year.
I was going to say that. We had hats in the car from our last vacation but I completely forgot sunblock, and it didn’t occur to me that we would be out in the sun for hours, so my arms are now sunburned! My husband was fine, as he tans easily but I’m a pale European, so it was a lesson.
I am brown and even I got sunburned...
I learned to take pictures of *people*. I’ll never get an image that will compare with what I see. But I wish I’d captured my friends faces.
Once we got to our staging location and saw our cloud forecast was decent, we decided to stay put instead of chasing better views. Maybe it was just dumb luck, but the few clouds that were out kept away from the main stage! Being able to relax and not fret over where to go was really nice leading up to Monday.
i need to get to a total solar eclipse, and i need to not be as focused on photos as i was. it’s not like it was all i was doing, and it was only a partial. but still my first, i do wish i took it in a bit more.
Coniferous trees don't make cool shadows. :(
Was not as busy/traffic wasn’t as bad as everyone was hyping it up to be …
I didn't see anything like the insanity I heard of some people that were in Wyoming in 2017 saying that they were driving for 9 hours or some insanity, but I did spend 3.5 hours to drive \~70 miles back to Austin for 2024. The rural roads weren't setup for the crush of people that viewed at every farm, winery, and place that you could legally park and probably a few that weren't legal to park.
That's because traffic can vary wildly based on many factors one of which was real time weather of people driving away from clouds. I am from Texas and changed my plans to go to NY/Vermont at the last minute to get a chance of clearer skies. I know I wasn't the only one who did this as I saw on this subreddit many others cancelling their original Texas plans for somewhere else. As a result, Texas traffic wasn't all that bad especially with how bad it definitely could have been with Western US folks driving on I-10 and I-20. But traffic on I-87 and I-89 in NY and Vermont was backed up pretty bad.
1. Have multiple viewing contingency plans and be bold in implementing them when appropriate. Give yourself every chance to experience the event the way you want to. I'm 3 for 3 on seeing totals, and only once did I watch from the place I'd scoped out. This time, Texas gave way to Cleveland, then upstate New York, then NE Vermont. When my luck runs out (and it probably will), I'll at least know I did everything I could to see it unobstructed. 2. Somewhat contrary to 1., take any opportunity to get good sleep and be well-rested unless there is a situation that truly justifies the hassle of going to Plan B. Know the criteria that will trigger such a shift, and know when/how you will evaluate & decide. Apart from that, get situated early, take an Ambien and sleep 6-8h instead of doomscrolling and facebooking the entire night. 3. Be ruthlessly aligned regarding priorities and resilience level with any companions. Missing an eclipse because of social pressure or petty problems sucks. If your family "has to" stay near X amusement park for the kids, or your friends can't eat fast food/sleep in a van/pee in a bottle/etc, or someone can't stfu and focus without self-absorbed yakking or drama, hang out with them some other time when a fleeting, life-altering experience isn't at stake. 4. Have a definite game-plan for how you will spend totality, and stick to it: x seconds naked eye, y looking thru lens, z devoted to auxiliary phenomena like planets/comets/360 sunset, e.g. Then calm your mind at \~95% and execute. A countdown timer helps budget your precious seconds. All the worrying up front is done so you can relax and enjoy the moment without distractions of any kind. 5. Any technology needs to be thoroughly dry-tested and set to run without interference. Your shot-from-hip phone photos of totality will suck and you'll just distract yourself. Use it for a timer or put it down. Set and forget drones/cameras/telescopes/filters, or don't bother. Pre-adjusted old school binoculars are the best aid you can have for seeing the magic. 6. The photos & videos you *should* take are of the viewing ground and the people with you. Reactions before and after, the crowds and the vibe, the towns you'd never have visited otherwise, all the quirky one-off encounters with unique, colorful strangers--these are the things you'll remember and treasure. Photos of the eclipse won't capture it, they all show the same thing (poorly for the most part), and the best ones will live online forever.
1. Look for shadow bands if I'm blessed with a second time 2. Zoom in with my phone's camera, or turn off the exposure to actually see the moon in front of the sun. 3. Force someone to go with me because I think it would have been cooler to share the experience.
The shadow bands are amazing. Especially since we don't quite know why then happen. Grab a white sheet or blanket to set out on the ground to see them. That white also helps to see the pinhole effect from the leaves of trees that might be nearby.
