Solar eclipses can be viewed with the eye and photographed with an unfiltered camera, but only near sunrise or sunset, no differently than the non-eclipsed sun. For that reason, the unobstructed view on the High Plains, and its proximity just a few hours from home, the choice of the sunset segment of the 2012 annular eclipse track was obvious. The only question was cloud cover, which evaporated to tiny shreds of thin scud shortly beforehand. Back on 10 May 1994, in Lubbock, Rich Thompson and I barely got glimpses of a midday annular eclipse through cloud cover. A mere 18 years plus ten days later, we would return to the same area for a much more fulfilling astronomical experience. This was the annulus at its best, following a crescent sun and soon to be followed by Baily’s beads. A little over five years later and 500 miles to the north, I finally got to witness a total solar eclipse.
6 NNW Bledsoe TX (20 May 12) Looking WNW
33.701, -103.0389Annular Eclipse
Solar eclipses can be viewed with the eye and photographed with an unfiltered camera, but only near sunrise or sunset, no differently than the non-eclipsed sun. For that reason, the unobstructed view on the High Plains, and its proximity just a few hours from home, the choice of the sunset segment of the 2012 annular eclipse track was obvious. The only question was cloud cover, which evaporated to tiny shreds of thin scud shortly beforehand. Back on 10 May 1994, in Lubbock, Rich Thompson and I barely got glimpses of a midday annular eclipse through cloud cover. A mere 18 years plus ten days later, we would return to the same area for a much more fulfilling astronomical experience. This was the annulus at its best, following a crescent sun and soon to be followed by Baily’s beads. A little over five years later and 500 miles to the north, I finally got to witness a total solar eclipse.
6 NNW Bledsoe TX (20 May 12) Looking WNW
33.701, -103.0389