Last Updated on April 8, 2024, 5:37 PM | Published: April 8, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — An even bigger throng than in 2017 descended on Myriad Gardens Monday to see the 2024 version of the solar eclipse that reached totality as the shadow moved across Texas.
And a thin skiff of clouds didn’t seem to impair anyone’s enjoyment of the rare event of the moon moving between the Earth and the sun.
Even though Oklahoma City was beyond the track where a “totality” of the eclipse could be seen, the partial eclipse here was still impressive to those who were out in downtown OKC Monday.
And, if anyone is comparing, this eclipse was objectively more dramatic than the one in 2017 in that the moon was closer to the Earth this time thereby casting a larger shadow both in totality and in partial according to NASA.
Also, the track of the shadow this time was closer to Oklahoma City than the one in 2017 as shown in this illustration by NASA:
The duration of dim light was noticeable to some who commented that the temperature dropped slightly during the partial shadow event.
According to NASA, in 2017 the duration of the total eclipse over North America was 2 minutes and 42 seconds over Carbondale, Illinois.
This year, the duration of the total eclipse was to be 4 minutes and 26 seconds in totality along the Texas path with the longest time being 4 minutes and 28 seconds north of Torreón, Mexico.
Time off from work to view
Friends Keaton Hunter and Nina Afzalian (feature photo) took some time off to get out and see the eclipse.
Both said that they were curious about the eclipse and what it would look like in real time, which seemed to be the draw for most people who could have tuned into any number of broadcast outlets to see it.
Each had specially-made glasses for viewing and we observed them using them much more than others around them.
“I’m a therapist and didn’t have the next appointment until later, so we decided to meet up here and view it live,” said Hunter.
Tackling the challenge of photography
Lorenzo Diaz and girlfriend Tamara De Leon seemed much more task oriented with their visit to the Myriad Gardens.
We saw them teaming up to hold a pair of the eclipse glasses up to their phone camera lens in attempts to capture the eclipse on their own.
“This was really unplanned until today, said Diaz. “We just read about it on Facebook and decided to come on down here and glad we did.”
De Leon was the one trying hardest to capture a photo on her phone.
She said it was “really hard” to get it right where she was holding the phone and trying to position one of the lenses of the glasses correctly over her phone lens.
But, teaming up, they had success!
De Leon proudly showed off her best photo of the eclipse.
Each said they were glad they decided to get out and see it themselves.
Next time
The next total solar eclipse for North America will be August 23, 2044.
An annular solar eclipse will occur on Oct. 2 of this year.
The annular solar eclipse is the moon coming between the sun and the Earth but not blocking our view of the sun in totality.
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