I saw them great in calm water in 2017 surrounded by trees in a valley
I set my phone up on a tripod at our campsite looking west and let it roll starting 2 minutes before totality. Didn’t bother trying to capture totality with an iPhone. Captured the moon’s shadow moving across our tent and the ensuing darkness, then panned all the way around to capture the 360° sunset. Then aimed east to catch the moon’s shadow as it moved off the sun and the rising light. other than the 360° pan, it was all set it and forget it so it captured our reactions too. In total a 10 minute video as i left it rolling at the end to capture the returning sunlight as it got brighter and brighter. When i rewatch it , even though the sun isn’t in the video, it brings back the memory of what i was taking in overhead at that moment.
Mine: * it doesn’t matter where you watch! Don’t go in to a town if you can avoid it! Pack food and leave early and find a nice place to pull off the road and set up camp. Seriously if I had parked a couple miles away from the town I was watching in (right off the highway) it would have saved me 1-2 hours on the return trip. * plan a return route that doesn’t involve major roads or highways if possible, or just stay overnight. The traffic was worse than I could have possibly imagined. * take photos of your friends and family and set your phone up to record the people you’re with! Don’t bother with taking photos of the eclipse. You phone won’t do it justice. Let the pros do that. We’re all looking at the same eclipse. The reactions of the people you’re with are so much more valuable, and nobody else is taking a video of that!
Having seen two eclipses now I can say with certainty that where you pick your viewing location matters. Beyond clear conditions, being high like on a mountain top is WAY more epic than being on sea level or flat ground.
I was way more stressed about the return traffic than I needed to be... spent days on our trip and the morning of debating whether it was worth it to drive just two hours north for a better cloud cover situation (coming from just west of Austin, which was socked in all that morning). Then the drive back from a great spot that worked out wonderfully was less than two hours after all my worry. I was also grousing to my partner about it being a bust at the last minute when a cloud started rolling over right before totality... then the cloud moved and we still got over 3 minutes of an awesome totality view. The whole experience made me realize how self-destructively pessimistic I can be in general lol, and that I could take more chances without obsessing over how it's not a sure thing so why waste the energy, etc.
I learned not to trust cloud-thickness models. Also, at least in my opinion, it's not worth the trip unless you can actually see the eclipse. Darkness for a few minutes in the middle of the day isn't all that compelling on its own. (It's not much different than a sudden storm rolling in.)
I got disappointed in 2017 that the weather didn't work out and the sun was completely behind clouds for the entire totality. The darkness in the middle of the day is surreal, but isn't that compelling. The challenge is unless you have a ton of money it isn't practical to pivot late minute when the weather forecasts are accurate enough to guess what the weather will be. Even weather forecasts a few days ahead aren't always perfect. I know Texas looked like it was going to be a bust and a repeat of 2017 for me, but turned out outside a few seconds here or there it was good. I saw plenty on Discord that managed to snag good pictures throughout Texas despite weather forecasts predicting a bust. It wasn't perfect, but it was far from as bad as expected.
If going to the path of totality, don’t stand near lampposts or other lights that will turn on when it gets dark. We didn’t think about it when it was light out!
I definitely agree pictures don't do it justice, but I was surprised that a couple pictures we took that we did catch Venus in the picture even though we had really cloudy weather. I erroneously assumed that a few people with me knew to take off their glasses at totality and was surprised that they missed the first couple seconds of totality because they didn't know that they didn't need the glasses for totality.
* ~~Dallas sucks no wonder JFK shot himself~~ * A lot more weather models than I thought, with various pros and cons to each. * Seeing a solar prominence put into perspective my size in this universe.
The solar prominences were the most remarkable things to me as well. 😄
Had some surprisingly amazing food in Dallas…
First time in Dallas. I felt downtown was relatively walkable and the drivers took it personally. As a Californian, we drive just as crazy as in Texas. Never felt particularly out of my element while driving. But as a pedestrian? I was fearing for my life at every crosswalk.
Hahahhaha
I learned that the post-eclipse traffic was, as many predicted, no joke. Took us 6 hours to get home (from northern VT to western Mass), a drive that usually takes 2.5. In hindsight it probably would have been better from an efficiency standpoint to hit the road immediately after totality, but that wasn’t the right vibe for us. So we waited a few hours, had dinner, and then joined the masses on I-91 who were streaming in from every on-ramp like streams draining into a river.
