USA Eclipses: Oct 2023 and April 2024 (pics welcome!)

Hey folks, I’m already thinking about the solar eclipse next year. Path of totality goes through Texas, and I am looking for advice as to where in Texas I should go! Here’s a list of Texas towns that will be in the path - https://eclipse2024.org/eclipse_cities/states.php?type=TOTAL&state=Texas&country=USA

This will kind of be a vanniversary for me - spending the last eclipse sleeping in my Subaru station wagon was a direct cause of me buying my van and building it out, and we all know what that led to!

I liked the RV/camping site at Fort Clark Springs near Brackettville, TX. It's where I flunked my second camp-out by trying to car-camp in triple-digit heat with little bitty plastic fans and had to flee to a motel (which they have, too) ... but it was a nice place, not too expensive, friendly people, historical stuff (including a Black Seminole Scouts cemetery nearby and a museum on-site). There's a very picturesque spring-fed swimming pool; it was dry when I was there, but if the drought eases it will probably come back. There are some state parks nearby. The landscape is more arid than your beloved Pacific Northwest but it definitely has its charms.

jacqueg said:

the solar eclipse next year. Path of totality goes through Texas

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Big Bend National Park... but it is bound to be a real madhouse crowd there... it is one of the darkest skies in the country.

RvNaut said:

Big Bend National Park... but it is bound to be a real madhouse crowd there... it is one of the darkest skies in the country.

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I would be very interested in visiting Big Bend, as long as I’m in Texas, but as nearly as I can see, it’s not in the path of totality?

I agree about the madhouse part - the tiny town of Madras Oregon was a total zoo… I wound up skipping central Oregon for eclipse viewing, as it looked to me like the sky was going to be hazy and headed back west. I wound up spending the night before the eclipse at the I5 highway rest area about 10 miles south of Salem. It was perfect viewing! (Also very familiar to me as I lived in Salem for nearly 20 years.) The traffic back north to Washington was absolutely horrendous though. Lesson learned - next time, stay planted for at least one full day following the event.

Another cool place on the path in TX is Camp Wood, a small town on the Nueces River. I looked into it when I was planning my trip but didn't get to spend much time there. Wes Cooksey Park, which I think is county owned, looked pretty cool to me. They seem to book out fairly far in advance even in normal times. There are other camp/RV sites in the area. The Nueces actually had water in it at that spot when I was there.

You might could visit Big Bend on your way back west after the eclipse. It's probably about a half-day trip from either of the places I mentioned (which are near the southern end of the eclipse path in TX) ... maybe a little less. (But then it's at least another half-day trip to anywhere else you'll likely want to stop, so if you go, plan to spend some time there.)

Yeah, no go on Big Bend but it would definitely be on the route if you wanted to view in Texas.

In Mexico Mazatlan looks like the spot. If one was doing Baja there is a ferry that runs from La Paz. I would however book accommodations ASAP.

jacqueg said:

where in Texas I should go [for the eclipse]

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one more thought -- Del Rio is also in the path of the eclipse. it is about an hour closer to Big Bend than the other places I mentioned. it is a bigger city with a Walmart etc, has a lot of RV parks, is right on Amistad Lake (a huge reservoir shared by Mexico and US, I think you can still drive right out onto the dam (but you might have to show passport or ID when you come back)), there are several primitive campsites on the lake but you can't reserve in advance), also the Devils River though I think it takes a little more effort to get to that ... and it's close to a couple of interesting-looking state parks which IIRC also have camping. it's right on the border across from Ciudad Acuña. In addition to the Rio Grande it has the San Felipe Springs with a very nice urban park along the water. it's a little less rural and funky than the other places I mentioned but still a cool place to visit, and very easy to get out into nature from. The Hidden Valley RV Park looked nice if you have a self-contained rig, but there are lots of others as well. And LOL I know a great place you could volunteer if you want to kill some time waiting for the crowds to dissipate after.

