Total Eclipse of 4/8/2024
April 10th, 2023 at 4:41:59 AM
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Right now the Super 8 at 1320 South Jack Kulgten Frwy in Waco has rooms for $83.30 on 4/7 and $71.54 on 4/8.
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” -- Carl Sagan
April 10th, 2023 at 7:03:49 PM
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Our plan is to stay in Dallas area where I booked a luxury home — swimming pool, game room, massage chairs, etc. — for our three families (10 people) for 3 nights that's $375/night per family when all the cleaning fees, service fees, and taxes are included.
Previously as a backup, I booked three rooms at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, which is an above average hotel in a so-so area of downtown, and that's $358/night for each room (and I just called the hotel and there's a $40/night resort fee that's not included with hotels.com). So $398/night! So I'll cancel that booking.
We originally wanted to stay in Austin, but for a comperable house, the rental cost is way more — like $2,000/night per family!
Previously as a backup, I booked three rooms at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, which is an above average hotel in a so-so area of downtown, and that's $358/night for each room (and I just called the hotel and there's a $40/night resort fee that's not included with hotels.com). So $398/night! So I'll cancel that booking.
We originally wanted to stay in Austin, but for a comperable house, the rental cost is way more — like $2,000/night per family!
April 11th, 2023 at 5:59:56 AM
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Quote: smoothgrhOur plan is to stay in Dallas area where ...
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Here are some totality duration times in various major cities:
Source: https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024
Waco isn't listed, but should be close to the maximum of 4:27. The 2017 eclipse was about 2:30, if I remember correctly.
Dallas is not bad at 3:47. For most, probably worth about 45 seconds of totality for the convenience.
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” -- Carl Sagan
April 11th, 2023 at 7:19:50 AM
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The National Eclipse website has a lot of good information, including a city list page that shows the start time and duration for all? US cities in the path.
Indeed, the duration in Waco shows as 4:11.
Indeed, the duration in Waco shows as 4:11.
"Dealer has 'rock'... Pay 'paper!'"
April 11th, 2023 at 8:26:10 AM
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The length of the totality varies with the distance from the centerline of the eclipse. If you are on the center line, then you have the longest duration in the moon's shadow. The width of the totality is up to 124 miles wide, so use r=62 in the formula for the length of the chord and set x = distance in miles from the center line. Your time in totality is reduced by this ratio:
Length of chord / diameter = (√ (r^2 – x^2)) / r
If you are off by a few miles, this ratio is still very near unity. Once you get 60 miles from the center line, you are only getting a brief stay in totality.
Length of chord / diameter = (√ (r^2 – x^2)) / r
If you are off by a few miles, this ratio is still very near unity. Once you get 60 miles from the center line, you are only getting a brief stay in totality.
It does sucks to have EB infiltrate every thread with his grandiose claims.
April 11th, 2023 at 9:37:09 AM
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Quote: JoemanThe National Eclipse website has a lot of good information, including a city list page that shows the start time and duration for all? US cities in the path.
Indeed, the duration in Waco shows as 4:11.
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Just looking at the Ohio list, Upper Sandusky (different from Sandusky) was unlisted, despite being almost exactly centered on the path.
(The lodgings only seem to accept bookings 11 months out, although I may be using nonoptimal indices.)
May the cards fall in your favor.
April 11th, 2023 at 11:03:47 AM
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If you trust the app developer, the free app Totality enables you to pin a point on a map, and it gives that spot's exact details about the eclipse — partial start time, totality start time, totality length, etc.
It also has info on other eclipses, including the 2017 eclipse and future partial eclipses (but not the 2045 total eclipse).
(In my previous post, I didn't make a parallel comparison about Austin house rentals. A comparable house would be $667/night per family for the three families in Austin compared to $375/night in Dallas.)
It also has info on other eclipses, including the 2017 eclipse and future partial eclipses (but not the 2045 total eclipse).
(In my previous post, I didn't make a parallel comparison about Austin house rentals. A comparable house would be $667/night per family for the three families in Austin compared to $375/night in Dallas.)
April 11th, 2023 at 12:14:01 PM
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Currently I am able to book Hilton properties for Apr 7-8, 2024, but the latest dates I can book on Marriott's website is Mar 30-31. According to their website:Quote: DieterThe lodgings only seem to accept bookings 11 months out, although I may be using nonoptimal indices.
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Quote: Marriot websiteYou can redeem your Marriott Bonvoy® Points to make an Award Reservation or book a paid Reservation as early as 50-Weeks prior to arrival.
"Dealer has 'rock'... Pay 'paper!'"