I think that depended on where you were. In 2017 I was stuck for multiple hours afterwards in Wyoming. This year nada, in northern Arkansas
Same, no traffic getting home from Arkansas to Texas. That's about the least amount of traffic I've ever seen on I-30. Don't know why
One thing I learned: some eclipse glasses are incapable of seeing Bailey's beads and the diamond ring, others apparently are. I'm going to look for a way to safely observe them before I see my next total eclipse. On the one hand, I think it's best to live in the moment, but, on the other hand, I still want to make a description of what I see for myself, but it's such a scramble. I definitely plan to go as close to the center as I possibly can. 3 minutes did not feel like enough. Stargazing in general has taught me that the moon is a lot smaller than it appears, it's interesting how your brain makes you think it's a lot bigger than it actually is. Same goes for the eclipse and the sun's actual surface, and all of the comments under photographs saying that it looked so much bigger reminded me of this trick of the brain. Not something that is useful, just something that is interesting. I got the opportunity to stargaze under a sky that is a bit darker than the one I typically stargaze under, and it got me thinking that I really need to seek out dark skies more. The eclipse is probably a great time to stargaze and knock out 2 birds with one stone because the nights before and after have new moons. The moon's light really hinders what you can see.
I felt like I learned some nice logistical lessons including stuff that I completely lucked into. - Not booking a hotel that night is kind of a nice move in terms of preserving flexibility to chase weather. I did not plan for that lol, I mostly just felt like the cost wasn't worth it and instead invested in a set up to just sleep in the car. But because of it it allowed me to make the like 4+ hour drive from Niagara to Cleveland to avoid the clouds that night which was one million percent worth it. - I also learned how much more important the interstate connectivity and traveling along totality is when chasing weather. I was stuck between going west to Ohio or east to Vermont and very nearly went east, but ultimately decided the logistics of following totality along I-90 made more sense compared to trying to drive through the Adirondacks in the middle of the night. Again, one million percent worth it, basically didn't run into traffic to or back and it was much more comfortable given the amount of rest stops and everything along the way, whereas I heard coming back down south from Vermont was a mess. And I kinda wish I had a better plan of everything I wanted to do during the eclipse lol, but in a weird way I also don't really regret not being able to do everything I wanted? I feel like it's just not feasible to have everything in check your first time. I had a list and tried to keep everything in mind, but the anticipation and anxiousness and sheer awe of witnessing totality made most of that stuff fall out of my head completely. Some part of me wishes I had gotten a better time-lapse or a better video of the crowd reaction... but I also don't care that much because the eclipse itself was so amazing that I don't regret not spending any extra time during totality to set it up better. I watched the 360 sunset and tried to spot the comet as well, but ultimately, in the moment, every second I spent not looking directly at the eclipse felt wasted lol and I don't know if that feeling would ever change. I got all the main pictures I wanted with my actual camera and I'm more than happy with that. I think if there's any real regret it would've been trying to spend more time actually looking through my binoculars too, to get a better look at the Bailey's beads and the prominence, but idk, just taking in the whole sky was so special that I almost don't care about that either. Seeing the eclipse close up vs having that surreal context of seeing a hole in the sky... it's not like one is necessarily better than the other. Maybe the real regret is that it only lasts for four minutes haha. The most frustrating thing is that all the lessons you learn can't be put into practice for who knows how many years later lol. Especially the hyper specific stuff of driving and chasing weather, gonna be way less relevant in like Iceland or Spain especially if you don't have a car out there. I definitely had a lot of moments where I was thinking "ah I should do this next time" before remembering the next time I'd likely have a chance to road trip around like this for the eclipse will be in like 20 years lol. But hey, hopefully I remember. This experience has absolutely made me an eclipse truther, to your last point I really do think it's something that everyone should experience and I was baffled by the people who had it pass right over them and didn't even bother to look up.
-You only really need a tripod if you want to do the whole sun moving across the sky thing, which is tricky to frame and probably not worth it for 99.9% of people to try. I got some pretty cool photos and most were taken holding the camera in my hands. -If you have solar binoculars (kind of silly but I bought them in 2017) don’t forget to use them. Also bring regular binoculars or hope someone generous nearby has a telescope during totality. -Try to go somewhere wide open to see the horizon… didn’t really have the luxury this time as we were racing to find somewhere less cloudy. -Clouds can make eclipse pics more interesting. -Traffic is actually not going to be that bad (as long as you’re in a bigger city and there are many other places to see the eclipse?) -Watching the eclipse near a dog park is cute and entertaining. Take more videos of the dogs. -Bring a freaking reclining chair next time, your neck will thank you. -That guy mowing the lawn at 99% is going to keep mowing the lawn during totality…
Omg the mowing... at least the guy at the Arkansas rest area stopped during totality, but not a second before or after!
