Any plans for next April's total solar eclipse?

[M1 Abrams]

Hi there,

I was just curious -- are any of you considering attending the total solar eclipse taking place next April 8? It is definitely on my radar, but I don't know if it will actually happen (my attendance, not the eclipse; the odds for the latter are quite high.) The drumbeat for some time has been that early preparations are critical. Like clockwork, there is another story about it this morning on the CNN website:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/solar-eclipse-2024-trip-planning-scn/index.html

As I will be 87 when the next total solar eclipse occurs in the United States in 2045, I'm definitely considering this my last realistic chance to attend one. Being a small farmer with limited funds, though, I will not be flying my Learjet to Nova Scotia. (Yes, Nova Scotia is in the path of totality this time too, lucky devils.) I'm not willing to throw huge amounts of money to cover various scenarios. If it happens at all for me, it will probably be a matter of looking at weather forecasts a few days before the event, picking a target area (hopefully one of a handful that yours truly would have previously researched) and making a dash for it.

 

[enormiss]

Eclipse over the falls @ Niagra sounds interesting, but it probably sounds interesting to a million other people too

 

[M1 Abrams]

True that, enormiss! If I had to commit to a location now, it would probably be some lonely corner of Texas in the path of totality -- somewhere with a relatively higher chance of clear skies as well as, hopefully, far less than a million people in the vicinity.

 

[Boyd]

Solar Eclipse 2017

Any one here heading out to see the eclipse on August 21st I"m heading to Francis Marion Forest in the middle of a open canopy longleaf pine forest unless bad weather is predicted for there,then I may head west to Spring City TN or thereabouts.Last chance till April 8 2024 when another passes...

forums.njpinebarrens.com

 

[M1 Abrams]

Once again, Boyd, I am in your debt! Thank you very much! So it looks as if nobody here did the long-range, high cost options in 2017 or is planning to do that this time around. That's good to know. The modest pre-planning/late skedaddle to the path of totality model went three for three in 2017. May it work out as well next April.

It was a pleasure to read the reports of MikeBickerson, PineClark, and especially yours, manumuskin! I'm with you about the pictures -- if I'm lucky enough to get to attend, I will not waste time taking pictures, but savor every precious second of totality. There will be plenty of pictures and videos available after the event.

I know that the trip there and back will be daunting (some other, earthier words come to mind), but if I don't get to this one, it will never happen. (A correction to my initial post: There is a total solar eclipse in 2044 that sneaks into northern Montana and the Dakotas. I'll only be 86 for that one.)

 

[enormiss]

Texas! I was thinking closer LoL

 

[M1 Abrams]

I'd be happy (very happy!) to bypass the Lone Star State, but if that looks to be the best shot, would lean that way. If the skies look as if they will be clear in Erie, would be happy to only visit one other state, even if it costs 45 seconds or so of totality.

If things don't look good for the East or Midwest a few days before the 8th, I might try to use a "Southern strategy" of visiting very good friends who live in northern Mississippi, then deciding on the final target.

 

[Mikeofthewoods]

we drove out to madras oregon for the 2017 eclipse, which was quite the experience.

I think texas will be the best shot in the US, but wow that is a drive. We have friends who are flying to the pacific coast in mexico, but that is out of our league right now

 

[manumuskin]

Grandson starts college in Evansville IND.in August.We'll probably go out to visit him and watch it from near where 64 crosses the Wabash River.

 

[Teegate]

Hi there,

I was just curious -- are any of you considering attending the total solar eclipse taking place next April 8? It is definitely on my radar, but I don't know if it will actually happen (my attendance, not the eclipse; the odds for the latter are quite high.) The drumbeat for some time has been that early preparations are critical. Like clockwork, there is another story about it this morning on the CNN website:

https://www.cnn.com/travel/solar-eclipse-2024-trip-planning-scn/index.html

As I will be 87 when the next total solar eclipse occurs in the United States in 2045, I'm definitely considering this my last realistic chance to attend one. Being a small farmer with limited funds, though, I will not be flying my Learjet to Nova Scotia. (Yes, Nova Scotia is in the path of totality this time too, lucky devils.) I'm not willing to throw huge amounts of money to cover various scenarios. If it happens at all for me, it will probably be a matter of looking at weather forecasts a few days before the event, picking a target area (hopefully one of a handful that yours truly would have previously researched) and making a dash for it.