We had a request (thanks abnorm!) to open a thread dedicated to the upcoming eclipses: asking about, traveling to, accommodations or camping, and of course, viewing them!

I moved several relevant posts to this thread in the process.

Since many of our members will be able to arrange their travels to see these, this is a good place to cover the topic.

Here is a link to the NASA eclipse website:

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/2332/new-nasa-map-details-2023-and-2024-solar-eclipses-in-the-us/

if i can i plan on seeing it with family down in Austin, Tx. totality in downtown Austin will be 1 min 41 sec. i may contact the Austin
astronomy group, https://austinastro.org/ to see where they might be going. members of my local club are going to Poplar Bluff, MO.
if you have never seen one i strongly recommend making the effort, its super cool.

I didn't know there's a 2023 (annular) eclipse too.
It looks like that one crosses Albuquerque during the Balloon Fiesta.
https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/new-mexico-2023-eclipse
Wouldn't it be amazing to see the eclipse from the air?
Or from the river -- Quiet Waters Paddling (in Bernalillo, just north of Albuquerque) used to do "float the Fiesta" paddle trips during Balloon Fiesta; they probably still do and I can't imagine they'd pass up the chance to do something with the eclipse. It's an extremely easy paddling route and they have good guides, no experience necessary, a very professional, safety-oriented outfit. (caveat: last time I was there was ~2014.)
https://www.quietwaterspaddling.com/

Morgana said:

I didn't know there's a 2023 (annular) eclipse too.
It looks like that one crosses Albuquerque during the Balloon Fiesta.
https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/new-mexico-2023-eclipse
Wouldn't it be amazing to see the eclipse from the air?
Or from the river -- Quiet Waters Paddling (in Bernalillo, just north of Albuquerque) used to do "float the Fiesta" paddle trips during Balloon Fiesta; they probably still do and I can't imagine they'd pass up the chance to do something with the eclipse. It's an extremely easy paddling route and they have good guides, no experience necessary, a very professional, safety-oriented outfit. (caveat: last time I was there was ~2014.)
https://www.quietwaterspaddling.com/

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I was in the SF Bay area when the annular eclipse was visible there back in like 2010 or so...
Had a screen set up made from a binocular to project the eclipse onto a whiteboard, but aside
from a few moments when only the "ring" was showing around the moon it was more like a
cloud passing in front of the sun than anything else. When the max amount of sun was occluded
it got a little dimmer but if you didn't know there was an eclipse going on most would not have
even noticed it I think.

Hmm. The idea of being in a balloon during the eclipse sounds romantic, but I think the balloon
would block most of the view... Unless you could get a balloon made of special materials that
were semi-transparent but were safe to look through to watch maybe?

**NOTE** I just looked it up and it was back in 2012. In SF Bay area where I was located it wasn't a full annular, only about 75-80% eclipsed. Was fully annular further north.

I am thinking of being in Nevada this October to watch it.
It would be something else to meet up with some other folks to witness the wonder.

Here's a nice article - https://www.scribd.com/article/659340400/The-Great-American-Eclipses

I'll take your word for it, it wont let me read the article unless I sign up.

Oooops, sorry. to compensate, here's on with good maps! https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/where-to-see-the-two-great-north-american-eclipses/

Unless the weather dictates otherwise, for the annular eclipse this October, I will be heading down to the Hobbs NM area....with a couple of alternates of course.

I know several places where I can park overnight in that area...no reservations needed.

Here's a Van Life Event.......Oct 12-16, 2023..........Ramah, New Mexico

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moonla...he-van-tickets-632387326517?aff=oddtdtcreator
($120 admission and camp for ONE person/vehicle + $50 per person extra + Ticket Fees = Probably NOT)

Ramah is slightly off the path of totality....but of course a solar eclipse is also about the group of people you share it with...BTW I bought a pair of solar binoculars...the last time I was without any optical aids other than the filter goggles.

These binocs have a 10x magnification and super dark filter lenses. You can look thru these right at the sun!

We came, we saw, we conquered!

