Solar Eclipses are a class above their lunar counterparts. While they can occur more often anywhere on Earth, their visibility from a given location is much more rare! This gives them much more of a mysterious edge, and are a reason why people travel all around the world to witness one in person!

As stated before, a solar eclipse actually occurs more often than a lunar eclipse. On average, they occur once every 18 months, which makes it two eclipses every three years! But when you consider how often they are visible from a given location, that is a different story altogether.

While you may see several partial eclipses in your life time, unless you travel to be within the path of totality, chances are you will NEVER see a total solar eclipse! For example, the last time a total solar eclipse was visible over Los Angeles was 1724. Sure, in the 21st century there will be several in the USA that are within reasonable traveling distance as well as many near misses in California within this millennium, but you will have to wait until 3290 if you’d rather just stay in L.A!

Trust me, travelling to see a total solar eclipse is worth every penny!

How Solar Eclipses Happen

These events are caused when the moon moves across the face of the sun, blocking sunlight in the process. Whereas a lunar eclipse only happens at Full Moon, a solar eclipse only happens during New Moon. In fact, because a New Moon is too faint and too close to the Sun’s glare, a solar eclipse represents the only time you can actually observe a New Moon from Earth.

During a solar eclipse, the Moon casts a shadow on Earth, which has two parts: the penumbra – the larger outside shadow and the umbra – the narrow inner shadow casted by the moon.

There are Also Four Types of Solar Eclipses

Partial – Where the Moon appears to block part of the Sun. Whoever is inside the penumbra shadow will see a partial eclipse – and the closer you are to the umbra shadow, the more the moon will obscure at max eclipse. But if you happen to be outside the farthest regions of the penumbra as the eclipse is occurring (example: if it’s occurring over the South America but you’re in North America), then you will not see a partial eclipse at all.

Some solar eclipses, such as those where the moon’s umbra shadow narrowly misses the earth’s polar regions and does not cast on the earth’s surface at all… will ONLY be seen as partial eclipses from observers on Earth.

Total – Where the Moon completely covers the Sun. Whoever is inside the umbra along what is called the “Path of Totality” sees a total eclipse!

Annular – Where the Moon appears too small to cover the entire Sun’s disc, and a bright ring of the Sun’s disc still remains. In this case, the central shadow is called the antumbra – the region where the obstructing body (the Moon) appears entirely within the light source (The Sun’s disc). The path traced by the antumbra is called the “Path of Annularity.”

Hybrid – These are much more rare, and are simply eclipses that appear total in some locations and annular in others. It’s caused by the earth’s curvature making the distances change, thus locations in the west and east of the path are too far from the umbra and experience an annular eclipse, while locations in the center of the path are close enough inside the umbra and see a total eclipse.

Partial Solar Eclipses

Unless you’re using special viewing devices that protect your eyes, the eclipsing Sun still appears too bright to the naked eye. However, nature does have a way to show you an eclipse is happening!

As our Moon covers more of the Sun, you do notice that something feels off. Animals start thinking that night time is approaching and start settling in. While the eclipsing Sun still appears bright, the landscape is starting to get dimmer.

You can see a phenomena on the ground caused by pinhole projection, where you notice a bunch of crescents on the ground that weren’t there before. As the Sun is shining through the leaves in trees and bushes, their tiny openings are pinhole projecting the image of the eclipsed Sun! You can even make your own pinhole projectors with just your hands, or construct your own with everyday materials.

If you are outside the central path, but still within the penumbra, then you will ONLY see a partial eclipse. The closer you are to the central path, the more the Moon will cover the Sun and give the Sun a crescent appearance. Even if you are extremely close to the path but still outside, you will still only see a very tight partial eclipse!

Trust me, there is a huge difference between a 99% and a full 100% total eclipse!

Annular Solar Eclipses

Admittedly, an annular eclipse is not as spectacular as a total eclipse, but they are still worth checking out! Annular eclipses are caused when the Moon is at or near apogee, and is simply too far away to look big enough to cover the entire disc of the Sun.

When this happens, as the moon crosses the middle, a ring of the sun’s bright disc remains, and you have an annular, or “ring of fire” eclipse (the word annular comes from the Latin word “annulus” meaning “ring”). If you do get within the path of annularity, it is still a treat to see the Sun and Moon perfectly aligned in the ring formation. Depending on how far away the Moon is from Earth, the Sun can be anywhere between 85% covered to 99% during such an eclipse.

However, during an annular eclipse, even if 1% of the Sun’s disc is shining around the Moon, you will not see the corona because the remaining Sun’s disc is too bright. Depending on how much of the Sun is covered, the sky can  dip slightly in brightness but not at all close to the levels you’d see during a total eclipse.  The landscape on the other hand still does appear in shadow, and it is still quite an eerie sight.