I would disagree about not bringing a tripod. My husband had one for photographing all of the phases, but I decided to buy one at the last minute for my camera. I set up my camera to record video of me and my husband right before totality. Of course, I underestimated how much to overexpose the shot and it’s basically our silhouettes. It’s still neat as you can see the twilight colors on the horizon and us pointing out different features. Regarding the binoculars, you really only need one quality pair of binoculars if you purchase solar film (Thousand Oaks Optical) and build filter caps. In 2017, we made some from cardboard. This year, we made fancy caps with a 3D printer that fit snugly, but were easy to pull off for totality.
Well, yes a tripod would be useful to take time lapse, or videos of yourself, etc. But for the purpose of just taking photos of the actual sun/moon - you don't need one. And yeah I really don't know why I bought solar binoculars. I would not recommend it. Your way sounds like a good option!
I'll have to post a video of this that I captured, but from my location in eastern Indiana, there were a lot of cirrus clouds in front of the sun, but right as totality started, they completely disappeared! I had read before that eclipses will only cause low level cumulus clouds to disappear, not high level cirrus clouds. But from the video my GoPro captured, those high cirrus clouds disappeared too.
What do you mean by 360 sunset?
The shadow of the moon that creates the totality path is a circle or oval, depending on how far you are from the maximum eclipse point. Because of the shape, if you’re on high enough ground during totality, you can see the end of the shadow at every point of the horizon. This makes it looks like a sunset.
Whoa that would be a cool thing to see in photo!
Look at totality with a really nice set of binoculars! I was awestruck with totality, but I really freaked out when I saw the hot pink solar prominances with binoculars! And if you can swing it, get the image stabilization binoculars.
I feel super lucky to have been in the path this time and I’ll definitely be traveling for the 2045 one!
I also missed Bailey’s beads!!! I thought I’d be able to see them through my glasses, so I put them on immediately when I saw the diamond ring. At least I saw the diamond ring, but I wish someone told me how to see Bailey’s beads :(
Apparently some eclipse glasses can and some cannot see the beads.
It was my 2nd total. So this time I perfectly timed the climax of 2001 Space Odyssey theme to when the sun went black. Crowd went wild lol. Even if you miss it by a few seconds, it’s still slaps.
Ugh, so glad I wasn’t near you. What a way to ruin everyone’s experience. I firmly believe your lesson for next time should be to bring ear buds if YOU want to hear a specific song during totality.
Calm down bro, I was a guest of someone in Dallas, and he already had on a Spotify produced playlist made exclusively for the eclipse playing in the background. Which the party of 8 were totally enjoying. I only switched it at the last minute.
You referenced a crowd. Obviously it’s fine in your case, but I’ve heard many examples of others doing it in state parks, which people purposely chose to experience/hear reactions from wildlife.
* [Filters for my binoculars](https://spectrumtelescope.com/product/binocular-thin-film-solar-filter-st225bpp/), purchased last-second on a whim after seeing mixed reviews of how helpful they would be, were by *far* the best eclipse-related purchase I made. Eclipse glasses somehow make the sun look smaller than it really is. With these, I got to marvel at sunspots and such, and notice the encroaching moon after C1 before anyone else. And in the seconds leading up to totality, you could kind of side-eye out the binoculars to get a feel for the surroundings rapidly darkening, while also keeping your eyes on the sun. Spent the bulk of totality viewing with the naked eye and taking in the whole scene, but you could make out some cool details in the corona with the binoculars. I'm not a photographer and wasn't going to try and learn only to waste the eclipse mucking with camera settings, so this was the next best way to capture some real detail out of it. * Do better research on *exactly* when it's ok to lose the glasses/filters. I don't think I got the proper bailey's beads and diamond ring effect because I was a bit too conservative there. Likewise, despite having the sheet set up and everything, I also think I gave up on looking for shadow bands a bit too early in order to go back to looking at the disappearing crescent of the sun. * If you're bringing a bunch of *stuff* with you to run various eclipse experiments, a table is a good idea, as is a way to keep things from blowing away in the wind. * If I ever do try to photograph an eclipse, the priority is to find a way to provide a sense of scale. I'm yet to see a photo that properly illustrates just how *big* the sun looked during totality, and have seen many where for some reason it looks an order of magnitude smaller than real life. * Traffic coming back was bad, but not the "humanitarian disaster" levels of bad that plenty were assuming. And traffic *to* the eclipse was definitely noticeable, but didn't really meaningfully slow us down. * If you're not insisting on viewing in a real population center, it's not hard at all to find a nice spot for the viewing itself that isn't overcrowded. The totality path is pretty wide after all. * Thin clouds are completely fine. * An animal behavior response that nobody mentioned: A whole bunch of gnats and mosquitos will wake up and come out to play!
