The Total Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024

[Tom]

We had 64% coverage and I noticed it got a tad cooler.  We also had a celebration for the new Dark Sky Community and an Indian blessing.  Pretty awesome.

[Hoosier]

I ended up in a church parking lot on the outskirts of Ellettsville, IN.  4 minutes and 3 seconds of totality and clouds were a complete non-issue.  It's unfortunate that the time goes by fast.

May add more later, but one thing I observed this time that did not occur in 2017 was swarming bees.  They were going nuts in the lead-up to totality.  

[Andie]

Had a dental appointment right during the eclipse.   
The entire office went out and watched it with me.  Gotta love nerds!!

[westMJim]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

We had 64% coverage and I noticed it got a tad cooler.

It also got a tad cooler here in Ohio but not as cool as I thought it would. It did warm up faster than I expected after.

[Hawkeye]

A significant portion of the totality path through the US got to see the eclipse.  At this time of year there could easily have been thick clouds from Texas to New England.

[Hoosier]

Just got home.  Took longer than usual of course, but the drive home went much better than 2017.  Never even attempted to take I-65, and it's a good thing because per traffic maps, that looks like it is still backed up for about 60 miles.

[Sunriver Snow Zone]

Great eclipse, got to see 4 minutes and 13 seconds of totality under clear skies in Cherokee village Arkansas. Didn't get any pics because after watching and recording a few already in your lifetime, you realize that it's better to just enjoy the moment and to not waste the limited time using your camera, because the camera does absolutely no justice for the eclipse. Better to just live in the amazing moment.

 

Hope it also worked out great for everybody on here.

[Rubus Leucodermis]

6 hours ago, Andie said:

Had a dental appointment right during the eclipse.   
The entire office went out and watched it with me.  Gotta love nerds!!

Were clouds an issue?

[Tom]

My cousin in Dallas sent me this video and telescope pic…

 

[Hoosier]

What a day it was yesterday.

Definitely had some nerves about much of the model output showing OVC, but was watching visible satellite like a hawk all morning and into early afternoon.  Looking at satellite trends a few hours before the eclipse, I was starting to feel good that clouds wouldn't be an issue.  Traffic from Indianapolis into the Ellettsville-Bloomington area was very good, and I arrived in that area with plenty of time to spare before the beginning of the eclipse. Spent a while driving back and forth in Bloomington and Ellettsville, looking for a spot that I wanted.  We all have our personal preferences, but I didn't want to be in too large of a crowd and didn't want too many lights (which would come on during totality) or things obstructing the view of the horizon, so these factors made it tough to find a great spot in Bloomington.  After deciding against Bloomington, it came down to finding a good place in Ellettsville.  Even here, there were many spots where the view of the horizon wasn't the most ideal.  

There's an ice cream place in Ellettsville where the center line went directly through the parking lot.  I drove by, and there were a good amount of people there.  Thing is, they were charging $50 for parking!  Any bragging rights of being directly on the center line wasn't worth $50.  Some other businesses were charging for parking (though less) while others did not charge.  Would've paid a small amount for parking had a particular spot been an ideal viewing location, but I wasn't finding what I wanted.  I got to a church parking lot just north of center line shortly after the partial phase of the eclipse began (ironically I was in a church parking lot for the 2017 eclipse), where there were about 20 other people scattered around.  Marked my location on the map below.

 

Excitement was building of course as the minutes ticked down.  Some dimming of light was noticeable starting about 30-40 minutes before totality.  Around that time or perhaps shortly after, started to feel the temperature dropping.  Although the winds were on a general downward trend leading up to totality, there seemed to be some little pulses of wind that accentuated the cooling.  The temperature dropped 8 degrees at the Bloomington Airport, with the lowest reading coming a little after totality ended (lag effect.) 

 

I can't remember exactly when it occurred, but maybe about 20-30 minutes before totality, I started hearing a loud buzzing sound.  At first I thought there was something flying by me, but then realized that it was coming from a ways away.  Turned out to be bees, ostensibly freaking out because the daylight was diminishing. This continued almost until totality.  

A minute or two prior to totality, the darkening sky to the west really became noticeable.  Daylight continued to diminish as I was flipping back and forth between looking at the sun, looking at the surroundings, and glancing at the time on my phone.  Seconds before totality, the lights on a nearby building kicked on as the darkening accelerated.  Then, the magic moment of totality.  After taking in the experience of totality for a half minute or so, I got my binoculars, pointed them up to the sky and saw the majesty of the total eclipse... the blackness of the moon, the brilliance of the white corona and the prominence that was happening at about 6 o'clock.  Passed my binoculars off to a couple others so they could get that view, and then I went back and forth between looking all around the sky with my own two eyes and taking in the darkness and reactions of the others who were there.  Toward the end of totality, I heard some fireworks in the distance.  Then, almost as soon as it began, totality was over as the clock was about to strike 3:09 pm.  I hung around for a while after to watch the process in reverse, just feeling so fortunate to have had this experience for the second time in less than 7 years.  Yet with a touch of sadness, knowing that it will be so long until the next one (at least in the US).

