If you’re out and about this Labor Day weekend and you see people setting-up cameras and pointing them skywards, don’t panic—it’s just eclipse-chasers getting ready for next year’s total solar eclipse.
During that weekend the sun will reach the same altitude and follow the same path across the sky as it will on April 8, 2024. Up to four minutes 27 seconds of totality will be visible from a narrow path through Mexico, 14 U.S. states and Canada.
That makes it the perfect time to validate potential locations, check out sight-lines and choose a scenic backdrop for a view or a photograph of the precious moments of totality.
It could also be a good time to discover locations with lots of wildlife. Birds, in particular, have a habit of vocally reacting to the sudden darkness in the day that totality will bring.
“For those who live in the path of totality and plan (or hope!) to watch the eclipse from home, good dates for practicing your photo techniques are September 2 or 3, 2023,” said Alan Dyer, astrophotographer and author of How to Photograph the Solar Eclipses. “That’s helpful for practicing wide-angle composites, and checking that your gear can aim at and track the sun through the morning and afternoon without any problems.”
However, although it’s useful for planning your framing, but only if you are where you will be on eclipse day. “The rehearsal opportunity in early September works only if you end up viewing the eclipse from your current location, or at least close to it,” said Dyer. “Traveling well north or south along the path will place the sun at a lower or higher altitude respectively than it appears from your home.”
He adds that although the September 2 or 3 brings a useful opportunity, it’s more important just to practice and rehearse your photography intentions on the sun well in advance of the big day. “No matter where the sun is in the sky, practice is essential for success on April 8,” said Dyer.
On April 8, 2024 the total solar eclipse—North America’s longest for hundreds of years—will be visible only from within a 115-mile wide path of totality stretching from Mexico’s Pacific Coast through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and in Canada, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
It will pass over huge cities such as Dallas, Waco, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester and even Niagara Falls.
I am the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of “The Complete Guide To The Great North American Eclipse of April 8, 2024.”
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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