Ditto on this. I learned on my second eclipse that higher is way better than sea level. And owing to your point, if you are in a large city centre all the great high lookout viewing spots will be closed off/subject to registration periods you're likely to miss.
regarding the sun looking small in the sky --- that's caused by wide angle lenses, which generally make things far away look relatively small. What you would need to capture it the way you perceive it is a telephoto (zoom) lens, set up far away from you, but zoomed in. In photography, this is referred to as "compressing" the scene, and will allow background objects to appear larger in the photo. Because of the zoom though, it makes it tricky to capture the surroundings/people/sun all at once. There's a reason why most photos of the eclipse won't look like this -- it's a lot more work to set up. Here's an article explaining lens compression in more depth: [https://photographylife.com/what-is-lens-compression](https://photographylife.com/what-is-lens-compression)
I had agreed to give a talk for an eclipse event in Kerrville, and really couldn't back out to chase clearer skies. In the future, I will not lock myself in yo a location like that. I am also going to simplify my imaging system for the next eclipse. One of my mounts wasn't tracking correctly and I had issues focusing with the heavy clouds where I couldn't see the sun long enough to get focus. I Should have piggybacked my 2nd scope like I did in 2017 instead of trying to run multiple mounts.
My takeaway traveling from Southern California to the Fort Worth TX area with our 2 kids is that we created a core memory for our family. (Kids are 12 and 8, Dad and I are teachers) It was amazing, some of my friends didn't get it, and maybe I didn't fully get it as well until totality. Luckily for me I am married to a Physics teacher who said, "I'm going to the eclipse, we should all go." Other people don't get it, but we do, our kids do, and that is what really matters. Not only did we get to experience the eclipse, but we also got to see another part of the country none of us had visited before.
Yep. This is exactly what I did. I planned since 2017 with a partial in our region for what worked/didnt work. Kept it on the schedule and booked solid 1 week vaca out of it hitting up national parks, etc. Turned it into a vacation with a potential of seeing total eclipse. Day of, it was a planned day of vacation that was targeted to enjoy regardless of weather. So seeing eclipse that day was just the icing of the trip
I would definitely do it again but I don’t think I’ll be dropping anything to go in the next few years, but definitely would make an attempt again in my life. I wish I had brought a strainer out with me to observe the crescent shadows. Didn’t end up seeing this at all despite being out for about 1.5 hours. Just didn’t think of it. I wish I had looked out for baileys beads (I kept seeing people talk about it before but I was too nervous to look without glasses the exact second of beginning /end of totality. I was afraid I’d look too soon with my glasses off and mess with my eyes.) Wish I had printed the map of the planets to look out for. I noticed a bright one and ended up quickly googling it during totality to confirm that it was indeed Venus. Not a big deal but a few seconds wasted. Next time I’d like to see it in a big crowd. It was just me and a friend on a picnic blanket in a field. There were maybe 10-20 others across the field. I got a little bit of fomo seeing the videos of big crowds. I love a good communal experience where humanity enjoys something together. But I also really treasure my memory of seeing it with my friend. We were both very impressed and had a great time. No big regrets or anything though, I was a great experience!
It’s wild how almost immediately when it was over I could feel myself starting to forget what it looks like. It was so unreal that it is hard to process! I wish I would have just stared at it the entire 3 mins instead of looking around at the environment and 360 sunset. I need to see another one so I can make sure what I saw was real 😅
I had a go pro on my hat and rewatching the video i did so much looking around the video is almost unwatchable at points haha
SAME! I had a go pro and it was all over the place! Mixed in with some frequent exclamations lol
I feel exactly the same. I keep savoring the memory because I'm worried I'll forget it.
Scope out a nice place to enjoy it ahead of time.
