2017 Total Solar Eclipse

If you've been living in a hole in the ground (like me), you may be surprised to learn that there a a total solar eclipse passing across the US on Monday, August 21. The path of totality runs from Oregon to South Carolina.

NASA has a lot of information, but my favorite site shows the path of totality superimposed on a Google map. An added feature is that if you click on a location, it shows details of when, where and how much. At my house, for example, the eclipse starts at 16:58 UTC, ends at 19:49 UTC and maximum (18:25), 91% of the sun will be covered. (That's 12:58, 2:25 and 3:49 pm after conversion to EDT.)

But I won't be at home. I'll be at my sister's house in Oregon, which by a stroke of luck is less than ten miles north of the center of the path of totality. At that location (assuming it's not cloudy), totality will last all of two whole minutes. It's an experience I'm really looking forward to.

I have a lot of time to study up on eclipse photography. With luck, I'll come home with some once-in-a-lifetime photos. You should do the same. And in case you want to travel somewhere to get a better look, Southwest will start taking reservations on Feb. 23.

 

NASA has redesigned its eclipse web site. The home page is now eclipse2017.nasa.gov. The detailed interactive map that I mentioned above is now two layers below that. They also have maps for all states in the path of totality. Check it out - just about the whole country will at least seee a partial eclipse.

 

Here's something interesting: The 2017 eclipse goes right over my sister's house in Oregon. In 2024, there's another total solar eclipse that goes over my house in Indiana. What are the odds?

The 2024 path goes from Texas to Maine, so those of you in the northeast will get more darkness than this year.

 

Here's my quick eclipse report: the part of the Oregon coast where I am was socked in with fog at sunrise. Fortunately, it had mostly cleared up by first contact, but the fog came and went over the 2 1/2 hours it took for the entire eclipse.
It was interesting seeing how the light changed nearing totality. It was like looking through an ND filter. The sun was out and there were distinct shadows, but the light was very dim.
When totality hit, you could hear the reaction of everyone in the neighborhood. Where the sun was, we saw a black circle surrounded by the bluish white glow of the corona. If you've seen photos of it, that's exactly what it looked like. The two minutes of totality passed way too quickly.
It will be a few weeks before I can process the photos. But I have my memories and am looking forward to my second opportunity in 2024.

 

As promised, here's a sequence of photos showing the progress of the eclipse. It was a fantastic sight. If you want to see one for yourself, I'm taking reservations for tripod-sized plots in my back yard for the 2024 eclipse. TMIP members are guaranteed a view not blocked by trees.


Eclipse 2017 sequence