If you’re talking about the 2017 eclipse, you’re remembering that incorrectly. The longest duration of that eclipse anywhere in the country was 2 minutes 41 seconds. I’m looking forward to this years’ eclipse because the maximum duration is almost twice as long.
In the path shown in the link, do you have to be under the blue line to be in the path of totality or is it anywhere between the two orange lines?
You will see a total eclipse anywhere between the orange lines, but the further away from the blue centerline you are, the shorter totality will be. The NASA map here is more detailed; the white lines within the totality band show how long totality will last at each location.
In general I don’t think one should drag people to something they don’t want to do. However, I think there’s a really good chance that someone who is convinced they have no interest in a TSE will be glad they saw it later on.
Anecdotally, this is what happened to a friend of mine I “dragged” to see the TSE in 2017. He was so glad he saw it afterward.
Thank you. Can you also clarify the times as different sites seem to say different things. What time will the eclipse be in San Antonio?
This map (from an earlier post in this thread) will, if you give it long enough to load, show a popup over the map that tells you among other things the length of totality in whatever spot you click on. Magnify the map first (using its plus sign) to be able to see more precisely where you’re clicking.
It also gives the times, though you’ll need to translate to local time from UT.
Personally I like the the Eclipse Company maps.
here is San Antonio:
San Antonio, TX
City is in totality from 1:33:29p to 1:35:18p.
Partial eclipse begins at 12:14p.TOT. DURATION1m 49s
AVG. CLOUDS55%
SUN POSITION68°
Brian
Ah, that’s great! Thank you!
I’ve emailed the hotel to ask about car rentals nearby for the day. Also inquired if they have anything going on for the day, like a shuttle or something.
San Antonio is near the edge, if you head NW to Boerne:
Boerne, TX
City is in totality from 1:32:46p to 1:36:20p.
Partial eclipse begins at 12:14p.TOT. DURATION3m 34s
AVG. CLOUDS50%
SUN POSITION68°
Brian
I have a reservation for a hotel in Hugo Oklahoma. Neither the town nor the hotel are anything special. My company has a power plant near there so I’m very familiar with the area.
I stand corrected. The “in” place in Oregon was a town called Madras. We watched it in Shaniko, which is about 40 miles north. Not sure how long the actual totality was. But the whole partial to total, take off the special glasses for 30-60 seconds, put them back on and then the sun started to emerge was really cool all in all. Madras had a longer total eclipse, and a few hours traffic jam that we avoided. 
Made enough of an impression that I’m willing to go from Seattle to Toronto environs to see one again.
Oh, I saw it in Madras! We got there three days before the eclipse and camped for 4 days. The campsite was huge. We knew that trying to leave on the day of the eclipse would be a nightmare. There were people hopping into their cars and taking off even before totality ended.
My friend and I had tickets for a music festival in Virginia that started 3 days after the eclipse. The eclipse was on Monday, we flew from Madras to Atlanta on Tuesday, flew from Atlanta to Virginia on Wednesday, and drove into the music festival on Thursday morning. That was quite a week.
I’ve told this story before: my college band and choir was invited to perform at a concert at a music convention in Winnipeg in 1979 on a Saturday, with the 1979 eclipse on Monday. We were scheduled to return (to South Dakota) on Sunday. However the son of a physics professor was in the band. and he had his dad talk to the band director. The director decided that we would stay and return Monday after the eclipse; the college was even agreeable to pay fir the extra travel day.
When he announced this, a bunch of students griped and complained, saying they wanted to get back early so they could study for midterms later that week. The director then decided that one of the three busses would leave on Sunday and the other two stay for the eclipse on Monday.
One day later, after talking with the physics professor again, he issued his final decision: all three buses would stay for the eclipse. He was told that the chances of seeing an eclipse are so low that you need to take every advantage of it. So we stayed.
The day came, a cold February morning in Manitoba, with a perfectly clear sky. It was beautiful; the pictures I took with my little canera even showed red flares on the sides of the corona. Very inspiring and beautiful!
As we boarded the busses for the trip home, I vividly remember the sense of awe and wonder that filled the conversation in the bus; it just electric. The most excited group: the people who had wanted to return a day early.
I have a possibly stupid question, so please fight my ignorance.
I live in NY state, a not-terribly-distant drive from the path of totality (assuming no traffic, ha). My calendar for 4/8 opened up, and I’m thinking seriously about going.
Of course, upstate NY is known for its clouds. If you happen to be in the path of totality on a completely overcast day, or a day that is very nearly completely overcast, what happens when the eclipse hits?
Obviously the sun is invisible, but does it get night-dark under the clouds for that two-minute period?
IOW, is there any particular value in experience a total solar eclipse even if the weather doesn’t cooperate? Inquiring minds wish to know! Thanks.
It gets a bit darker. Instead of an hour before sunset on a solidly cloudy day, suddenly it’s 10 minutes before sunset for 2-4 minutes, then brightens back to an hour before sunset.
Pretty underwhelming.
Thanks. The odds of a cloudy day are pretty high where I’d be going. May not be worth it; on the other hand, we live in hope…
I always thought that Niagara Falls would be a fantastic place to see a TSE. One can hope for clear skies!
With clear skies and a long totality the light effects on the landscape are usually amazing. If anyone does get to Niagara in sight of the Falls, try to tear your eyes away from the eclipsed Sun long enough to look at the Falls, it should be spectacular.
Good Video here by SmarterEveryDay…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNK2LI7VeX4&t=778s
Yeah, I just downloaded the app made by the eclipse expert Destin interviews. FYI, the app looks very helpful, but in order to use it you have to pay $2 for the eclipse data. I paid, and think it will be worth it.
I’ve also just bought a bunch of solar glasses and filters for my binoculars. I don’t think I’m going to bother to take photos of the sun during the eclipse. I have a DLSR and some moderately long lenses, and I think I bought a solar filter last time (but didn’t use it then).
But I’d rather just experience the eclipse than get all worked up futzing around with the equipment. There will be millions of photographers with more talent and better equipment getting those pix. I don’t need my own pictures at the price of not being there in the moment with my wife and friends.
In 2017 I set my little point-and-shoot camera on a tripod to record video of our group as we watched it, and I think I may do something like that again.
Six weeks from today!