Total Eclipse 2024

The Eclipse Party! (Photo edited by Doug)

April 8, 2024 … it was a day we looked forward to for months! The moon would completely hide the sun, and our town of Temple, Texas, would be in the direct path of totality for the eclipse. The next total eclipse visible in the U.S. wouldn’t happen until 2044. (Dan would be 97 and I would be 95.)

Dan and I hoped to get amazing photos through our telescope. We bought a solar filter for the scope. We bought approved solar glasses for our eyes. We did a successful practice run on October 14, when there was a partial eclipse visible to us. We updated the telescope software, which affirmed it would be possible to capture an image of the corona. And we coordinated with our friends, Doug and Ami, who owned a suitable piece of property, to hold an eclipse party. Doug's mother, Jonnie Sue, actually lives on this piece of paradise. Doug complied with the city requirements for hosting a party of over 50 people on this day. Everyone from our church congregation was invited to come.

We started watching the long-range weather forecasts from ten days out. They didn’t look great, but we had hope. The day before the eclipse, Dan and I worked down his checklist, to make sure all equipment and miscellaneous items for the photoshoot were loaded into the car.

The eclipse would begin at 12:19 PM, but we left our house for the 20-minute drive to Doug’s property at 8:30AM, so we could have plenty of time for proper set-up. Totality would begin at 1:37 PM and last for 3 minutes and 43.6 seconds.

When we arrived, we started getting all of the electronics hooked up, so that the telescope's captured images would show up on the big screen TV on the wall of the covered patio. We ran into a few problems, but finally got that working. By then a few more people had shown up, and Doug was cooking breakfast for everyone. 

The lawn area where we set up the telescopes.

Bluebonnets - I can't help but take pictures when I see them. This was on the edge of Doug and Ami's property.

Enjoying lunch before the start of the eclipse.

The youngest one at the party.

Jonnie Sue's 7-month old silver lab, Angus.

Ami's bee hives. She observed them closely during the eclipse. Right before totality they were swarming furiously. When totality and darkness came, they all disappeared (apparently into the hives). As soon as the light came back, they started appearing again, but with normal activity level.

The sky was full of broken clouds. We struggled and struggled to get our telescope to track the sun properly, but the intermittent clouds kept causing problems. Lunchtime rolled around, so Doug cooked up hamburgers and we feasted on them, along with all the sides. It was about then that Dan finally gave up his efforts to get successful photos from our scope, and joined the rest of us out on the lawn, watching the start of the eclipse through our solar glasses. The clouds would hide the sun periodically, but then clear away. We all agreed the seeing conditions could have been better, but they also could have been a lot worse.

A little past 1:30 darkness fell. The clouds parted. We heard a rooster crow on the property across the fence. Someone was setting off fireworks on the horizon. The temperature fell. And then we were absolutely stunned by the corona that appeared. It lasted 3 or 4 minutes, and was really beyond description. The sky was dark enough that we could see Venus shining in the sky. This photo from my iPhone doesn't do it justice, but it proves I was there!

These pictures (above and below) were taken before the eclipse and then during totality. The darkness in the middle of the day was eerie.

A couple of other guests brought telescopes and, thankfully, one of them was very successful at getting great images. He shared them with us, and gave me permission to post some of them here. So, CREDIT FOR THE FOLLOWING IMAGES GOES TO PATRICK IVERSEN. Thank you Patrick!