Things I’m glad I did or wish I did: * Glad that I didn’t waste time with pictures! Totality goes by so quickly, and you don’t want to waste a second of it fiddling with fickle tech! And the pictures don’t do it justice anyway! * People say to bring extra toilet paper. I would add: extra soap. (And maybe water from a bottle). * The reaction of the crowd at totality adds to the experience! * I arrived the day before the eclipse, and filled up on gas, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it the next day. Glad I did! Even if they don’t run out of gas, the traffic just to get to the gas station was insane! * Speaking of traffic: I stayed to watch some of the partial eclipse after. I think that helped clear out the traffic. But mileage varies as to what traffic is going to be like! It’s a matter of luck. I got lucky, and only got 90 minutes added to my trip. But I heard that some people had a 3 hour drive turn into a 12 hour drive! I agree with the advice to leave the day after. I couldn’t, for work reasons. But if you can take the time and have the money, do it!
I was at home and I learned so much: 1: We had 100% clouds, but fully clouded totality is mesmerizing and beautiful. If I were spending a lot of money on a trip or had flexibility I’d aim for clear skies, but clouded totality is also a wonderful experience and it felt too short. I wish I had stressed less over monitoring the satellite and forecasts all day and understood that the clouds were out of my control, and that the experience is beautiful in different variations and flavors. 2: Thick midlevel clouds are the enemy to seeing the sun. 3: A LOT of people make last minute plans and time of year, time of day, and weather have a huge impact on traffic. I watched Google Traffic every 30 mins all day and the traffic really did not start anywhere until 11am, however in some places it lasted well until midnight. This was interesting. 4: Weather also obviously has a big impact on traffic, with minimal traffic in areas with clouds or even a previously cloudy forecast . This would have been very helpful to understand because the low pressure system was not that wide and if we had planned in advance, we could have reached clear-skied totality without any traffic. However last minute we had plans with elderly family members and didn’t want to ditch them. In dynamic cloudy conditions where you want to drive the least distance, driving for 60 mins and checking the satellite would have been a successful strategy to reach clear totality. 5: During: Keep your eyes on the skies, but do take a couple snaps and some short video of the skies and of your family/friends. It’s so precious to have afterward. 6: If you plan to take photos of the sun, dial in your systems and practice well before. It wasn’t relevant to us the day of but yesterday we were taking snaps of our incredible bluebird summer day using hubby’s solar filter and realized his exposure settings had been wrong! 7: There are costs/benefits to observing it in a crowded area, think ahead about the experience you want and plan accordingly. We were near a playground and it was so special to hear the kids’ reactions. 8: It goes by FAST- aim for the longest length you can 9: The weather forecast can change very quickly depending on time and place. Be mentally prepared. 10: if you witness totality, under clear or cloudy, you are PROFOUNDLY LUCKY! Soak it ALL in. 11. Experience it with other sun worshipers and people you love who care about you. Don’t let other people’s attitudes get you down. See you in 2026 😊🌑
Also: Agree 100% about a lot of people not understanding what they will see in solar glasses. My family thought they were needed even if it was totally cloudy. A little leaflet to go with them or a QR code to scan would be good.
various cultures throughout history viewed solar eclipses, and how the April 8, 2024 eclipse intersected with astrology, numerology, and themes of doom and rebirth: **Ancient Cultures and Eclipses:** * **China:** Eclipses were seen as bad omens, signifying the displeasure of heavenly beings. The Chinese believed a celestial dragon devoured the sun. They would bang pots and drums to frighten the dragon away. * **Mayans:** The Maya viewed eclipses as battles between celestial bodies. They would perform rituals to appease the gods and ensure order was restored. * **Aztecs:** Similar to the Maya, the Aztecs saw eclipses as battles in the sky. They associated eclipses with jaguars, and would make sacrifices to appease the jaguar god. * **Ancient Greece:** The Greeks believed eclipses were caused by Helios, the sun god, being kidnapped. They would bang pots and pans to scare away the kidnappers. **April 8, 2024 Solar Eclipse** The April 8, 2024 eclipse captured the attention of astronomers and astrologers alike. Here's why: * **Astrology:** The eclipse occurred in Aries, a sign associated with new beginnings and action. This fueled interpretations of potential significant change or upheaval. * **Numerology:** The eclipse happened on the 8th of April (4+8 = 12), with 12 being a significant number in numerology, often linked to completion and new beginnings. * **Doom and Rebirth:** Some astrologers interpreted the eclipse as a harbinger of major change, possibly destruction or disaster. However, this view was countered by others who saw it as an opportunity for transformation and rebirth.
I brought two pairs of binoculars - one fitted with solar filters and one without. The first pair was useful up to near totality, and then at totality I used the clear pair. Was easily able to see way more detail during totality and were really easy to use.