Overall, it was a tremendous experience.  I would say it hit me just a little less deeply on an emotional/spiritual level than the first time, but there was still some of that.  I felt my heart beating fast during totality.  Even if someone has seen 25 of these, I don't think you can help but not react in some way.  Another thing I noticed is that in the minutes right before, through, and just after totality, there wasn't a single vehicle that drove by on state road 46.  It was like everybody knew that you couldn't be driving in your car for those moments... you just couldn't.  

I'm all in for the eclipses in the 2040s and will try to do whatever it takes to be there.  

 

[Hoosier]

One more thing I would add is that at totality, this eclipse seemed a little darker than the 2017 eclipse (admittedly, memory on the precise level of darkness in 2017 has faded).  That would make sense though since the path of totality was wider.  In both cases, I was a mile or two north of the center line, the cloud situation (or lack of) was similar, and I was in an area with just a small amount of building lighting, so it made for a good apples to apples comparison.

The 2045 eclipse has a path of over 150 miles wide, while the 2024 eclipse was like 115-120.  Based on that, and all else being equal, the 2045 eclipse should be darker.

[Bryan1117]

We ended up in a perfect spot at a winery southwest of St. Genevieve, MO… got a completely clear view of totality. What an amazing celestial event and well worth the drive and the hours stuck in traffic.

[Hoosier]

This is quite a shot.  Total eclipse over Progressive Field in Cleveland.  How cool to take in the eclipse and then a baseball game.

 

[Stormy]

My first total eclipse was an awesome and enjoyable experience! Took off for southern IL just after 2:00a.m. and arrived at our destination (my cousin's farm near Carbondale) in only around 5.5 hrs. as traffic was a non-issue and had good roads. And the weather was perfect with only a few thin cirrus at times with a high temp around 80⁰! Had over 100 people there (mostly from my community) to watch it and enjoyed 2 hearty big meals (brunch and supper) plus snacks in-between! Had several spotting scopes on tripods for people to use, and later mounted a camera on one during the eclipse. We also did some experiments and someone gave a presentation about eclipses, etc. My nephew flew his drone before and during the eclipse, which mostly flew itself so he could enjoy the sights. We also had a thermometer recording the temp which dropped 12⁰ f in the shade and still more in the sun, if I remember correctly. One thing I forgot was sunscreen, so I got burned a little even if I tried staying in the shade at times. We left for home around 6:30p.m. hoping traffic would clear out some. Had one little stretch of heavy, slow traffic, but mostly good travelling most of the way, arriving back in around 6 hrs. Trees were much greener in s. IL. 

Oh, I forgot to mention my brother down there took us on a ride to his place nearby with a farm tractor and trailer afterwards. Had 60+ people on the flatbed trailer! 

Edited April 11 by Stormy

[Stormy]

Here are a few photos from my friends iPhone.

 

 

IMG_1153.HEIC IMG_1147.HEIC

[Andie]

On 4/8/2024 at 10:43 PM, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Were clouds an issue?

A little but they were so thin they actually served as a filter!

[Andie]

On 4/8/2024 at 10:43 PM, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Were clouds an issue?

Answered this elsewhere, but not really. We had high thin clouds and they worked as a filter.  I could actually see well for about 20 seconds without the glasses. But I didn’t take chances. They went back on fast.  
I could see the corona flares which were the highlight for me.  

[Stormy]

2 hours ago, Andie said:

Answered this elsewhere, but not really. We had high thin clouds and they worked as a filter.  I could actually see well for about 20 seconds without the glasses. But I didn’t take chances. They went back on fast.  
I could see the corona flares which were the highlight for me.  

That's good that it was decent viewing for you. I could see the flares throughout totality, but it looked better through binoculars. 

[Hoosier]

2 hours ago, Stormy said:

That's good that it was decent viewing for you. I could see the flares throughout totality, but it looked better through binoculars. 

Viewing through binoculars was amazing.  Almost felt like you could reach out and touch the eclipse.

Overall I was very pleased with the viewing experience.  One thing I missed out on again were the shadow bands.  They are tough to see unless you have the right background, and I just couldn't find any in 2017 or this time.  Did have a much better look at the dramatic darkening of the western sky immediately prior to totality.  Didn't pay enough attention to that in 2017 and mostly missed that last minute darkening.  Really helps to sort of map this stuff out in your head in advance.  There is so much to take in in so little time.  Totality is short-lived even in the best of circumstances and I can't understand why anybody would be content with very brief totality (say less than 1 minute) if there's a chance to get to a better spot.

[Stormy]

4 hours ago, Hoosier said:

Viewing through binoculars was amazing.  Almost felt like you could reach out and touch the eclipse.