April 11th, 2023 at 12:50:06 PM
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Quote: JoemanThe National Eclipse website has a lot of good information, including a city list page that shows the start time and duration for all? US cities in the path.
Indeed, the duration in Waco shows as 4:11.
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The interactive map that's on nationaleclipse.com is the same map that the Totality app uses for its data.
April 11th, 2023 at 5:47:13 PM
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Quote: MentalLength of chord / diameter = (√ (r^2 – x^2)) / r
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Thanks. I was just wondering if there was a formula for this.
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” -- Carl Sagan
April 11th, 2023 at 8:18:55 PM
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Quote: ThatDonGuyAt the moment, NASA has three "primary group viewing areas" planned; Kerrville, TX, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.
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What is (or where can I find info on) "primary group viewing area"?
April 12th, 2023 at 4:46:40 PM
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Quote: IndyJeffreyQuote: ThatDonGuyAt the moment, NASA has three "primary group viewing areas" planned; Kerrville, TX, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.
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What is (or where can I find info on) "primary group viewing area"?
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I think they are still in the early planning stages.
This site has all of the information that I know of so far.
April 12th, 2023 at 5:09:33 PM
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Last edited by: MichaelBluejay on Apr 12, 2023
April 12th, 2023 at 5:19:40 PM
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List of how long the eclipse lasts in each city.
and
Solar eclipse history in the U.S. I remember one as a kid in the mid-to-late 1970s in Denton, Texas, but it must have just been a partial one, because it's not on the list at that site.
and
Solar eclipse history in the U.S. I remember one as a kid in the mid-to-late 1970s in Denton, Texas, but it must have just been a partial one, because it's not on the list at that site.
April 12th, 2023 at 5:35:49 PM
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Quote: MichaelBluejaySolar eclipse history in the U.S.[/urlI remember one as a kid in the mid-to-late 1970s in Denton, Texas, but it must have just been a partial one, because it's not on the list at that site.
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I didn't really remember too much commotion about the 1979 one. I do remember that the 1970 one got pretty much the same amount of network TV coverage as the moon landings, and I vaguely remember hearing that it would be the last total solar eclipse visible in the USA in the 20th century, which is why the 1979 one surprised me. I think there was one in 1991 where the path of totality just missed Hawaii.
April 12th, 2023 at 8:04:31 PM
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I knew someone who went to Minot ND for the Feb 1979 eclipse. Temperatures were extremely cold, due to a high pressure ridge that resulted in clear conditions, but he saw it.
I saw the July 1991 eclipse on a cruise ship off the coast of the island of Hawaii. Totality lasted 4’30”. Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins was on the ship with us. The eclipse crossed the big island, but no one on land really saw it due to cloud cover. Other friends travelled to the Cabo San Lucas area in Baja MX, where they experienced nearly 7 minutes of totality; nearly the longest possible.
I saw the Aug 2017 eclipse from a public park community celebration in Washington MO.
I have a condo rented (3 bedrooms at $200 per night) for my family near Hot Springs AR for the upcoming Apr 2024 eclipse. With Oaklawn race track/casino and Hot Springs National Park nearby, there will be other activities available that weekend. (Maybe even the Arkansas Derby on Apr 6) It should be about a 20 mile drive to the center line from where we’re staying.
I saw the July 1991 eclipse on a cruise ship off the coast of the island of Hawaii. Totality lasted 4’30”. Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins was on the ship with us. The eclipse crossed the big island, but no one on land really saw it due to cloud cover. Other friends travelled to the Cabo San Lucas area in Baja MX, where they experienced nearly 7 minutes of totality; nearly the longest possible.
I saw the Aug 2017 eclipse from a public park community celebration in Washington MO.
I have a condo rented (3 bedrooms at $200 per night) for my family near Hot Springs AR for the upcoming Apr 2024 eclipse. With Oaklawn race track/casino and Hot Springs National Park nearby, there will be other activities available that weekend. (Maybe even the Arkansas Derby on Apr 6) It should be about a 20 mile drive to the center line from where we’re staying.
April 12th, 2023 at 9:30:50 PM
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Quote: MichaelBluejaySolar eclipse history in the U.S. I remember one as a kid in the mid-to-late 1970s in Denton, Texas, but it must have just been a partial one, because it's not on the list at that site.
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That's a good web site. I'm sure the one in Texas was just a partial and I would have heard about it otherwise. My father was an eclipse buff and spoke about the 1979 eclipse in Washington for decades afterward.