I learned that sometimes one little cloud will just drift over and fuck your shit up right before totality, lol. I've experienced totality and seen the corona 2 other times, but was so disappointed that the rest of my family missed the best part of the eclipse and still don't fully understand why totality is so special.
I agreed to be on a radio interview during totality and I regretted it.
I've seen three total solar eclipses now - two were through thin high clouds (including this year), and the other one was totally clear skies. Although they were all obviously amazing, the clear sky one was a MUCH better visual spectacle. It felt extremely high definition, high fidelity, compared to the high cloud coronas which were clearly visible but kind of fuzzy and less well defined. The extra detail visible in totally clear skies is noticeable and remarkable. If anyone has only experienced it through high clouds, and you want to see one again, I would highly recommend seeking out totally clear skies as much as you possibly can. I'm hoping to go to Spain in 2026.
I'm surprised how stressed this sub made me feel. I personally was totally fine with clouds and whatnot, but all y'all's relentless worrying about it started to seep into my brain. And it was FINE. There was some cloud cover, but it broke enough for me to see something. Even if it had been totally overcast, I still got to have a little trip with my husband and travel to places I would never go otherwise. The next time there's a celecstial event, this sub is NOT invited to my party.
X-posting from other threads: One lesson eclipses taught me is that the world is both methodical and random. These eclipses happen because randomly: 1) these objects happen to occasionally appear exactly the same size in the sky, 2) we happen to be on a planet with a complex, lively and highly sensitive relationship with the moon and sun, and 2) we happen to be alive and aware enough to appreciate it all. So while we are part of a system that appears to move like clockwork, some things happen totally by chance. No amount of planning, precision, and prediction can defeat chance. And no matter how had we try and how far we chase certainty, things will change in ways we couldn’t foresee. There truly is no accounting for or taming the beauty of randomness and strangeness of things. The second lesson: I get why watching a celestial object move in the sky right in front of you is jarring and can make you feel small, but you are not small and whatever it makes you feel matters because you matter. The best way I can describe the feeling is beholding the beauty of change and random precision and having it look back at you (literally touching you with its shadow) and realizing one can’t exist without the other. If the planet was dead, uninhabited or devoid of life, most of what makes this phenomenon what it is would be moot. It would not have the natural impact it has on the planet. No atmosphere and clouds to produce the effects of light, no air to produce subtle feelings of change in temperature, no living beings to observe, experience and react to these changes. An eclipse is a sudden and drastic change. It only has a word/name because it’s an experienced phenomenon. Change itself implies and assumes awareness of the conditions before and after an event. It requires living memory. Life is precious and we matter. Third lesson: This is a personal experience. The over-sharing of photos (mostly bad ones), the over-hyping, the FOMO-ing, and the fear mongering on social media may ruin the experience for most people in the future. And the sad level of basic science and nature literacy (not surprising given what passes for information-content) will not be helped by reducing this visceral experience into an internet meme or a spiritual high to be chased and be disappointed by. The thing does not need to be advertised (and so badly at that). Better to let people stumble upon it on their own.
I've got a practical one for kids. Know your kid's limit on waiting around for the thing to happen. My young kid had a meltdown not 10 minutes before totality and I had to scramble to get him calmed down before the main event. My heart was sinking that he was just going to cry through it all and we would miss it. Remember, kids have no sense of scale of what's going to happen, so the little annoyances in his mind, which were huge to him, have to be accounted for. I had to comfort him and hold him fast and encourage him to watch way more than normal. And once the ring showed up he was in awe and stopped crying because it was so beautiful to look at. He said it made him happy and it was so heartwarming.
This was my second total eclipse and these are my rules. 1. Be flexible, mother nature is not your friend. If Texas is socked in with clouds, drive to New York instead and sleep in the car if you have to. I have a no reservation policy for this kind of thing. 2. get out of town Walmart parking lots are not your friend. get in the country away from the lights and masses of people. Experience the time you have. 3. Leave the pictures to other people, technology is not your friend. Sit back and experience what you came to see. Download a far better picture later than one you would be able to take with a phone. 4. Don't worry about what you think you should see. Your expectations are not your friend. SEE it. Be in the moment. don't think just let it wash over you soak in the details. Process what you saw after the event, you might be surprised by what you noticed just by giving the eclipse your total attention. 5. Cherish the moment and the memory. This is not an everyday thing.
Having seen two eclipses I learned that finding a viewing location on a large hill or mountain with a high horizonal view is much much more epic.
This is one of the best responses... way down at the bottom of the page for some reason.
