This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
Dallas On April 8 2024
This post is a brief reminder of the total solar eclipse happening April 8, 2024. Dallas, Texas, where I live, will experience totality, and the total time in totality in Dallas will be 3 minutes and 51 seconds (1:40:43 PM CDT to 1:44:34 PM CDT), one of the longest durations across the country. If you are content with just a partial eclipse you can see that from any of the 48 states, and it will last for hours. This event is less than two months away.
Path of totality (total solar eclipse). I am allowed to use this image as long as I link back to the National Eclipse. Click on the image to visit the National Eclipse.Alternative map showing the path of totality from Travel + Leisure.
According to those who have experienced a total solar eclipse it is a lot more profound experience than a partial solar or an annular eclipse. A partial eclipse is definitely cool. You can see the crescent shadows of tree leaves and if you have the right glasses, you can see the sun partially covered by the moon. However, it won’t get dark. In a total solar eclipse, it will get dark, and many say that the birds will stop singing, it will become quiet. This is the last total solar eclipse in the United States until 2044. It will be my first total solar eclipse (I saw a partial in 2017). Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
Overview of path of totality and partial solar eclipse worldwide. Public domain – NASA. Eclipse Predictions by Fred Espenak.Gif animation illustrating totality and extent of partial solar eclipse. Official work for NASA.My solar eclipse glasses that I bought on Amazon.
Click here or here to read more about the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.
My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.
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How exciting, Thomas! You seem well prepared and it is indeed a moving experience. We had one quite a number of years ago and the silence was eerie as yes, even the birds stopped singing. Incredible once they started up again!
Wow! That sounds amazing. It is great that you got to experience a total solar eclipse. I’ve read somewhere that there was a study concluding that 75% of species (in that area) exhibited their nightime behavior during the eclipse. So they thought it was night. Hopefully we won’t have any thunderstorms rolling in and destroying the experience.
Wow!!!! 2024 has been so busy for me I had no idea this was going to happen. How exciting!!! Columbia is one of the partial eclipse cities (70+%). I remember the last one several years ago here. It was a total eclipse. Very cool experience. Looking forward to this one in April. Thanks for the reminder!!
Is that Columbia in South Carolina? So you experienced a total one already. That is very cool. I’ve been in partial eclipses, but it has to be 100%/total for it to get dark, and that I have never seen. I am looking forward to it. If you want to see a total one again you could always travel a little bit.
Yes! In South Carolina. It was the coolest thing. The middle of the afternoon and suddenly it started to get dark like a bad storm was coming. But faster. Within minutes it was pitch black at 2:30 in the afternoon. Stayed that was for a few minutes and then began to lighten up. Within 10 minutes the sky was back to normal as if nothing had happened. Wild!! But we have lots of crazy things happen here. Like earthquakes of various sizes. South Carolina has been having them every 2-3 months (sometimes every week or two) for the last few years. That’s an experience too. The big ones sound like the roof is going to crash in on me. lol!!
That sounds very cool. I wanted to see a total eclipse in 2017 but it was just too far to travel, so I stayed at home experiencing just the partial. We’ve had some earthquakes here in Texas too, but it is from fracking. In South Carolina you have a real fault line.
That is amazing. You are a lucky boy! I can’t say I’ve ever seen a full eclipse and this–since I’m in California–I guess I won’t experience to its fullest. I’ll be watching other people’s posts, though.
Yes I am lucky, but before I say that the weather has to cooperate too. If we get one of those famous Texas spring thunderstorms at the same time it would kind of ruin it. It would still get dark(er) but it would not be the same thing. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
That’s very cool you will be getting the total eclipse, Thomas 🙂 Our son got to see it the last time, and we got part of it. I am a fan of both the sun and moons. Nice we can pause and enjoy.
Thank you so much Denise. It is great your son got to experience a total solar eclipse. I’ve only experienced a partial one. I am looking forward to this one.