We will be attending the total solar eclipse next year. It will be occurring dead center over the location we vacation at in Vermont every year. However, since my relatives cabin we stay in will have antifreeze in the pipes during April, Jessica made reservations at a motel last month. Even though I am sure we could have stayed with my relatives at their main home slightly south and still in the area of totality, we have decided to just ask them if they would be interested in our company during the event.

Vermont is expecting anywhere from 50,000 to 200,000 people so we read up on what we need to do in the event there are clouds over our location and serious traffic. Keep your gas tank full with plenty of food as well. In any event, it still will be in totality for over 3 minutes so no matter what the weather it will be dark.

We have to keep in mind the problems they had on Route 91 in Vermont during the farewell "Phish" concert a while back when traffic was so bad the road was closed down and people abandoned their vehicles and walked. However, people at that time were heading to one specific location and this eclipse is crossing the county in multiple states so not everyone will be descending on our location.

The recommendation we have read is to come early and leave late so we made sure we have a place to stay until the following morning.

 

[manumuskin]

I"m heading out to Evansville Indiana for it.My grandson starts college in Evansville this year and we will pick him up and probably watch it along the Wabash some where.Watched the one seven years ago in Tennessee

 

[M1 Abrams]

With the eclipse now only about a week away, it seemed time to bump this thread. You can check on potential cloud cover here: Excarta Eclipse Tracker. I've been checking potential destinations here for the last few days since its initial launch.

If I am able to get away, Plattsburgh, NY would be my current target, but that may well change with updates to the cloud cover forecast.

 

[bobpbx]

I am just not excited about it. Am I the only one that is kind of, "meh", about it?

 

[manumuskin]

I saw the one seven years ago in Tennessee.It was worth the trip even though I got caught in a dead stop traffic jam for three hours once back out on the highway.If you've never seen a total solar eclipse it is definitely worth the drive.Not seeing this one because funds are tight from medical bills from my recent knee operation but if I had the money and time off I"d do it again.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I am just not excited about it. Am I the only one that is kind of, "meh", about it?

Think of it this way: The only reason why a solar eclipse is possible is because the sun is 400x the diameter of the moon, yet 400x further away. What are the odds? And what are the odds that we'd be here to observe it? Mind-boggling.

 

[Boyd]

"Meh"...

 

[manumuskin]

Think of it this way: The only reason why a solar eclipse is possible is because the sun is 400x the diameter of the moon, yet 400x further away. What are the odds? And what are the odds that we'd be here to observe it? Mind-boggling.

Almost like it was designed that way

 

[bobpbx]

To me, it's too local to be awed about while I'm totally flummoxed and mesmerized by the Universe itself. Imagine if you could live forever, and you began a journey across the universe from one side to the other at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second). Not only would it take over 13 billion years at that speed, but you would never make it across because it's still expanding. I can't wrap my mind around that.

Or consider the thought that there are more stars in the Universe than all the grains of sand on earth.

It was only in the past 50 years that scientists discovered there are voids (vast empty spaces) in the universe, and some can "stretch hundreds of millions of light years across" (Scientific American, Jan 2024). The bigger ones are expanding faster than the rest of the Universe. It's astounding.

 

[bobpbx]

Be safe out there.

Eclipses Injured Their Eyes, and the World Never Looked the Same

A number of case studies published after recent total solar eclipses highlight the importance of safe viewing.

www.nytimes.com

 

[bobpbx]

I saw the one seven years ago in Tennessee.It was worth the trip even though I got caught in a dead stop traffic jam for three hours once back out on the highway.If you've never seen a total solar eclipse it is definitely worth the drive.Not seeing this one because funds are tight from medical bills from my recent knee operation but if I had the money and time off I"d do it again.

I was in the woods doing a plant survey along the Oswego river. It suddenly got darker and cooler and I was puzzled. I then remembered that was the day it was to happen.