Pre-eclipse days create a truly magical realm. This atmosphere of excitement and pleasant anxiety for the unknown. The constant weather forecast rush and excellence of efficient cooperation with friends. It truly brings out the best in humans.
Originally, I planned to see the eclipse from Niagara Falls, but as the day approached, weather predictions left little to no hope. Overcast seemed to be the fate.
I woke up at 7:00 a.m. on April 8th. The sky above Niagara was completely overcast. Morale was high, so I decided to go for the final push.
Lonely rural roads of southern Ontario saved the day, and as I arrived at the new location, the skies cleared up, revealing a brilliant sight!
It was a success!
The first contact was brief yet memorable. Sun began to crescent gently, with totality following shortly after.
Right before the start of the totality, I launched a sequence on my imaging setup, ZWO ASI 585 MC + Samyang 135mm, but to my surprise, after a couple of minutes I realized that I had forgotten to remove the solar white filter! I guess the black-hole-moon distracted me : )
Luckily, totality was about ~3 minutes, so I got some last-minute data. This was not only my first time imaging a solar eclipse; it was my first time imaging the Sun. Usually, I’m more of a distant galaxy person. However, this time I had to improvise on the go!
Craziest astronomy-related event I ever had!
This will be a lifetime memory for sure, yet memories are made not to be missed or mourned, but to fuel even greater future adventures!
I will see you all in Europe for the 2026 total solar eclipse, dear AstroBinners!
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