Eclipse plan

Viewers near the edges of the path of totality should be aware that there are differing maps floating around. Here is a slightly different one now in the news:

Path of the 2024 April 8th Total Solar Eclipse - Besselian Elements

Though if you are close enough to the edge that the map differences are significant, then I'd strongly suggest finding a viewing location even just several miles closer to the center, which will greatly increase the length of time in totality.

How to see the eclipse: Why your path of totality maps might be slightly off | CNN

Solar eclipse path of totality may not be exact: Here's what to know

 

Models are now throwing cloud cover on IL/IN centerline and open skies along TX/AK centerline. Such a bother. Good luck to all viewers!

 

Weather is a mixed bag of Hurry up and wait around here. A few days ago the forecast for today and tomorrow was Partly Cloudy than Mostly Sunny , today it's changed to Sunny today and Mostly Cloudy tomorrow. Not surprising that historically, locally this area is known for being in a kinda gray zone most days of the year. Or we get a lot of cloudy, rainy, snowy weather around here.
Kinda a bummer that the forecast has shifted again today, but really no big surprise to me, since today would have been perfect for viewing. But I'll take whatever weather we get and try my best to be happy with what mother nature and father time have to offer their children.

 

funny, not too far from you, completely overcast

 

I looked at the forecast again just now, and it's changed to cloudy with a slight chance of rain.
It's a beautiful sunny day today and I've gotten outside to start some spring chores and looking out for the moon in relation to the sun today. I couldn't find it anywhere, so I did a bit of looking up where it should be today and it's just set to the west. Take a look here to see how the sun and moon will cross tomorrow, even it where we are we might not be able to see any of it happening.
https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/usa/time

While I was looking around the webs for the orbit of the moon I noticed something about a super new moon. The moon is only showing 1% today so that might be why I couldn't find it. Although this is the first I've heard of a super new moon, [probably cause we can't see it anyways.

 

All the places I'm thinking of going are now being categorized for tomorrow as either "partly sunny" or (a bit further off) "mostly sunny". But when I pull up their hour-by-hour sky cover forecast graphs, there is little difference between those around the time of totality. It looks like around 34% sky cover is maybe the best I can hope for.

 

I saw my first total solar eclipse in Costa Rica, 1991 July 11. It was great. I missed the US 2017 and also this 2024, and don’t regret because travels were not feasible. I do regret not getting on a bus to Deqin Yunnan for 2009 July 22 eclipse. That’s as far as one can go without an additional Tibet visa, and by all accounts, Deqin is a hoot. I was not then confident traveling in China, and stayed in Kunming for the ‘partial’. Current me wishes to have attempted that.

Total solar eclipses later may work for me. The main thing, and I bet y’all are getting tired of hearing it, is that total solar eclipses challenge all of us to confront ‘celestial’ and discern our small but INTERESTING places within.

A small fraction of 100 billion humans who have ever lived had this experience. I hope that if 2024 does not work for some readers, you can take a later shot. The big money way is to be on an airplane flying through totality shadow, but I see that as a partial experience. On the ground, earth’s functions go odd and earth’s animals go odd. Experience THAT, even if only briefly.

If ya don’t go, or if your view site is cloudy, well, crap. Y ain’t dead yet, so think about later ones.

 

"Super" new moon is why total duration is so long this time.

But yes, it isn't normally called out because we just can't see it at the new moon stage.

 

I’m envious. In Vancouver there’s going to be just a slight bite outa the sun, and it’s supposed to rain.

Ah well, got a taste in 2017.

 

clear skies here, 10 minutes to liftoff. i don't even remember 2017, probably raining, but i do remember '63, i was 9 and pretty excited.

 

cloudy here but notably darker outside
Kentucky, Indiana total solar eclipse: Time, totality path and more (wlky.com)

 

Here, it is 19% eclipsed by the moon, 100% eclipsed by the overcast clouds.

But I have great memories of a perfect view of the 2017 eclipse.

 

Drove 95 km to see the total eclipse. Fifteen more minutes

 

i thought it would get darker, just got a little eerie

 

@bwilson4web maybe parked somewhere, his eyes no longer functional?

 

Yeah, same. Was nice to be able to watch the total eclipse without the eclipse glasses though.

 

It barely got any darker here too. Around 2 PM I started looking at forecasts further east and might have been able to see some of it in Adirondack Pack or the eastern shore of Lake Ontario. Would of been nice if it happened yesterday!
I did see a live stream from Carbondale IL, just as it went into totality which was nice, I guess. The announcers and the cheering crowd in the background made it feel kinda chessy to me, but I'm glad I got to see it online.