Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024

Although my view of the big event was a little on the anticlimactic side, I still had a satisfying observing experience.

April 8, 2024

Tags: Solar Astronomy, Astronomy, Astrophotography, Photography

WARNING: When observing the Sun, be sure to do so safely! Use only equipment that is designed specifically for that purpose and is produced by reputable manufacturers. Follow their directions closely. Do not improvise your own filter material for solar observing. If you are careless, you risk instant and permanent vision loss or injury.

One of the most amazing things I have ever seen in my entire life was the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. My wife and I traveled to Salem, Oregon, on what turned out to be an absolutely perfect day to see the eclipse. To say the least, it prompted me to think seriously about seeing the next total solar eclipse to sweep across the United States on April 8, 2024.

Alas, my doubts about the weather prevented me from doing much more than just thinking about making travel plans. I ultimately opted to stay home and contented myself with what I could see from the backyard.

A good part of me is actually glad I did so because the location I had most seriously considered, Texas, suffered from thick cloud cover that prevented many from seeing totality there. Indeed, I shook my head when I saw this morning’s satellite image on the National Weather Service’s website:

NOAA satellite image as I saw it shortly before the eclipse began for me at 11:20 AM local time. NOAA

I would never have bet on traveling to Illinois or Indiana out of fear that those more northern locations would be clouded out. But it turns out they had clear weather for the event. That’s astronomy for you!

As anticlimactic as it may have been, I did manage to see a partial solar eclipse unfold from beginning to end in my backyard.

Maximum eclipse, 11:20 AM. Canon EOS M200 with 3.5-inch Questar telescope, ISO 100, 1/160 sec., f/16.

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