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After 6 and a half years of waiting, the Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 was finally here! So I packed my gear and drove to Lima, Ohio to observe the event.

I had been watching the weather for a week (hoping the more I look the better it would be), but the forecast was for cloudy skies. The weather faeries did tempt us with clear skies in the moring, but by noon it was clouding up, and at the time of the eclipse there was a thin layer of clouds.

As the saying goes, "If you don't try, you can't win", so I set up my gear and hoped for the best.

As can be seen below, the solar filter on my camera was able to cut thru most of the clouds and show the progress of the eclipse. I was able to get images of the sun during totality (which showed 4 solar flares), but the view of the corona I wanted was hidden by the clouds.

Because a selfie is de rigueur these days, I had my picture snapped to prove I was there.

I have started looking for upcoming eclipses, and there is one in 2026 that is tempting, but it would require traveling to Iceland or Spain. The 2044 eclipse is not an option - I will be well into my dotage and probably unable to travel to Montana or NW North Dakota to watch an eclipse that will be in progress at sunset.

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