erynwells.me/content/blog/2024/eclipse/index.md

title	date	description	tags	resources
Eclipse	2024-04-09T20:26:31-05:00	I traveled to Austin, TX to watch the total solar eclipse that passed over North America, and visit my friend Breanna Carzoo.	Travel Space Eclipse Austin, TX Texas Food Conchas Books Reading	name src title preparing preparing.jpg name src title sol sol.jpg Sol name src title ringoffire ringoffire.jpg The Ring of Fire name src title diamondring diamondring.jpg Diamond Ring src title breanna-reading.jpg Breanna read Greenlight to a room full of kids wearing bee antennae. name src title params concha comadre-concha.jpg An earl grey concha from Comadre. The most delicate, flavorful pan dulce I've ever had. alt A small round bun with a pinkish topping sittin on a napkin in front of a traditional cardboard donut box.

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On April 8, the earth experienced a total solar eclipse tracking over North America. I was so excited to be able to travel to the path of totality and observe the eclipse with my friend and fellow space nerd, Breanna Carzoo.

My setup for all my eclipse photos was a Fujifilm X-T5, with a Canon EF 100mm Macro lens. I used a Fringer EF-XT converter to mount the EF lens on the X-T5. Of course I also had a solar filter.

Here's one of my first test images. You can see a sun spot!

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During totality, when the moon fully covers the disc of the sun, a phenomenon known as the "Ring of Fire" occurse. The sky is dark and most of the Sun's light is hidden. In this state, it's possible to see the Sun's corona.

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Just before and after totality is the "Diamond Ring" phase, when the last bit of light from the Sun's disc shines through the craters and valleys of the moon's surface.

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Austin, TX was pretty cloudy that day. I'm grateful we were able to see as much of the eclipse as we did. The clouds made for some awesome effects too. I'm particularly proud of my Diamond Ring image (above) with the additional drama the clouds brought to an already stunning event.

Apart from the eclipse, I got to see Breanna do a book event in Bee Cave, TX. This town is adorable and leans hard into its name -- everything has a bee theme.

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I was also eager to try Comadre Panadería after hearing about it from Claire Saffitz on one of her videos on her Dessert Person YouTube channel. I have a huge soft spot for conchas -- Mexican pan dulces shaped like shells -- and these were incredible.

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All told, a very successful trip! Breanna and I had a great time hanging out together, and despite the clouds we got some great views of the eclipse.