Solar Eclipse - Today 8 April
Discussion
ATG said:
Mabbs9 said:
That's ace
We get total solar eclipses on an 18 month to 2 year basis - so they aren't THAT rare. However, as the earth is 70% ocean and a large part of the land is still uninhabited by humans, most paths of totality do not pass over large poulation centres.
This particular one was unusual in that it covered a large swathe of populated Central and North America so totality would be seen by almost 50 million people (weather permitting).
I watched our "total eclipse" of 1999 from Union Street Aldershot. In North Hampshire we didn't get full totality - more like around 80% coverage.
The coverage for partial eclipses is a lot wider and I have seen quite a few of them over the years.
This particular one was unusual in that it covered a large swathe of populated Central and North America so totality would be seen by almost 50 million people (weather permitting).
I watched our "total eclipse" of 1999 from Union Street Aldershot. In North Hampshire we didn't get full totality - more like around 80% coverage.
The coverage for partial eclipses is a lot wider and I have seen quite a few of them over the years.
There are a couple coming up in Europe in August 2026 ( link) and August 2027 ( link), one the totality goes over Mallorca and the other over Southern Spain. By a happy coincidence my in-laws have holiday apartments in both of those places but when suggesting to the wife we go over - "it'll be too hot and I've seen one before in 1999" 
[quote=Eric Mc]
This particular one was unusual in that it covered a large swathe of populated Central and North America so totality would be seen by almost 50 million people (weather permitting).
Yeah, the path of totality crossed something like 3000 miles of Mexico and the US so so must be one of the most visible ones for a very long time, hence it's pretty big news,
I watched the 1999 just up the road from you in Pyestock, I'd like to see a full one some day.
This particular one was unusual in that it covered a large swathe of populated Central and North America so totality would be seen by almost 50 million people (weather permitting).
Yeah, the path of totality crossed something like 3000 miles of Mexico and the US so so must be one of the most visible ones for a very long time, hence it's pretty big news,
I watched the 1999 just up the road from you in Pyestock, I'd like to see a full one some day.
Eric Mc said:
I watched our "total eclipse" of 1999 from Union Street Aldershot. In North Hampshire we didn't get full totality - more like around 80% coverage.
We were down on the Lizard peninsular in Cornwall 1999 specifically to see the total eclipse. I was quite young at the time and still remember it today as being one of the most amazing experiences.
At the point that the moon totally covered the sun, the fish started to jump out of the sea
magpie215 said:
SpudLink said:
Yes it's not bad...Nasa had to do the heavy lifting but not a bad shot of the TV from my chair ;-)Now I feel like an idiot.
SpudLink said:
magpie215 said:
SpudLink said:
Yes it's not bad...Nasa had to do the heavy lifting but not a bad shot of the TV from my chair ;-)Now I feel like an idiot.
MesoForm said:
There are a couple coming up in Europe in August 2026 ( link) and August 2027 ( link), one the totality goes over Mallorca and the other over Southern Spain. By a happy coincidence my in-laws have holiday apartments in both of those places but when suggesting to the wife we go over - "it'll be too hot and I've seen one before in 1999"
For Spain 2026 the totality will occur around 8:26 pm local time. How low will the sun be on the horizon and how will the experience be affected? Any later and the ellipse will be occurring at nighttime 
When I was at school in the early 80s I remember my geography teacher explaining what an eclipse was and telling the class that the next total one would be Cornwall in 1999 and there wouldn't be another for over 100 years. Even at that you age I decided I had to go and see it so I did and watched it from a hill overlooking Fowey and the river Fowey. It was cloudy but it didn't spoil the experience.
I also went to South Carolina in 2017 where there was hardly a cloud in the sky. We found a university where the physics professor gave a lecture in the sports stadium whilst the eclipse was happening.
This time we're in Austin and watched it from the central library which had some representatives from NASA and JPL. It was mostly cloudy but we got a few glimpses of the sun, enough for me to take this photo.
In all cases we have combined the eclipse with a holiday and it's been fortunate they have coincided with summer or Easter breaks. They're pretty much unforgettable life experiences.
I'm sure we'll make a trip to Spain or Portugal for 2026.
I also went to South Carolina in 2017 where there was hardly a cloud in the sky. We found a university where the physics professor gave a lecture in the sports stadium whilst the eclipse was happening.
This time we're in Austin and watched it from the central library which had some representatives from NASA and JPL. It was mostly cloudy but we got a few glimpses of the sun, enough for me to take this photo.
In all cases we have combined the eclipse with a holiday and it's been fortunate they have coincided with summer or Easter breaks. They're pretty much unforgettable life experiences.
I'm sure we'll make a trip to Spain or Portugal for 2026.
Sky and nasa report that animals acted weird during the eclipse.
https://news.sky.com/story/animals-reacted-weirdly...
To me they either thought it was bed time or that it was unusual so did activities to bond together and feel safer (the flamingos). Doesn't seem that odd to me it's exactly what I would expect!
https://news.sky.com/story/animals-reacted-weirdly...
To me they either thought it was bed time or that it was unusual so did activities to bond together and feel safer (the flamingos). Doesn't seem that odd to me it's exactly what I would expect!
White-Noise said:
Sky and nasa report that animals acted weird during the eclipse.
https://news.sky.com/story/animals-reacted-weirdly...
To me they either thought it was bed time or that it was unusual so did activities to bond together and feel safer (the flamingos). Doesn't seem that odd to me it's exactly what I would expect!
The dogs we had at the time were just a bit confused. https://news.sky.com/story/animals-reacted-weirdly...
To me they either thought it was bed time or that it was unusual so did activities to bond together and feel safer (the flamingos). Doesn't seem that odd to me it's exactly what I would expect!
The birds went crazy, (rather than going silent like some had reported this time) and the fish were jumping out of the sea.
Actual said:
MesoForm said:
There are a couple coming up in Europe in August 2026 ( link) and August 2027 ( link), one the totality goes over Mallorca and the other over Southern Spain. By a happy coincidence my in-laws have holiday apartments in both of those places but when suggesting to the wife we go over - "it'll be too hot and I've seen one before in 1999"
For Spain 2026 the totality will occur around 8:26 pm local time. How low will the sun be on the horizon and how will the experience be affected? Any later and the ellipse will be occurring at nighttime Further east in Menorca it will only be 1.79" above horizon so could easily be obscured by buildings or hills. From looking at the map the best locations are north coast of mainland Spain or Iceland but I suppose more chance or cloud in Iceland.
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