Solar Eclipse from Greensboro, NC, April 8, 2024

Maximum solar eclipse from Greensboro, NC, was ~81%. Magification = 1500 mm / 40 mm = 37.5x.

1500 mm / 17 mm = 88x magnification through Celestron NexStar Evolution 6 telescope. A couple small sunspots are visible.

NASA Solar Eclipse Path Map for August 21, 2017, and April 8, 2024.

Point of first contact ~1:56 pm.

On April 8, 2024, one of the best total solar eclipses of the last century crossed the United States from Texas to Maine. Because the moon was near its closest orbital point to the Earth, and the Earth was about midway between its orbital apogee and perigee, the sun appeared relatively small and the moon appeared relatively large. That combination caused the moon's shadow to be very wide across the face of the Earth. Note in the NASA eclipse map at the right how much narrower the path of totality was for the August 17, 2017 eclipse. Maximum eclipse for this location was just shy of 81%. That was enough to cause an eerie feel in the sky, but it was nowhere near dark.

Setup in Greensboro, NC, at my daughter's farm. Equipment: Celestron NexStar Evolution 6 telescope, EclipSmart 6" solar filter, Celestron dew shield.

Let me state that when I first became aware of this solar eclipse, it was sometime around 2016, when I was living in Erie, Pennsylvania. Due to scheduling issues, Melanie and I decided to not travel to South Carolina to view the August 21, 2017 eclipse, figuring we would have a front-row seat to it on April 8, 2024, from our house, which was only a few miles from the center of the path of totality. Life happened, and we ended up moving back to North Carolina in 2022. Because hotel rooms just about anywhere in the path of totality were in the $300+ per night range, we stayed here and missed totality. There is some small chance we'll manage to make it down to Florida for the August 12, 2045, total solar eclipse if we haven't assumed dirt temperature by then (I'll be 6 days away from turning 87).

The photos above show my telescope setup, me, Melanie, our grandson, Calvin, and a couple neighbors. Calvin, BTW, is named after the tiger-toting comic strip guy. We plan to encourage his alter ego characters of Spaceman Spiff, Tracer Bullet, and Stupendous Man, and of course his fantastic inventions like the Time Machine and Transmogrifier. A penchant for mischievousness, wild sled and wagon rides, and a profound imagination are expected. He might even marry a girl named Susie.