As for the pinhole projections caused by the trees, you can see the annular eclipsed Sun being projected on the ground as little rings!

You can read about my experience with the May 20, 2012 Annular Eclipse here! 

You can also read about my experience with the October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse by clicking this text!

Total Solar Eclipses

The most spectacular of all eclipses, this will happen if the Moon is close enough and big enough to cover the Sun’s disc! If you are among the lucky ones inside the path of totality, you are in for a treat!

After experiencing a partial eclipse for ~70 minutes and with totality approaching, if you haven’t noticed any differences in daytime brightness…

You Will… Now!

As the final minutes wind down, you suddenly experience a rapid decline in brightness. The sky is getting darker, and the shadows on the landscape are fading away! It’s as if someone is slowly turning a cosmic dim switch, with each second the switch being turned slightly faster. You look up and you can clearly see the Sun has been reduced to a very thin and small sliver!

The moment of totality has arrived! If you are with a group of people, or within a large crowd, it’s perfectly natural to start cheering!

As you see the flash, a “last gasp” of the sun’s light as the moon completely covers the sun, you see the ghostly white corona appear as the black disc is silhouetted in the middle. Some of the brightest stars and planets can also appear during totality, but they’re not the focus! The sky above is a dark shade of blue, while near the horizon you can see a familiar red-orange twilight glow in all directions. The corona appears as some of the purest light you will ever see, and it adds to the eeriness of the experience!  Then you will see another flash, the corona fades away, and the sun is coming back!

Totality will only last a few minutes, but the memories will last a lifetime!

Once you experience one for yourself, you finally understand the mentality of eclipse chasers, people who travel around the world to continue witnessing the thrill and wonder of a total solar eclipse! To see at least one in your lifetime should be top on your celestial bucket list!

The following headlines will take you to read on about my two total Solar Eclipse experiences thus far.

Why I Drove 1,500 Miles To See 150 Seconds of Totality | August 21, 2017 – Glendo, WY

Why I Drove 2,000 Miles to See 240 Seconds of Totality | April 8, 2024 – Poplar Bluff, MO

How To Travel For a Solar Eclipse

Always check your times at the location you plan on observing for when the eclipse starts, reaches its climax, and then ends.

This should be common sense… you need to know when you should be outside looking up! There are numerous websites that give you detailed close up maps on where the path of totality will be, so you’ll be able to see which locations will see a total eclipse, and where you’ll only see a partial. Timeanddate.com is one great example. 

To see a 100% total (or even an annular) eclipse, you NEED to be within the narrow path the moon’s shadow crosses!

CLOSE DOES NOT COUNT!

Staying outside of the path will result in someone just seeing an extremely deep partial eclipse instead… one may enjoy SOME dimming effects at the level usually seen with a deep partial or an annular eclipse… but it will not be even close to experiencing totality!

So before you plan your trip, find as detailed of a map as you can of the state, province, or even the city you are going to witness the event… they are widely available and a simple Google search will get you started! One should also be cautious, as there will be many cities where parts of it will be within the path of totality, but the other parts will not.

Also, the closer you are to the center of the path of totality, the longer the total eclipse will last. If you are at the extreme edges within the path, totality will not last very long – less than 30-60 seconds, and it will last the longest in the center – the more deeper you are within the Moon’s shadow, the longer it will take for the shadow to pass over you.

Be as Flexible As You Can if You Are Traveling!

Very few people are lucky enough to reside in locations where the moon’s shadow will cross directly over them. The majority of Solar eclipse viewers nowadays are travelers, often known as “eclipse chasers” whether it’s their first or their twentieth!

It’s quite understandable then, that many will book their lodging and travel arrangements in locations within the path well in advance! This is especially important when one needs to travel to other countries that are on the other side of the planet. However, because of the demand, such accommodations often do sell out YEARS in advance! As the days get closer, expect motels and hotel rates to go up due to the increasing travel demand. Millions of people will have the same idea you have!

Cities and towns within the path will usually do what they can to prepare for the influx of travelers from all over the planet.

But when it comes to the small rural towns – the kind with populations less than 1000 residents featuring very little ammentites along one main road – for the eclipse the town CAN easily swell in population size beyond what the local infrastructure can handle. Glendo, WY (pop 239), such a town like the one I described, in 2017 was charging people to park on their properties for the eclipse the night before… and on the morning of the eclipse, the local police and state troopers were redirecting motorists exiting I-25 to out of the town because it had filled to capacity.

A more sizable town on the other hand should have more spaces and amenities available, and one may not feel as cramped – For 2024 in Poplar Bluff, MO (pop. 16,232), I parked overnight and set up in the parking lot of a Wal Mart shopping center – but hey at least I had access to food and clean restrooms when I needed it!