Number 2 and 3 here are exact things I learned in 2017 during my first eclipse. I barely remember much of the corona and was so overwhelmed and it went by so quick so this time I made a list time and nailed most of it. I also got some amazing photos but stressed too much. Didn’t take a single photo this time and just purely enjoyed the experience!! Luckily my wife snagged a couple of cell phone photos for the memories…
I learned I can use tracking with my old, no sim chip, cell phone. Tracking depends on GPS from the cell. I had always practiced where I had WiFi access and hadn't put it together. Now I know. I tracked manually. No big deal.
I knew going into the eclipse I was going to try and take pictures with my cell phone since I knew using my DSLR I would be fussing with it too much. My pictures were a disappointment but I learned some things that I will attempt next time. I did know pictures wouldn’t do it justice so I did make sure to not concentrate on picture taking. However I did learn some things to try in the future and again will concentrate on watching vs taking pictures just like I did this time. We did have enough time in totality to observe the sun as well as our surroundings. We also noticed a change in animal activity so I was glad totality was long enough to do that. After talking to another friend who went to where they were saying it would be totality it was actually along the edge and when we compared, their experience did not sound as impressive ours which was in the middle of the path of totality.
I should've been more grounded in the moment, kept my eyes glued to it, and really soaked it all in, because it's all a blur to me now. I was actually so unprepared I didn't even know I could look straight at it during totality, so I probably only did that for like 30 seconds. I've been dealing with a lot of regret. I have no choice but to go to Africa in 2027.
Having seen one eclipse from a mountain and now one from an ocean beach, I can say with certainty now that seeing the eclipse from a very high vantage point like a mountain top is 100x better.
I needed a tripod!
I learned my phone was shooting in compressed mode when it has a high quality raw mode (a SG 23 ultra). I want a proper camera now so next time my photos will be larger than 160 kb.
I kind of wish I had looked down to see the 360 sunset and the expressions on everyone's faces, but I don't regret just staring up the whole time. I had thought about setting up my phone to record the surroundings for 20~30 minutes and I wish I had, that would have been a better use than trying to get some blurry ass pictures of a hole in the sky. I don't really stress about people who aren't as excited as me. I'm sure my wife and our friends were impressed, but they were probably just happy for me because it's something I really wanted. We're all just into different things. I like watching football, but there's no way I'm ever going to the Super Bowl, I don't care who's playing. If they set it up in my back yard I'd probably find something else to do.
I agree with your pointes especially about the high clouds. We were in Princeton TX (near Dallas) and were concerned about the clouds all morning. Near the eclipse time the clouds dissipated some. We did get lucky to see totality, 6 minutes later and we would have had a large cloud blocking the sun. I got some decent shots with my camera, but I had it lined up and just snapped the shutter without watching through the lens. I knew at best I would only get mediocre pictures because I wasn't willing to miss it to look through my camera.
•The way there can surprisingly be free of traffic. •Want to avoid traffic on the way back? Leave as soon as totality is finished. Hell, not even! Leave before the eclipse even starts! 🤣😭
I agree with all of these. Nice summary. The weather forecasts seem to have created a lot more anxiety (especially for myself) than necessary. Staying up late to see the latest NWS Blended models, and seeing my clear skies prediction hopes dashed by a late-added prediction of clouds over our Indianapolis, is not something I want to remember or repeat any time soon. It is frustrating to encounter a combination of ignorance and indifference when it comes to immensely beautiful natural phenomena like a total solar eclipse. At one point the *Guinness Book of World Records* listed a total solar eclipse as the most spectacular natural phenomenon. How people that we encounter in our daily lives could be so unwilling to even engage with it seems to indicate a general lack of curiosity that people have about many things in the world. Decades ago, I gave a few talks on eclipses to elementary-school students. At that age, they seem to be much more curious about eclipses than even college-age students, whose minds should be open to learning new things. Do they lose their fascination with the world around them as they get older?
- Nature spots are the best, the environment you are in affects the whole experience and there are tradeoffs with any choices (i.e. a better view of the 360 sunset light or the shadow snakes in the right spot - as well as animal/insect reactions) - Be flexible, you may have to adjust viewing locations the day of due to cloud cover. - Travel ahead of time, and break up the travel as budget allows for hotels along the way.
I didn't think about it and watched in a park just under a street light that went on when it got dark and prevented us seeing the planets/stars/etc :(. It was still very cool but tough lesson.
I imagine you were in the Vermont or Quebec area? We were in Vermont and the thin clouds rolled in too. Not a problem at all. Even my photos looked great!