Thanks very much Thomas for the amazing information about this event. We will only see a partial eclipse in Ireland at the other side of the event on April 8th but I will be watching…
Partial is interesting too, but it won’t get dark and quiet. Just a little bit of a crescent sun is enough to make it like day. However, the small shadows (like the shadows of the tree leaves) on the ground will have crescents. With the right glasses you can see the crescent sun. It is something.
Oh. You’re going to have a great time, Thomas. I’ve seen one total eclipse, but we weren’t center stage, so it was under a minute. It is very cool though. One of my favorite parts were the shadows of the leaves on the sidewalk, and how the temperature dropped. In our area, the protective glasses ran out, so make sure you all have yours early. Have fun!
That should be an amazing experience! Thanks for sharing the details, Thomas. Looking forward to reading about it, after the fact. Our area is slightly outside the path of totality, unfortunately.
Yes I hope so. Thank you Debbie. It is too bad you are slightly outside the area of totality. However, you could still see the crescent shadows of the tree leaves and with the right glasses the crescent sun.
Well Niagara Falls is a fun place to visit with or without solar eclipses, so I would do that. But I’ll bet others are thinking that too, so booking a hotel soon might be a good idea. Well maybe you live close enough that you don’t need a hotel.
How interesting, Thomas. I wrote a short story which included a total solar eclipse. It is a historical story and there really was a solar eclipse on that day.
I have as of yet not experienced a full one either but people who have told me it is incredible. I also read about it. I am looking forward to April 8.
Thank you Debbie. Yes I expect it to be spectacular unless it is ruined by weather. For the 2017 one it was hundreds of miles for me/us to travel to experience totality, which is too far. I certainly understand people who don’t want to do that.
You will be in Florida exactly then. That’s kind of a bummer. You miss the total solar eclipse, but Alex won’t. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, but even if it doesn’t a total solar eclipse will still be interesting as it gets dark. Bad weather will totally ruin a partial eclipse though.
Leonberger Life 
Exciting. It does perturb wildlife a lot.
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Yes that is what I’ve heard/read. It is going to be interesting to experience it.
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How exciting, Thomas! You seem well prepared and it is indeed a moving experience. We had one quite a number of years ago and the silence was eerie as yes, even the birds stopped singing. Incredible once they started up again!
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Wow! That sounds amazing. It is great that you got to experience a total solar eclipse. I’ve read somewhere that there was a study concluding that 75% of species (in that area) exhibited their nightime behavior during the eclipse. So they thought it was night. Hopefully we won’t have any thunderstorms rolling in and destroying the experience.
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I’m excited for this!
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Yes that’s right, you live in the path of totality too, or close to it. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
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Wow!!!! 2024 has been so busy for me I had no idea this was going to happen. How exciting!!! Columbia is one of the partial eclipse cities (70+%). I remember the last one several years ago here. It was a total eclipse. Very cool experience. Looking forward to this one in April. Thanks for the reminder!!
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Is that Columbia in South Carolina? So you experienced a total one already. That is very cool. I’ve been in partial eclipses, but it has to be 100%/total for it to get dark, and that I have never seen. I am looking forward to it. If you want to see a total one again you could always travel a little bit.
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Yes! In South Carolina. It was the coolest thing. The middle of the afternoon and suddenly it started to get dark like a bad storm was coming. But faster. Within minutes it was pitch black at 2:30 in the afternoon. Stayed that was for a few minutes and then began to lighten up. Within 10 minutes the sky was back to normal as if nothing had happened. Wild!! But we have lots of crazy things happen here. Like earthquakes of various sizes. South Carolina has been having them every 2-3 months (sometimes every week or two) for the last few years. That’s an experience too. The big ones sound like the roof is going to crash in on me. lol!!
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That sounds very cool. I wanted to see a total eclipse in 2017 but it was just too far to travel, so I stayed at home experiencing just the partial. We’ve had some earthquakes here in Texas too, but it is from fracking. In South Carolina you have a real fault line.
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I know!!! But our fault line has never been very active until the last two years. Wild!!
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Well that’s interesting, just the two last years. If it was fracking I could understand, but it’s not.
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Exciting! That’s awesome you’ll get to experience totality.