But at the end of the day, where the observer ends up is completely up to the observer!

Planning and booking the lodging ahead of time is nice, but there is always that risk that the location one chooses well in advance will cloud out. Had I stayed in Kansas City for 2017 as planned rather than detour to Wyoming, then I most likely would have been clouded out too for my first adventure! For the 2024 Total Eclipse, I knew lots of people who remained in Texas and had to battle clouds (some lucked out, others did not)… but those who chased the better weather over in Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois were rewarded with ideal skies.

If you can… even if you already arranged your location years in advance, be ready to drive to a location that isn’t clouded out!

DO NOT TRAVEL LAST MINUTE!

Try to arrive at least one day in advance… and plan on staying the night! Play it as safe and comfortable as you can when claiming your spot!

Otherwise, you will possibly be stuck in “Woodstock” caliber levels of congestion, and it will be the only part of the experience that everyone will dread, as a normally easy drive will turn ugly! A return trip that would normally take 2-3 hours getting there may easily last double to triple that amount to get back! This is especially true if the spot you end up at has one way in and out.

If you have no choice but to travel last minute, then expect such conditions to occur and plan accordingly! I understand work schedules and that some occupations may not allow the time off… but for something like this, one needs to make the exception if they want to be comfortable.

RESEPECT The Locals!

If you are not going to a designated “eclipse viewing location” that is set up within the local municipality – When you find a spot within the path of totality to see it… make sure the spot you are on is either public land, or if you are on private property, that you have permission from the property owner to observe and/or setup on their land. With the huge influx of travelers from all over the world coming to the same spot you arrived at… it’s understandable if the property owners are wishing to protect their land and enjoy the eclipse in peace as much as possible.

As exciting as this event will be to astronomy enthusiasts and casual viewers alike, however… sadly, there will be those individuals and groups of people who will prefer NOT to enjoy the extremely rare celestial gift from the heavens, nor use it as an outreach event to attract people who normally would not be there. Just respect their wishes, and find a good spot somewhere else… the area within the path of totality is a very large swath of land!

OBSERVING a Solar Eclipse!

Yes, you DO need special eclipse viewers during partial (and annular phases)!

Filtered eclipse glasses are widely available. Whether you buy them or get them for free, make sure they are the real thing! Beware of those who will sell counterfeit glasses. Also, don’t be surprised if locations that sell the legit glasses either sell out, or price gouge them the closer the days to the eclipse!

No… wearing extra sunglasses will not do!

Even when the moon is covering most of the sun, do NOT look at the sun directly with the naked eye unless your eyes are properly protected. If you by chance do look up at a partial or annular eclipse, immediately stop… it doesn’t take that long before your eyes can get permanently damaged!

Reportedly, the day after the 2017 eclipse took place, the number one topic on search engines was “my eyes hurt” or “why do my eyes hurt?”

All photographic and telescopic equipment needs the proper solar filters too!

Make sure all equipment being used is equipped and tightly fastened with proper filters. Viewing an eclipse unprotected through binoculars or a telescope WILL damage your eyes within a few seconds! Unprotected camera lenses can get baked and melt from prolonged exposure to the Sun. Camera sensors will also suffer the same fate if adapting the camera body to the eyepiece port of the telescope. DO NOT ATTEMPT WITHOUT THE FILTERS PROPERLY AND SAFELY SECURED! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!

Totality, and ONLY Totality, is when you can take your filters and eclipse glasses off!

Even during an Annular Eclipse, the remaining “ring” of the Sun’s disc is still too bright to be viewed without a filter or eclipse glasses. Do not take them off if you’re still looking at the Sun!

Only when the Sun is completely obscured by the Moon is when the light levels are safe enough for your eyes and for your telescope.

The two flashes at the beginning and the end of totality are known as the “diamond ring” effect, and you could use them as nature’s way of telling you “glasses off! / put your glasses back on!”

During this time, you can marvel at the change in lighting… the very abrupt darkening of the sky, the bright glow of the corona! It truly is one of the most amazing things one can experience!

BUT…

The most dangerous time to look directly at the Sun is JUST AFTER totality, JUST AFTER the second diamond ring effect has finished… as for the last few minutes, your eyes have dilated to adapt to the darker conditions, thus looking at the Sun as it comes back greatly increases your chance of eye damage with your exit pupils still wider.

So should you want to continue viewing the eclipse, then put your glasses/filters back on!

After the eclipse has reached its climax (total or annular), it’s perfectly normal to stop watching the rest of the eclipse, as the moon moving away from the Sun feels anti-climatic, almost depressing. Typically, the only people who continue observing are those who are taking pictures/ filming for time lapses and other types of photography.