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” -- Carl Sagan
April 12th, 2023 at 9:36:03 PM
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My father watched the 79 eclipse from a plane, which followed the path for hundreds of miles. I think he had about half an hour of totality as the plane was chasing it.
The 91 eclipse is a bit of a sore subject with me. I was a low-level civil servant at the time. I would have had to go to Cabo San Lucas or Hawaii to see it. I believe my father went to Cabo. I was hoping he would invite me, but he never did, despite me dropping plenty of hints showing interest. He was probably trying to teach me a lesson about having to work for such luxuries. He never had such conviction about hard work with my younger brothers.
The 99 eclipse is also a bit of a sore subject. I was doing better financially at the time, but was a recent husband and father. Mrs. Wizard was not keen on me going to Europe by myself for that one, leaving her alone with a two-year-old. She had a good point, but I don't think appreciated how important it was for me to see it.
Now I'm trying to make up for lost time.
The 91 eclipse is a bit of a sore subject with me. I was a low-level civil servant at the time. I would have had to go to Cabo San Lucas or Hawaii to see it. I believe my father went to Cabo. I was hoping he would invite me, but he never did, despite me dropping plenty of hints showing interest. He was probably trying to teach me a lesson about having to work for such luxuries. He never had such conviction about hard work with my younger brothers.
The 99 eclipse is also a bit of a sore subject. I was doing better financially at the time, but was a recent husband and father. Mrs. Wizard was not keen on me going to Europe by myself for that one, leaving her alone with a two-year-old. She had a good point, but I don't think appreciated how important it was for me to see it.
Now I'm trying to make up for lost time.
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” -- Carl Sagan
April 13th, 2023 at 5:31:38 PM
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There is this. As Wizard predicted it’s popularity.
April 17th, 2023 at 7:59:11 PM
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It's not too early to think about the total eclipse of 8/2/27. Looks like a good spot in the totality band would be Gibraltar.
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” -- Carl Sagan
April 18th, 2023 at 6:53:57 AM
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Quote: WizardIt's not too early to think about the total eclipse of 8/2/27. Looks like a good spot in the totality band would be Gibraltar.
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I’m in. On honeymoon in January, 1985. Went to south of Spain and Morocco. There was some hoo hah going on between Spain and England and Gibraltar that prevented us from crossing from Cadiz to Gibraltar. So despite being right there, we could see it but couldn’t go there.
April 18th, 2023 at 7:01:11 AM
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My son climbed the Rock when he was in the Navy. He was jumped by macaques.Quote: SOOPOOI’m in. On honeymoon in January, 1985. Went to south of Spain and Morocco. There was some hoo hah going on between Spain and England and Gibraltar that prevented us from crossing from Cadiz to Gibraltar. So despite being right there, we could see it but couldn’t go there.
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We will be docking at Cadiz in two weeks and picking up a rental car for one day. We were considering driving to Ronda and seeing Gibraltar on the way back to port. What would you recommend for a day trip from Cadiz?
It does sucks to have EB infiltrate every thread with his grandiose claims.
April 18th, 2023 at 2:30:18 PM
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Quote: MentalMy son climbed the Rock when he was in the Navy. He was jumped by macaques.Quote: SOOPOOI’m in. On honeymoon in January, 1985. Went to south of Spain and Morocco. There was some hoo hah going on between Spain and England and Gibraltar that prevented us from crossing from Cadiz to Gibraltar. So despite being right there, we could see it but couldn’t go there.
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We will be docking at Cadiz in two weeks and picking up a rental car for one day. We were considering driving to Ronda and seeing Gibraltar on the way back to port. What would you recommend for a day trip from Cadiz?
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I thought the drive to Ronda was one of the most interesting/beautiful I’ve ever done. I doubt much has changed since 1985!
Of course I’d go to Gibraltar if you haven’t been there.
The one day trip I remember loving was a town called Nerja. They have great cave hikes that are quite easy to do.
Depending on how much time you have the ‘3 cities’ is a great trip in and of itself. (Grenada, Cordoba, Seville). Edit…. I see you only have one day.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:43:24 PM
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Marriott hotels now are accepting reservations through the entire week of the eclipse.
I booked a backup hotel: the Westin Downtown Dallas — $459/night with taxes and fees! It's pricey, but other hotels cost nearly as much and aren't as nice. I'll cancel this anyway unless the Airbnb somehow falls through.
I booked a backup hotel: the Westin Downtown Dallas — $459/night with taxes and fees! It's pricey, but other hotels cost nearly as much and aren't as nice. I'll cancel this anyway unless the Airbnb somehow falls through.
