Eclipse View from Texas 2024

April 9, 2024|American Landscape and Parks

A TRIBUTE TO AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT

FEATURED IMAGE

The great eclipse of 2024 did not disappoint. In Texas, cloud cover would move in and then dissipate enough to allow us to witness this dance of the sun and the moon. For landscape lovers and photographers, the addition of a few clouds made the sky very interesting. The cover image was taken in Fort Worth, Texas at the beautiful and historic Saint Stephen Presbyterian Church. The total eclipse with its powerful white corona is seen at the top of the frame amongst the clouds. As depicted by this image, the horizon color and lighting changed to create a beautiful sunset mood. 

Partial Eclipse Just Beginning

As the partial eclipse began and sun just started to be blocked by the moon, it appeared as though someone had taken a bite out of the cookie. On earth we cannot see the moon here because we are facing the side not illuminated by the sun. 

Over a period of an hour we dodged obscuring clouds to get a glimpse of the sun. The image above was take about midway through the partial phase. 

Bailey’s Beads

Totality With Bailey’s Beads

The two image above were taken just a few seconds before and into totality. The sky was dark. The light of the corona around the moon had just appeared. Small slivers of red are shown in the photograph. This can only be viewed with camera assistance. The streaks of red are from the sun peering through the irregular and mountainous lunar surface. Astronomers refer to these red streaks as the Bailey’s Beads. 

Totality as Seen In Texas

At totality the light from the corona was exaggerated by local cloud cover in Texas. 

Just After Totality

The sun begins to enter our view again just after the totality stage of the eclipse. Background is shown in black to make the eclipse easier to see.

The Final Stage of the Eclipse

Near the end of the eclipse the sun had mostly reappeared and the sky had returned to daylight brightness. Witnessing the process was an awesome experience. The rapid changes in the sky near and during the totality phase was a powerful reminder of man’s small place in the universe.

Our next blog will return to our theme–landscape elements. Appropriate with the time of year, the title of the upcoming blog is Landscapes of Spring. Thanks for joining us!  More images at https://photobykercho.com