Solar Eclipse 2017: The Great American Eclipse

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In 2012, I took this picture at the Grand Canyon with my son, Percy.  It was my first annular eclipse, having seen many partial eclipses.  Annular eclipses occur when the moon passes directly in front of the sun, but is not large enough (in apparent size) to cover the entire surface of the sun.  All across the US, on Monday the 21st of August, 2017, the moon will once again pass directly in front of the sun, but this time, the moon will be close enough to the earth to completely block the sun.  For 2 minutes and 37 seconds, the sky will go black, stars will appear in the middle of the day and the sun's corona will be visible around a dark circle created by the moon.  It is one of the more spectacular sights to witness, and if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend getting a pair of safety glasses and driving to a convenient viewing location - it's probably not too far from where you live.  I'm dragging my father along this time.

Chasing eclipses takes a little planning.  The path of Monday's eclipse spans the width of the US, from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina.  To capture the best views of totality, you need to be within about 15 miles of the center line displayed on the map below.  But there's more to it.

After choosing a location, the next step is to make sure the weather cooperates.  For the annular eclipse of 2012, I had to travel to Arizona to find clear skies.  This year, I've booked hotels from Greenville, SC to St. Louis, MO.  As of today, It looks like I'll end up somewhere between Greenville and Nashville.  The 4-day forecast indicates mostly sunny, with a 10% chance of rain for those cities.  As Monday approaches, I'll modify my plans as necessary.

If you want to make last-minute plans to observe this event, NASA has a nice web site with tons of information: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/

Gear and Safety:  As you know, you should never look directly at the sun without proper eye protection.  Cheap solar glasses are available online, but supplies are running low.  Solar binoculars provide better views, but can get run you $50-$150.  Telescopes with proper filters and specialized solar scopes provide the best views, but can get a little pricey.

I'll be updating this page with the gear I'm bringing along with me, as well as the cameras and techniques I'll be using to capture, and document this eclipse.   With careful planning and a little bit of luck, I hope to have a few pictures to share next week.  For this to go off without a hitch, there is zero latitude for error.