Annular Solar Eclipse 2023

  • Day One — Annular Eclipse Trip

    Leaving the Gypsum Hills, Kansas — Next stop Dodge City. Copyright © 2023 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved.

    The plan is simple. We have set aside three days to drive to Odessa, Texas, which is in the middle of the Annular Eclipse track, where the weather is set to be clear and cold. We’ll watch the eclipse and then spend two or three days driving home.

    Driving out, we’ve set the following rules:

    • No interstates once we are out of Missouri.
    • No chain restaurants.
    The Gypsum Hills, Kansas. Annular Eclipse Trip, Day One. After several hours of driving we stop to take in some scenery. Copyright © 2023 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved.
    Note to self — Hold my camera higher between checking out shots, or I will look like I’m taking a leak. (I didn’t take any pictures either.) Copyright © 2023 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved.

    We have no pre-booked accommodation — except for one night, Friday, 13, October, in Odessa. The Eclipse starts shortly after 10 am on Saturday, October 14. It’ll be my third eclipse — and first annular. It’ll be Ginger’s second eclipse, and first annular also.

    Unfortunately, my Photo-Mojo has departed, and doesn’t look like it’ll be returning anytime soon.

  • Day Two — Canadian River Railroad Bridge. Logan, New Mexico

    Canadian River Railroad Bridge Logan, New Mexico — Day Two of our Annular Eclipse Trip. This Union Pacific Railroad bridge over the Canadian River is located south of Logan in Quay County, New Mexico. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    We spent last night in Dodge City, then headed down to Texas, went across Texas and into New Mexico. And why not? It bagged me a new state.

    Lots of wide-open spaces, fields, feed lots, Grain silos, and dust storms are a thing — who knew? For some reason I thought they only happened in the distant past… Texas needs to be commended for its 75mph speed limit on most of the two-lane blacktop we were driving on while avoiding the interstates.

    Things started to get a bit ‘lumpier’ once we got to New Mexico, and we couldn’t turn down an opportunity to take a look at this bridge and the surrounding countryside.

  • Ginger sitting on the edge of the bluff overlooking the Canadian River

    Ginger sitting on the edge of the bluff overlooking the Canadian River, south of Logan, New Mexico. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    It was quite gusty, and I was very glad when Ginger moved away from the edge. It gets very windy here.

    Just how windy? In 2019 a freight train got blown off the bridge!

  • Canadian River, south of Logan, New Mexico.

    Canadian River, south of Logan, New Mexico. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • The northern edge of the Llano Estacado in New Mexico

    The northern edge of the Llano Estacado in New Mexico. On state Highway 469. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Scenic stop

    Scenic stop — If we’d checked the map, we would have discovered an amphitheater nearby. On state Highway 469. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • The northern edge of the Llano Estacado in New Mexico

    The northern edge of the Llano Estacado in New Mexico. On state Highway 469. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • The northern edge of the Llano Estacado in New Mexico

    The northern edge of the Llano Estacado in New Mexico. On state Highway 469. Annular Eclipse Trip Day Two. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Nowhere — State Highway 206, New Mexico

    Nowhere – State Highway 206, New Mexico — Day Three. We stopped to grab a quick video of the impressive nothingness here for the folks back home. Within ten minutes a couple of guys (from the buildings you can see in the distance behind the water tank) turned up to check on us. It is not as deserted as it might appear!

  • Faux Stonehenge, Odessa, Texas

    Faux Stonehenge Odessa, Texas. We stopped here while scoping out potential places to watch the annual eclipse. We decided this might be too twee and too popular. The eclipse photographers were already gathering. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    Faux Stonehenge Odessa, Texas. We stopped here while scoping out potential places to watch the annual eclipse. We decided this might be too twee and too popular. The eclipse photographers were already gathering. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

    And the real thing (back in 2008).

    Our route back from Birmingham took us near Stonehenge, at which point Ginger declared “Rebbie will never forgive me if I don’t go see it.” I will admit to being reluctant, and to be honest I think my fears were confirmed. It was far too organised and touristy to be a spiritual experience, I mean why is the grass mown? Did the ancients have lawn mowers? A few sheep to keep it in check perhaps. No majesty, no grandeur, just a pile of big stones. Copyright © 2008 Gary Allman, all rights reserved

  • Day Four — Eclipse glasses

    Eclipse glasses — Ginger and Gary ready for the annular eclipse, in Odessa, Texas. Annular Eclipse Trip Day Four. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Waiting for the eclipse (it had already started, but was just a bite out of the top of the sun). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Waiting for the eclipse (it had already started, but was just a bite out of the top of the sun). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Waiting for the eclipse (it had already started, but was just a bite out of the top of the sun). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Waiting for the eclipse (it had already started, but was just a bite out of the top of the sun). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Waiting for the eclipse (it had already started, but was just a bite out of the top of the sun). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Waiting for the eclipse (it had already started, but was just a bite out of the top of the sun). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Waiting for the eclipse (it had already started, but was just a bite out of the top of the sun). Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.
    • Eclipse glasses — Ginger and Gary ready for the annular eclipse, in Odessa, Texas. Annular Eclipse Trip Day Four. Copyright © 2023 Gary Allman, all rights reserved.

  • Annular Eclipse Timelapse

    The 2023 Annular Eclipse, seen from Odessa, Texas, USA.
    The 2023 Annular Eclipse. Copyright © 2023 Ginger Allman, all rights reserved.

    A series of hand-held photographs of the Annular Eclipse taken by Ginger on her cell phone using a pair of eclipse glasses held in front of the lens.

    I lined them up in photoshop and converted them into this timelapse.

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