[Finbar (Barry)]

The recent total solar eclipse (TSE) has me pondering the future, starting specifically with 22 July 2028.

It will be excellent for so many people in Australia because the track runs across the country, through the Kimberly (WA), NT, southwest Queensland and NSW to depart through the Sydney CBD.

How many fanatical chasers are likely to go to northern WA to get approx. 5 mins 10 secs totality?
How many of you around Sydney will be content to stay at home for the approx. 3mins 51secs?

Some of us have to travel, and from parts of Qld and SA we may want to converge in southwest Qld. I already take vacations in central Qld in winter, with telescopes to enjoy the dark clear skies, so I'd want to make a couple of weeks of it. On one hand I don't want competition, but on other it could be a good opportunity for a coordinated gathering. I have already alerted a pastoral station in a good spot; they were blissfully unaware of what is coming their way.

But wait, there's more. On 13 July 2037 another TSE cuts near Geraldton WA up through southern NT and southern Qld to just south of Brisbane, departing at Byron Bay NSW. Again, plenty of options for everyone, but this time the greatest point is near Bedourie QLD, near where I plan to be for the first TSE. So again, how many fanatics are likely to want to go there for the 4mins totality? The east coast will have about 3.5mins - easier for people to get to and more than long enough to satisfy them surely?

But there's even more. On 14 Oct 2042 the annular eclipse tracks a similar route to that of 2028, with about 7.75mins annularity near Birdsville, so the same area as I hope to go in 2028 and 2037.

Ok, ok, so I'll be aged 66, 75 and 80 respectively, so survival permitting, but I wonder what the collective wisdom here would be for prospects in the critical area.

It is extraordinary for the one region to have 3 eclipses in 14 years and 3 months, and all three observable from the one station. That in itself may attract repeating chaser fanatics.

Anyway, any ideas?

Barry