Chasing Eclipses with timeanddate
timeanddate.com captures breathtakinglive images of solar and lunar eclipsesworldwide using a mobile observatory.
Adalbert Michelic setting up the telescopes of the mobile observatory in San José de Jáchal, Argentina.
©timeanddate.com
We kick off this year with atotal solar eclipseacross North America on April 8, 2024.
We’re dispatching two teams to the US: one to Texas and another—highly mobile—team to the American Northeast just to make sure we capture the whole eclipse.
A Traveling Telescope
Although the setup of a mobile observatory is a lot simpler than one might think, there is quite an extensive list of items needed to make sure the images make it all the way to our viewers around the world, including:
- a telescope or two,
- a camera to capture the telescope images,
- a couple of computers with the right software,
- networking equipment,
- a good internet connection,
- a huge number of cables and batteries, and,
- astronomy enthusiasts willing to travel across oceans.
Solar and lunar eclipses worldwide
Steffen Thorsen and our mobile observatory streaming apartial solar eclipsefrom the northern tip of Norway.
Chasing Eclipses Since 2016
Each eclipse can only be seen from certain locations, so filming them can mean just setting up our telescopes on the roof of ourheadquarters in Norway,a short road trip to chase a patch of blue sky—or traveling to the other side of the globe. Past trips include:
2023: Western Australia, New Mexico, Western Norway
In April 2023, we dispatched our mobile observatory toExmouth, Western Australia,to cover thetotal solar eclipse.Seetotality on our YouTube channel(and remember to subscribe).
Our team returned toRoswell, New Mexico,for theannular solar eclipse in October,but looming clouds meant our teams split up at the last minute. Three of us stayed in Roswell, and two drove across the border toOdessa, Texas,and caught these beautifulimages of annularity.
Our last mobile observatory dispatch was toBergen,the rain capital of Norway, to stream thepartial lunar eclipseat the end of October. We also got a little bonus:Jupiter made a guest appearance at the end of our livestream. Geremy Krause testing one of our telescopes before the 2023 annular solar eclipse in Roswell, New Mexico. ©timeanddate.com
2022: Morocco, Northern Norway, New Mexico
In May 2022, our mobile observatory was finally on the road again after a long travel hiatus. This time, we went back toOuarzazate, Morocco,to live stream thetotal lunar eclipse.
For thepartial solar eclipse in October,we dispatched our mobile observatory to the northern edge of Norway. Two weeks later, our team flew toRoswell, New Mexico,to cover theNovember lunar eclipse—although we ended up inTucson, Arizona,due to bad weather in Roswell.
Mathew Gundersen watching a total lunar eclipse (the red dot at the top of the image), and making sure it gets streamed to our studio in Stavanger, Norway.
©timeanddate.com
Lunar Eclipse in November 2021
We streamed thealmost total lunar eclipseon November 18–19, 2021. Covid restrictions kept us from traveling to North America with our mobile observatory, but with the help of our stellar (or lunar, you might say)streaming partners,we stillstreamed it LIVE.
An eclipsed Moon sets over the Sahara desert in May 2022—captured by the timeanddate mobile observatory.
©timeanddate
Lunar and Solar Eclipses in May and June 2021
Covid restrictions kept our mobile observatories within Norway’s borders for theannular solar eclipse on June 10, 2021.After monitoring the weather and deciding at the last minute where to travel, we ended up with one observatory going to Kautokeino and one to Oslo. See the eclipsed Sun in ourannular solar eclipseshow.
Unfortunately, the pandemic completely blocked our plans to take the mobile observatory on the road for thetotal lunar eclipse on May 26.Luckily, with the help of our trustystreaming partners,we streamed the eclipse LIVE. See theBlood Moonin thetotal lunar eclipseshow.
Images from our partners across the globe coming into the timeanddate HQ during an eclipselivestream.
©timeanddate
Eclipses in November and December 2020
Covid-19 travel restrictions stopped our plan to take the mobile observatory toArgentinafor thetotal solar eclipse on December 14, 2020.We stillstreamed the total solar eclipsewith ourstreaming partners’help.
As a special bonus show, we alsolive-streamedthepenumbral lunar eclipse on November 29/30, 2020.
Annular Solar Eclipse 2020
Our plans to travel toOmanto capture theannular solar eclipse on June 21were thwarted by Covid-19 travel restrictions. Despite this, several partners on location helped us broadcast a spectacularlive streamof the eclipse straight from our studio inStavanger, Norway.
Anne Buckle and Graham Jones hosting the July 2, 2019 total solar eclipse live show from Argentina.
©timeanddate.com
Three Eclipses and a Transit in 2019
In 2019, timeanddate’s mobile observatory was on the road for atransit of Mercury,apartial lunar eclipse,atotal solar eclipse,and atotal lunar eclipse.
- OnNovember 11, 2019,we traveled toÅlesund, Norway,to capture Mercury moving across the Sun.
- During the night between July 16 and 17, 2019, westreamedthepartial lunar eclipsefromŠibenik, Croatia.
- A few weeks before that, we went toSan José de Jáchal, Argentina,to capture theJuly 2, 2019 total solar eclipse.
- In January 2019, we traveled toOuarzazate, Morocco,for theJanuary 20 / 21, 2019 total lunar eclipse.
Lunar Eclipse in Greece 2018
We first took the mobile observatory on the road in 2018, capturing theJuly 27, 2018 total lunar eclipsefromSantorini, Greece.
Bonus Track: Mercury Transit in 2016
For our very first live stream—thetransit of Mercury in 2016—we simply put an amateur telescope on the balcony outside our offices.
Our first ever live stream was on the balcony of timeanddate’s old offices with this simple setup. The wooden floorboards posed a problem when zooming in on tiny Mercury moving across the Sun’s surface!
©timeanddate.com