Field Guide to the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses – book review
Heavy on maps and packed with advice (and eclipse glasses) this spiral-bound book is the ideal road companion for the coming North American eclipses.
Are you ready for the 2024 total solar eclipse in North America? On April 8, 2024, a stunning 4 minutes+ totality will come to Mexico, the U.S., and Canada. You can choose your spot from many thousands. But what happens if rain is predicted where you are and you need to move?
Cue the Field Guide of the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses ($20.00) from GreatAmericanEclipse.com, an essential guide to both the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, and the preceding annular solar eclipse on October 14, 2023, which is also in the U.S.
Buy the Field Guide to the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses
The 112-page book—which is spiral-bound to make it easy to use in the car—has everything you need for successful eclipse chases. On the inside cover are even a couple of pairs of eclipse glasses to keep your eyes protected during the partial phases of both eclipses.
After an entertaining introduction to both eclipses, there’s information on exactly what to expect, how to stay safe, and some advice on coping with the inevitable traffic. There are some simple explanations of what’s going on and some basic context maps so you can easily understand what’s going to happen, and where.
Each state and/or country the eclipses cross is then treated to an in-depth write-up by Michael Bakich, retired senior editor of Astronomy Magazine. Then it’s to the real reason to buy the Field Guide of the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses—its exquisite maps.
Created by eclipse cartographer Michael Zeiler—the publisher of GreatAmericanEclipse.com—the maps are incredibly detailed and cover, page after page, the entire length of both eclipse paths.
Not only do they include the limits of the paths, but the exact eclipse duration for any place you care to put yourself. That’s useful because on April 8, 2024, the path will become a massive 120 miles wide at some points.
Plan your eclipse trip
There is no better purchase for anyone planning on experiencing 2024’s ‘Great North American Eclipse.’
The best advice for the 2024 total solar eclipse is to head south—either to Mexico or to Texas—to maximize your chances of a clear sky, but to stay mobile. They don’t call it “eclipse-chasing” for nothing. Those in the U.S. would be wise to make a Plan A to drive down to the U.S.-Mexico border at Eagle Pass for a potentially clear view of a 4 minutes 26 seconds totality. This excellent book will help you make a last-minute plan without getting your eclipse geography wrong.
On the day anything can happen. Just make sure that on E-Day—and for the 48 hours beforehand—you have your car keys in one hand and a copy of the Field Guide of the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses in the other.
Photo credits: Michael Zeiler at GreatAmericanEclipse.com
Buy the Field Guide to the 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses
