We were incredibly lucky to have a total solar eclipse right over us on April 7, 2024. I was lucky to be there for 1991, but this was as a child in summer camp, and the staff wouldn’t let us all just go out and watch directly during totality. So in a way this is the first one.
We drove about an hour away to Smithville, TX in order to get a bit more time in totality. It was totally worth it. Our hosts were wonderful too and we had a great time. The clody weather turned out to not be a big problem as it was windy enough to give us nice clear views every now and then.
The photos are crappy phone pics with no tripod or anything. But they are my crappy phone pics for my own souvenir purposes. Go elsewhere for awesome shots.
Astronomers have figured out, among other things, how big the Universe is. Most people have no idea how they figured it out.
This video by the Royal Observatory Greenwich does a fantastical job of explaining it to mere mortals using no math but outstanding visualization. It’s so well made… you gotta watch it if you haven’t yet. Yes, even if you are one of my dear astronomer readers:
As widely reported, last week there was a transit of Venus. It’s a rare event so I wisely decided to go check it out at the Lawrence Hall of Science. Unwisely, I attempted to get there on bike – but after a one hour battle with gravity I gave up, came home, showered, and drove.
Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley
Over there, they had a bunch of telescopes properly set up with filters and pointing to the Sun. Lines were long but brisk. If you missed it, this is what it looked like:
More photos, including the beautiful view of the bay:
