The title of this post is a variation on the title of my previous post, which was written after the 2017 eclipse.

This time, I had resolved, with some friends, to travel to Indianapolis and prowl around the outskirts near criss-crossing highways so we could chase clear skies (which I now realize is the key to planning a successful eclipse watch).

The skies above Indianapolis cleared up beautifully on the 8th of April, 2024. We had tiny wisps of clouds, surrounded by the contrails of several planes that seemed to have taken flight to follow the path of the sun in the sky.

I picked up some equipment at an excellent photography shop in downtown Indianapolis – Roberts Cameras. I would recommend them to anyone in the area.

The eclipse went off with perfect visibility. The day was warm to start (72 degrees Fahrenheit, a very balmy April day)…

As usual, I had my trusty camera setup

As the sun decreased in size,

the rays of light from the smaller light source made the shadows more precise and crisp

It got quite dark

and then – totality

The solar prominences were clearly visible at the South Pole – on the photograph, we could see several around the moon’s disc.

Then, we saw the beautiful diamond ring effect

A lovely experience indeed, lasting more than three and a half minutes!