Well, kinda.

As ham ops all around the USA and all over the world, we combine the optical viewing of the solar eclipse with the observations of any possible effects on the ionosphere in regards to HF (high frequency) radio propagation. We log the contacts, including call sign, location, and signal level of the other party, and then this data will be sorted thru on a database, and some new science might be gained, but really, in a lot of ways it's just for fun.

Our location here is called Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge...free camping for 7 days, very few people camp here. Its in the western half of the Texas Panhandle if you happen to be passing thru the area.

https://freecampsites.net/#!68962&query=sitedetails
Anyone else have any pics to share?

Just got an invitation from my alumni association to visit SIU for the eclipse. Found a pretty cool movie made about the last total eclipse (also in Carbondale, IL). (Link at bottom of post)

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

On Monday, April 8, 2024, SIU Carbondale will be in the international spotlight once again, thanks to the second total solar eclipse in seven years. Our region is the only location in the world to be the site of both eclipses! Check the award-winning documentary, In the Shadow, about the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse on campus.

As we look ahead to this historic event, we wanted to provide robust information:

• There will be a lot of exciting and engaging events on campus! SIU will feature a variety of events as a part of the Southern Illinois Crossroads Eclipse Festival including talks and presentations; an art and craft fair; an astronomy, science, and technology expo; and an area dedicated to eclipse citizen science. We provide a unique, family-friendly experience rich with activities centered on the arts and sciences. Here are some of our event highlights.
  • Into the Darkness: Celebrating Eclipse with Music – Friday, April 5 (Shryock Auditorium)
  • Saluki Con Presents “Eclipse Con Strikes Back” – Saturday, April 6 - Sunday, April 7 (Student Center)
  • Crossroads Eclipse Research Workshop - Saturday, April 6 (Student Center)
  • Eclipse Eve Live: Sky Observers Hangout with Michelle Nichols, Adler Planetarium - Sunday, April 7 (Shryock Auditorium – outside)
  • Crossroads Astronomy, Science, and Technology Expo - Sunday, April 7 - Monday, April 8 (Banterra Center)
  • Crossroads Art and Craft Fair - Sunday, April 7 - Monday, April 8 (north of Banterra Center – outside)
  • Eclipse Day at Saluki Stadium - Monday, April 8 (Saluki Stadium)

Please continue to visit the festival page of our webpage for further updates and more information about events: https://eclipse.siu.edu/festival/. Events are free or low-cost with elevated viewing experiences in the Stadium Club and Suites for Eclipse Day at Saluki Stadium. In addition, there are still vendor spots open for the Crossroads Astronomy, Science, and Technology Expo and Crossroads Art and Craft Fair.

• Volunteers needed! Anyone is welcome to volunteer. There will be a variety of volunteer roles in the days leading up to the eclipse and on Monday, April 8, 2024. Volunteers will be needed in many roles including: hospitality, information stations, check-in, setting up and tearing down, ticketing, and more. Volunteer opportunities will include a variety of locations (indoor and outdoor), days, and times. Please visit https://eclipse.siu.edu/volunteer-with-the-eclipse/ for more details and to sign up to volunteer.
• Additional Information
  • Research SIU Carbondale has relationships with NASA EDGE and Adler Planetarium to facilitate Eclipse events and continuing research. We encourage you to checkout the Research and Education section of the website for detailed information.
  • Visit To plan your visit, checkout the visit section of the eclipse website: https://eclipse.siu.edu/visit/. There are a variety of housing options, including University Hall on campus.
  • Sponsor We invite you to consider this unique opportunity to be a partner and sponsor of the Southern Illinois Crossroads Eclipse Festival. Checkout the sponsor section of our website for more information: https://eclipse.siu.edu/sponsors/.

The eclipse will provide national and international visibility for the SIU Carbondale. We would love for you to be a part of it. Visit eclipse.siu.edu regularly for updates.

Best,

The Eclipse Steering Committee


In the Shadow video: