For the total eclipse of the sun in Oklahoma in April 2024, I decided to stay overnight the night before in Longview in Texas, which was located just outside of the path of totality. I figured that due to potential traffic, I would give three hours for the drive due north the next morning on United States Highway 259, which would normally take 90 minutes.
The Total Eclipse of the Sun Oklahoma April 2024. With Video.
The spot which I ultimately chose was a few miles north of the center of the path of totality: a dead-end street in the small city of Idabel, within walking distance north of shopping centers in case I needed any conveniences. The duration of the eclipse was barely one second less than if I were located directly underneath the path of totality.
On the morning of the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, 2024, I awoke to overcast skies in Longview. Here we go again, I thought to myself, as I always seem to experience unfavorable weather conditions just prior to the celestial event. The weather forecasts and reports were mostly doom and gloom for the day. I hoped that I would once again be fortunate to see a total solar eclipse.
I encountered no traffic issues on my way to my chosen spot for the eclipse. The drive could not have been easier and more pleasant. I drove past approximately a dozen vehicles at the triangular corner of United States Highway 259 and Peregrine Road, which is a remote spot that was directly underneath the center of the path of totality. People had their cameras out on tripods. Huge expensive telephoto lenses were attached to some of the cameras.
The skies were almost clear at times during the drive to extreme southeastern Oklahoma; but clouds eventually covered the sky once again not long before the eclipse was about to occur prior to my arrival at my chosen location: the dead end of Progress Drive in Idabel.
I passed two police cars as I arrived at the outskirts of town, with two police officers reclining in lounge chairs. They did not seem too happy about being assigned total solar eclipse duty; but reports forecasted that as many as 60,000 people were expected to descend on Idabel on that day.
The owner of the land next to the dead end felt the need to install signs which read PRIVATE PROPERTY — NO TRESPASSING and caution tape surrounding its perimeter to keep intruders off of the land.
The town never felt that crowded or inundated during the entire experience — and as with my past two experiences with total solar eclipses, the clouds started breaking away just prior to the beginning of the event.
I set up a contraption on my camera similar to the one during the total eclipse of the sun in 2017; but a man walked over to me and offered me a filter specially designed for camera lenses. That was an incredibly generous and thoughtful gesture.
This video that I shot of the total solar eclipse in Oklahoma was actually decent — unlike last time when I was in Chile.
The photograph below was unfortunately shaky; but it shows how dark the area was during the eclipse. Some of the street lights were activated; and the sounds of crickets replaced the chirping of birds.
Unlike the past two total solar eclipses that I witnessed, I was able to leave town with virtually no traffic after the final phase of the eclipse concluded. That was a very pleasant surprise.
Final Boarding Call
I chose extreme southeastern Oklahoma to view the total eclipse of the sun because I heard so much about where to view it in places in Texas, Indiana, New York, and several other states. Southeastern Oklahoma was rarely mentioned; and no major cities were within two hours of Idabel. I had bet that getting to and from the site that I chose for the eclipse would be easier. I won that bet handily — and was blessed with unexpectedly good viewing conditions.
If you have the opportunity to see a total solar eclipse in person, do whatever you can to see it. Not everyone will be amazed by it; but I was.
At least one person asked me whether or not all that driving was worth seeing the total solar eclipse in person, I responded without hesitation: “Definitely YES!!!” I would do it all over again in a heartbeat — and did…
…but I do not plan on viewing another total solar eclipse again — especially after all of the time, effort and money spent in preparation for the event in 2019. The next total eclipse of the sun is expected to occur in northern Spain, western Iceland, eastern Greenland, and a small extreme northern remote portion of Russia on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Included in the path of totality will be locations such as Reykjavik, Valencia, Nyhavn, Palma, and Ibiza — but the duration of the total solar eclipse will last fewer than two minutes at the most.
Things which I have learned from my experience with a total solar eclipse include:
- Clouds could actually enhance the photographs of a solar eclipse during its partial phases — but not necessarily for a total solar eclipse
- Consider reserving a room at a nearby hotel property so that you do not have to deal with traffic — especially in an area within range for 9.6 million people which was my destination in 2017; or even 74.6 million people near Santee in South Carolina — but be prepared to pay top dollar in room rates
- Do not let inclement weather or traffic deter you from completing your mission, as you never know when — or if — good fortune will come your way, as it did for me
- You can use solar eclipse glasses to protect your camera while taking photographs by covering the lens — ensure that absolutely no direct sunlight can get through — but I would recommend getting a special filter to fit on your lens instead for better quality and focusing
- If you do not want to reserve a hotel room, leave yourself plenty of time for driving or however you intend to travel to the desired location
- A tripod may not be enough — consider using the delayed picture option to reduce blurriness from shaking the camera
- You can view the total eclipse of the sun without any aids — but once that “engagement ring” effect appears, that is the time to wear your special solar eclipse glasses once again
- Never stare at the sun — even with solar eclipse glasses — for long periods of time; and never look directly into the sun at any time whatsoever without any protection for your eyes
All photographs and video ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
