My First Eclipse
Texas was my 3rd eclipse trip. In 2008, I was reading Astronomy Magazine, and I came across an advertisement for a 2 week trip to China, southern Japan, and South Korea that was highlighted by a total solar eclipse in the waters near Iwo Jima. That seemed like an interesting part of the world, but the eclipse caught my eye. I had always wanted to see a solar eclipse, and this seemed like the perfect trip to do just that.
We booked the trip and counted the days. I hadn’t planned any photography; I just wanted to soak it all in for the nearly 6 ½ minute event. I didn’t think too much about the weather prospects, since the trip included a chartered cruise ship that could maneuver into cloudless skies if necessary. During a good portion of the trip, there were typical summer clouds, sometimes thick, and sometimes with thunderstorms. Even the night before, there were heavy clouds as we headed farther out to sea. There was a meteorologist on board, so we were hoping that they could help steer us to clear skies the next day.
The morning arrived with nearly clear skies and it stayed that way throughout the eclipse. The experience got me hooked and we began planning our next eclipse trip, which happened to chart a path from coast to coast through the United States in August 2017. We looked at the path, and it looked like the best weather prospects were in the western part of the country. We happened to find a tour put together by Dr. Doug Duncan of the University of Colorado that was based out of Jackson, Wyoming with excursions to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone Park. One nice thing about eclipses is that they often happen in interesting places, and this was no exception. The weather prospects were excellent for clear or partly cloudy skies.
Hooked!
We had met a very nice couple in China that lived close to our home, and we all decided to book the trip together about a year and a half before the eclipse, and the time passed quickly. Just like our China trip, the weather was iffy for the days leading up to the eclipse. The morning arrived with overcast skies, but weather maps showed that clearing was likely. Sure enough, by late morning the clouds moved away leaving completely cloudless skies. The eclipse viewing site was on a golf course with the Tetons as a backdrop. It was quite an experience seeing the mountains thrown into shadow just before the sky went dark. We were able to see the whole event, witnessing planets and the corona with no clouds to interfere.
Planning for the Texas Eclipse
The moment it was over, the four of us started thinking about our next eclipse trip. We planned for the December 2020 eclipse over Chile and Argentina, booking another trip organized by Dr. Duncan to Villarica, Chile. It would be a great opportunity to see the southern sky. Sadly, COVID-19 was devastating many travel plans, and our trip was canceled.
We then focused on the April 2024 eclipse that cut across a very populated part of the United States. We looked at historical cloud cover maps and decided that in the US, Texas had the best probability of less cloud cover. Dr. Duncan had put together such a great trip in the Tetons, that we decided to book a trip that he had planned near Austin, Texas at a resort near the center line at Horseshoe Bay. Again, we booked early about a year and a half before the event and it turned out to be good planning because it was fully booked with about 600 people.
The first few days were bright and sunny, but the forecast was beginning to look bad for eclipse day, calling for cloudy skies and possible thunderstorms. We decided to stay put and hope for the best. The day arrived with cloudy skies, and as eclipse time approached, there were signs that it might turn out just mostly cloudy with large breaks in the clouds. That is exactly what happened during the partial phases. But as totality approached, the clouds thickened with little to no breaks. This time, totality took on a completely different feel. Unfortunately, I had planned on doing a lot of imaging, but I had to abandon those plans since the sun was pretty much completely obscured during totality except for tiny slivers of “less thick” clouds during which I got a few images. Despite the clouds, the experience was still well worth it, and the clouds added a cool effect when the sun was partially visible during totality. The sky darkened, of course, and we were able to see Venus. But hopes to see Jupiter and Comet Pons-Brooke were dashed.
Ironically, the New England area had horrible historical probabilities for good weather, but that area had nearly pristine conditions at the time of the eclipse, boasting clear skies after a heavy snowstorm. The Midwest and my hometown in Ohio had a slightly worse than 50/50 chance of good viewing historically, and Ohio, Indiana, and areas south into southern Illinois, and Arkansas ended up having great viewing conditions. Probabilities are useful for planning your destination, but you never know until the day approaches. Weather forecasting has gotten very good, and I found that 3 or 4 days before the Texas eclipse, the forecast was pretty much what ended up happening. We did dodge the thunderstorms, but the cloud forecast was spot-on. If you are planning on a land viewing, it helps to have some mobility just in case there will be better conditions nearby. I wouldn’t recommend traveling a long distance on the day of the eclipse since traffic might be heavy near popular spots.
Future Solar Eclipses
We are starting to plan our next trip. Future eclipse possibilities are the 2026 event that covers Greenland, Iceland, and down to Northern Spain. The 2027 event also looks compelling, traveling from Gibraltar and Northern Morocco eastward across the Mediterranean and then across Luxor, Egypt. And in 2028 the eclipse path heads over Australia and specifically, Sydney. Our fun little eclipse-chasing group is making cruise ships a strong requirement for future eclipses because of the added ability to maneuver at the last minute to clear skies. This is what happened with our China trip, and we became spoiled by the experience.
Clear Skies everyone! Many people who have witnessed totality become hooked. If you haven’t, it is truly a remarkable experience. It is not too early to start planning.