A total solar eclipse was predicted for April 8, 2024 across Mexico into New England and eastern Canada. You didn't have to tell us twice - we were already planning to attend.
We went to see the "Great American Eclipse" total solar eclipse in Oregon in 2017, but we weren't prepared for what we would see. We were literally floored. If you've seen a partial eclipse, an annular eclipse, or even a 98.4% total eclipse, you have not seen a total eclipse. Totality is a completely different animal, and it changes everything about the experience. If you have not seen one yet, I hope you are able to make your way to a path of totality some day - it truly is a wonder to behold.
We planned a road trip around getting ourselves to Texas from Washington (a 4000 mile journey) for the 2024 total eclipse. We figured Texas would offer the best chance of good weather in early April, the date of the eclipse. And indeed, skies were clear in the weeks leading up to the critical day. The forecast called for heavy cloud cover the day of, and unfortunately it was pretty accurate. We sat out in a city park with hundreds of others, hoping against hope that the critical moment would offer us a clear view.
Totality hit just as the largest of the clouds reached our spot. I sat ready with my telephoto just in case we would catch a glimpse of the main event, but things looked bad. We recognized the side effects of totality, still - a sense of twilight, a rapid cooling, and even saw a few stars where the clouds were thinner. It was missing something, but that experience is still simultaneously chilling and exhilirating.
Then, nearly three minutes into our expected four minutes of totality, we caught a glimpse of white peeking out of the large cloud. Without hesitation, I fired off my camera at it. It lasted only a few seconds. As if realizing their mistake, the billowing clouds swallowed the sun once more, leaving us once again in the dark. Still, cheers and clapping from onlookers changed the tone.
This is a photo of totality behind a thin veil of clouds - the white ring is typically feathery and "clean." While we didn't get to see totality that way, I cherish this photo because it reminds me of our journey to see it, the excitement it created, and honestly, I think it looks pretty cool this way!
