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I just returned from Kirkman's Cove near Humboldt Nebraska, only ~3 miles from the center of the path of totality.  I picked that spot because it was away from the massive population centers and the massive crowds.

 

I arrived late Saturday afternoon and set up camp. Saturday night a storm came through and blew over every tent in the campgrounds. Around 3 am I retreated to the car, thoroughly soaked, and slept as best I could in the drivers seat.  Sunday was "dry out day".

 

Monday started out cloudy then partially cleared  for an acceptable view of first contact to second contact. At the exact instant of the start of totality a low cloud bank blocked our view, clearing 2:30 later later at the end of totality, and remaining clear through the end of the eclipse.

 

I enjoyed the experience, worth the 10 hr drive to see it, although I feel like I went to the Super Bowl and missed the halftime spectacular...

 

The return drive was closer to 14 hours due to the massive traffic jams.

 

The 2024 eclipse will put me right in the path of totality although I will still end up travelling out of the big city and its dirty polluted air to get a clearer view.

 

No pics yet, everything is still in the camera.....

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17 hours ago, Steve N said:

Hey, I saw you!  I considered Gander Mtn, but ended up in the mall parking lot outside Dillard's about a half-mile away, mosty becacuse there were a few trees that provided a bit of shade.  We had a perfect view..hope yours was too!

 

SN

You should've joined us. We had the awning on the camper out so we had a little shade, cool drinks, and a bathroom on the camper.   About ten minutes before C2 the skies above us cleared.  

 

The eclipse was spectacular. Shortly after it was done my oldest started packing everything up. I was hoping to stay awhile but when my son pointed out the traffic on NB I 57 I changed my mind. In seconds the highway went from no traffic to a parking lot.  We bugged out immediately.  With his help navigating we headed east out of Marion on 13 to 45. We made good time until we hit construction in Eldorado.  We moved a mere 26 miles in 90 minutes. Eventually got rolling again.  Every highway and byway north was packed. Made it home around 4:00 AM.  I was going to try to make it to the club meeting last night but was too wiped out. 

 

Overall it it was a great experience. I'd do it again in a second.  Already looking forward to 2024. 

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Well OK then..here are the best of what I was able to get.  First, just a normal sun, with no idea what's about to happen...

 

35955928843_adf0129fa0_k.jpgIMG_8636a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

The first little nibble...

 

36368324670_7011f72747_k.jpgIMG_8640a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

35955913903_9896189173_k.jpgIMG_8657a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

This was the only time clouds moved in, and they were gone a within a minute or two.

 

36625773141_10f2d92a0e_k.jpgIMG_8663a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

The last little sliver before the big show..

 

35955892013_b3a30f5ec3_k.jpgIMG_8707a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

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And now for the main event...BOOM, TOTALITY!

 

36625750331_63dc58c763_k.jpgIMG_8727a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

I was surprised at how light the sky stayed..just a few planets and stars were visible.

 

36717853446_f8316608dc_k.jpgIMG_8729a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

A couple quick, blurry shots of the general area during totality.  A friend who was in Missouri described it as a 360-degree sunset.

 

36765123215_e587908b89_k.jpgIMG_8719 by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

35955936083_797047873d_k.jpgIMG_8720 by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

..And coming out of totality, the fabled Diamond Ring.

 

36368249600_027ea179ab_k.jpgIMG_8744a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

35955843233_c98c2d1f33_k.jpgIMG_8745a by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

 

As I said, this was the most incredible natural phenomenon I've ever witnessed.  Hopefully the 2024 show will be just as spectacular.

 

SN

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18 hours ago, SBARC said:

Wow...awesome photos.  We hit 92% here...but it was not very interesting....I plan to travel for the 24 event...I want to see 100%

 

You won't regret it. It's one of the most awe-inspiring natural events I've experienced. It's very humbling.

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I think you are right Darren...we hit 92% in my city in the eclipse a few days ago and it was nothing more than a slightly darkened sky.  It had the same feeling as almost winning the lottery.

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This xkcd comic sums it up well. Friends in Bend OR told me 99.6% didn't cut it, either...

eclipse_review.png

 

We should plan an ARC eclipse event in 2024! :cheers:

Edited by dnl42
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I took the week off from my job to drive from Texas to Kansas. I was able to bring my daughter to see my folks for the week (she hasn't seen them very much since we moved to Texas early summer 2016). I went to St. Joseph with my cousin and her husband. I'd been prepping for months to make sure I was ready. I had my telescope ready to go with tracking, camera attached to it. Different camera (converted to infrared) for landscape shots and a GoPro for video of it all. I had my computer ready to go to attach to telescope camera with a program to control shooting during totality, and my photography plan in a binder ready to go minute by minute. It was all great until the sky clouded up after sunrise and stayed that way. We got a brief hole, no more than twice the width of the sun/moon the instant of totality...got to see the Bailey's Bead, Diamond ring and the corona flash as the moon covered it all before the clouds closed up again. Total time was roughly 1-2 seconds of totality, just long enough for my mind to ask what in the heck was it seeing?! All in all though it was still an amazing experience, even though cloudy the whole thing was surreal. The quality of light was the strangest thing I've ever seen! Having grown up in Kansas I've seen my fare share of thunderstorms, and that is the closest I can describe it...the clouds dark like the strongest severe storm is happening but things were utterly calm. For those that have experienced severe weather the light can be off, almost a green tint...this wasn't a certain color, but it was just...off somehow. It's really indescribable to put into words what happened. There was brief periods where the clouds thinned enough to see some after totality but with the clouds they made it too dark to shoot through a solar filter and too bright to shoot without it so we ended up just watching with our glasses. I got a few shots after totality that turned out decent, the clouds giving it a very different look.

 

DSC_8233_zpsros4bhsd.jpg

 

I'm already scouting locations and planning for 2024! Center line it is supposed to be about 4 min ~25 seconds in Texas so I'm hoping to redeem this years!

Edited by archybean
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I was over in Hiawatha, KS. I wondered if St. Jo got a break-through. It was cloudy right up until it started. Then we had an opening until about 75% before it clouded over again. I was a bit bummed I wasn't going to see it. Then, suddenly at totality, a small window opened up in the clouds right where the sun was. We got to see everything. 

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