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Yes I am looking forward to it. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
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That is amazing. You are a lucky boy! I can’t say I’ve ever seen a full eclipse and this–since I’m in California–I guess I won’t experience to its fullest. I’ll be watching other people’s posts, though.
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Yes I am lucky, but before I say that the weather has to cooperate too. If we get one of those famous Texas spring thunderstorms at the same time it would kind of ruin it. It would still get dark(er) but it would not be the same thing. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
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That’s very cool you will be getting the total eclipse, Thomas 🙂 Our son got to see it the last time, and we got part of it. I am a fan of both the sun and moons. Nice we can pause and enjoy.
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Thank you so much Denise. It is great your son got to experience a total solar eclipse. I’ve only experienced a partial one. I am looking forward to this one.
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Thanks very much Thomas for the amazing information about this event. We will only see a partial eclipse in Ireland at the other side of the event on April 8th but I will be watching…
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Partial is interesting too, but it won’t get dark and quiet. Just a little bit of a crescent sun is enough to make it like day. However, the small shadows (like the shadows of the tree leaves) on the ground will have crescents. With the right glasses you can see the crescent sun. It is something.
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We will certainly be watching out for it Thomas..
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Oh. You’re going to have a great time, Thomas. I’ve seen one total eclipse, but we weren’t center stage, so it was under a minute. It is very cool though. One of my favorite parts were the shadows of the leaves on the sidewalk, and how the temperature dropped. In our area, the protective glasses ran out, so make sure you all have yours early. Have fun!
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Wow that sounds great. I have bought glasses maybe I’ll buy more and have a little party. Thank you Diane.
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That’s a great idea! Lol
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Too bad we don’t still live in New York, we would’ve been just a skip away from the path of totality …
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Totality is something to look forward to for us but I’m not sure I would travel far for it.
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That should be an amazing experience! Thanks for sharing the details, Thomas. Looking forward to reading about it, after the fact. Our area is slightly outside the path of totality, unfortunately.
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Yes I hope so. Thank you Debbie. It is too bad you are slightly outside the area of totality. However, you could still see the crescent shadows of the tree leaves and with the right glasses the crescent sun.
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I looked into it, and if we drive to Niagara Falls (approx. 45 minutes by car), we’ll be in the right area. Fun idea for an afternoon! 🙂
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Well Niagara Falls is a fun place to visit with or without solar eclipses, so I would do that. But I’ll bet others are thinking that too, so booking a hotel soon might be a good idea. Well maybe you live close enough that you don’t need a hotel.
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Yes, it would just be an afternoon outing. We’ve been there dozens of times, since we live so close.
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Nice information, Thomas, that too well in advance! Unfortunately this will not be seen in India.
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That is too bad, but maybe another time.
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How interesting, Thomas. I wrote a short story which included a total solar eclipse. It is a historical story and there really was a solar eclipse on that day.
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That sounds very interesting. Which story/book is that? I would like to buy it.
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HI Thomas, that story is not published yet. It will hopefully be in next year’s short story collection.
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That sounds exciting. I am looking forward to it.
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I’m delighted to hear that.
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I’ve experienced a partial solar eclipse but never a full one.
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I have as of yet not experienced a full one either but people who have told me it is incredible. I also read about it. I am looking forward to April 8.
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You’ll report back to us how it went?
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Yes of course I will report back even if the event is ruined by an inconvenient thunderstorm
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🙂
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Wow Thomas, that will be spectacular! And I love that you got your glasses early! Like my friend Deb above, we are sadly not in the total zone. 🙂
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Thank you Debbie. Yes I expect it to be spectacular unless it is ruined by weather. For the 2017 one it was hundreds of miles for me/us to travel to experience totality, which is too far. I certainly understand people who don’t want to do that.
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We will be in Florida, but where I live will be close to 100%, so Alex is going to see it great if it isn’t cloudy.
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You will be in Florida exactly then. That’s kind of a bummer. You miss the total solar eclipse, but Alex won’t. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, but even if it doesn’t a total solar eclipse will still be interesting as it gets dark. Bad weather will totally ruin a partial eclipse though.
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