Overall I was very pleased with the viewing experience.  One thing I missed out on again were the shadow bands.  They are tough to see unless you have the right background, and I just couldn't find any in 2017 or this time.  Did have a much better look at the dramatic darkening of the western sky immediately prior to totality.  Didn't pay enough attention to that in 2017 and mostly missed that last minute darkening.  Really helps to sort of map this stuff out in your head in advance.  There is so much to take in in so little time.  Totality is short-lived even in the best of circumstances and I can't understand why anybody would be content with very brief totality (say less than 1 minute) if there's a chance to get to a better spot.

Yes that last minute darkening was surreal, and we couldn't see any shadow bands either, though some climbed onto the house roof and other structures for a better view. One thing I didn't realize was that sunspots are readily visible through a spotting scope etc. I don't make a habit of looking at the sun! Lol

[Black Hole]

I ended up in Clarksville AR. I went the day of but massive traffic getting out there meant I couldn't go quite as far east as I wanted and the partial was well underway when I got to the park I stopped at. 

With that said, there were just a few high clouds and overall it was a great viewing experience. It definitely got darker during the eclipse than 2017 since I was a little more under the totality path. I was able to see two prominences, the diamond ring effect on both sides, and the mesmerizing corona. I think the corona looked even better than last time and few pictures can capture how amazing it actually looked. The one in 2045 goes right over my house so if I am still here that will be fun.  

[Hoosier]

In case anyone is wondering, the next partial solar eclipse in the Plains/Midwest that is even remotely significant isn't until January 14, 2029.  Depending where you are, it will have about 50-70% of the sun blocked.  There are a couple before then, but we're talking like 1-5% coverage, lol

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/xSE_GoogleMap3.php?Ecl=+20290114&Acc=2&Umb=0&Lmt=1&Mag=1&Max=1

[MNTonka]

22 hours ago, Andie said:

Answered this elsewhere, but not really. We had high thin clouds and they worked as a filter.  I could actually see well for about 20 seconds without the glasses. But I didn’t take chances. They went back on fast.  
I could see the corona flares which were the highlight for me.  

Glad you got to see it! I was lucky as well at my viewing spot in Clifton/Valley mills area. The morning was completely socked in with thick clouds and we were expecting to not see anything. As the morning went on the clouds quickly began to burn off and break up. About a 1/2 hour from totality a large clearing took place and passed over us during the entirety of totality, we had zero clouds! It was incredible! The prominences were much more pronounced this time vs. 2017. Other neat occurrences were nearby roosters crowing, crickets, noticeable drop in temp, and even a barred owl started to hoot shortly after totality. The reactions from the first-timers is always special too  

Great trip! And the ranch we stayed at was absolutely spectacular, but that’s a different story. We are considering Egypt for the 2027 eclipse

[Andie]

Wow! Egypt would be amazing!!

[Rubus Leucodermis]

23 hours ago, Andie said:

Answered this elsewhere, but not really. We had high thin clouds and they worked as a filter.  I could actually see well for about 20 seconds without the glasses. But I didn’t take chances. They went back on fast.  
I could see the corona flares which were the highlight for me.  

Crystal clear is best of course but glad you got to see something and it wasn't just the overcast getting dark. Sort of regret missing this one but given the conditions I might well have ended up clouded out. Seriously tempted to go to Spain in 2026 to see the total eclipse there.

[Tom]

15 hours ago, MNTonka said:

Glad you got to see it! I was lucky as well at my viewing spot in Clifton/Valley mills area. The morning was completely socked in with thick clouds and we were expecting to not see anything. As the morning went on the clouds quickly began to burn off and break up. About a 1/2 hour from totality a large clearing took place and passed over us during the entirety of totality, we had zero clouds! It was incredible! The prominences were much more pronounced this time vs. 2017. Other neat occurrences were nearby roosters crowing, crickets, noticeable drop in temp, and even a barred owl started to hoot shortly after totality. The reactions from the first-timers is always special too  

Great trip! And the ranch we stayed at was absolutely spectacular, but that’s a different story. We are considering Egypt for the 2027 eclipse

That Eclipse over Egypt would be such a wonderful experience next to the pyramids!  You got me thinking about it...it will be the longest total eclipse in 87 years (6 min and 23 sec)...

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-travel/luxor-2027/

[MNTonka]

3 hours ago, Tom said:

That Eclipse over Egypt would be such a wonderful experience next to the pyramids!  You got me thinking about it...it will be the longest total eclipse in 87 years (6 min and 23 sec)...

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-travel/luxor-2027/

Almost guaranteed to be cloud free as well! 

[Andie]

Barry, Texas.  

[Andie]

Quite warm tomorrow with temps hitting 88 and a 50% of thunderstorms in the evening.   
With that heating, some storms could be severe.