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.
2028 - I think I'll put up with the poorer weather prospects and shorter totality to see this one from home. There's a TSE happening somewhere every 1.5 years or so, but how often is your home 1km from the centre line?
2030 - A near-repeat of the 2002 outback event. The one that's etched into my memory forever as it was the first time I saw the Corona with my own eyes. I'll be close to the original viewing site, just south of Woomera instead of north. Really looking forward to that one.
2037 - Everyone and associated canines will be at Uluru, so I'll be someplace else. Either a bit further east in the red centre, or a lot further east on Mt Tongariro here in NZ, at 2,000m watching the shadow march across the North Island. Weather permitting of course, being winter and all.
2038 - My wife will say 'but you just chased an eclipse last year and had to be rescued off a volcano' so I'm not liking my odds of seeing that one.
2042 - Finally, another Annular, and low in the sky and close to home to boot! These are underrated IMHO.
My wife and I have already got our accomodation sorted for the 22nd of July, 2028 TSE. We will be headed north from South Australia and doing a trip to Darwin at the same time. A good excuse to go visit another city in Australia.
In July, 2037 We may do the same as 2028, but no plans set in concrete yet.
In Dec 2038 my accomodation is already set. The eclipse falls directly over my Observatory in Blanchetown. Although this only has 44sec of totality, so I will most likely just head North to Morgan, SA for the day for a 1.5min eclipse instead.
I have no other plans to visit any other eclipses yet.
Wait, there's more. A high-magnitude annular eclipse on 10 March 2035. Path of annularity just misses Australian shores but Hobart still gets a 96% partial. The place to see this one, though, will be central NZ with Nelson likely having the best weather prospects. Magnitudes of up to 99.4%. That one will be spectacular. Bailey's beads and photographic glimpses of the chromosphere are on offer.
As long as you don’t update your operating system and stay with Win8, you’ll be right Leon.
I know a dev at MS, and wanted to wait till i was sure...
My contact tells me eclipses are deprecated as of 1/4/23 and will no longer work with win8-11. You will need to update to w12(Quantum computer version)
Spain in 2026 might work cloud wise but I am non committal at this stage. I need to do more research to make a reliable determination.
Our next eclipse will be 2027 in Luxor. It's going to be the longest one now for the rest of the century. We saw the longest this century in China. It was an epic day with rain 1 minute before second contact.
We won't be going to the US next year. The best place for cloud prospects on that day is in Mexico and there has recently been a lot of kidnappings going on there. So that's out. The rest of the path is about 50/50 cloud prospects at best. Probability says that it will be around 72% along the path.
Next one after that is 2028. We'll hitch up the camper and free camp and trailer park our way up and then onto Kakadu and Darwin.
Since we live in SA, we'll be going to the 2030 eclipse. This time I am going to go inland for a 100km or so. We saw the eclipse at Ceduna but it was very tense with cloud being around near totality. We'll never forget that eclipse as it was our first. And; watching a low eclipse over water is beautiful. Cairns was like that; we got lucky again to see totality over water.
After that it boils down to how healthy we are in 2037. If I am up for it I'll be going.
Now with 4 totals (all seen) under our belts now, I can advise that looking at the weather at the selected site for years at a time is a good way to go and understand your chances, afterall I am there just to see totality, I don't care about seeing it in some iconic setting. I definitely will not be going to Sydney for the 28 eclipse. It is almost guaranteed to be cloudy on the day, plus once your there is it going to be tough to find a place for week up to the event. Rental places will jack up their rate a week/s before and tell people who have paid reservations to pay more. So best bet is go to places that are a bit remote and good cloud prospected for that day of the year.
On age matters - things doctors should never say to an Aspie/Autistic kid, "You're going to live to 100." That when I was 6 on regular visit due to a particular matter; the doctor said it, so it was true - and only as an adult did it suddenly dawn on me it was not meant literally. Still, I thought, why change expectations (until life changes them for me), and Granny lived to 100.
Now back to the topic, thanks Hans for the map of future TSEs. I knew there were others, but have a particular interest in the 2 TSEs plus annular (ASE) that will be viewable from the same spot near Bedourie.
From responses, I think my hoped for spot will be a good one as people are likely to go to more accessible places relative to them. They also suggest more people are likely to go to places where the can visit other sites in the same trip, such as Uluru. I think the Bedourie area is likely easiest for those from eastern SA and western Queensland, or even from north Qld like me if wanting to spend more time in central darksky areas. July in that region is more likely than not to be cloud free. The site of interest is Glengyle Station. I've alerted them to their good fortune - or curse, if they find a lot of people suddenly visiting one day. I've suggested some planning might be wise, even if as a social event for neighbours from Birdsville to Boulia.
I've seen only one TSE - 14 Nov 2014, from Mossman, north of Cairns, but we had thin clouds that impeded full enjoyment. Other than the 3 above, I should plan trips to some of the others here in Oz.
Future eclipses planning
