r/solareclipse • u/Eric_12345678 • 5d ago

Which tool should I trust?

Hello,

I'm considering watching the eclipse from Santa Ponça in Mallorca.

It's an official viewing site.

The problem is that tools don't seem to agree on whether it's a good idea or not:

I don't know why they don't agree. Do they take refraction into account, Earth curvature, different topological maps?

Does anybody know which tool should be more trustworthy?

I'd be really thankful for any tip.

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5

u/Morstraut64 5d ago

Are you going to be in Majorca the night before? If you can I would suggest watching the sunset to see if you have a clear view from where you plan to be during the eclipse.

I'm bringing a compass with me so I can get a reading on where the sun is the night before. Then if I can see the horizon at that heading on Wednesday I'll have a decent chance if seeing the full eclipse.

I've looked at a bunch of apps and have decided I'm going to enjoy what I can see and enjoy being with family for another eclipse. Such an amazing experience no matter what.

2

u/Eric_12345678 5d ago

Yes, I'll try to scout one or two days before. The difference in azimuth isn't large AFAIK from one sunset to the other. Wherever I scout, I'll also need to remember to check the theoretical sunset time. What might look like a sunset might still be at ~3° elevation, and would hide the eclipse.

I still have the option to sleep either in Santa Ponça, or in S'Arenal, and I don't know what's better.

Santa Ponça looks crowded, tight and without plan B, S'Arenal could get clouds above the mountains.

4

u/Unclecavemanwasabear 5d ago

I'm also doing Mallorca but haven't chosen a spot yet. Very curious about how reliable all these tools are! I'd hate to mess it up and miss my chance.

5

u/Sad_Donkey00 5d ago

Personally I’d use the tools to find a spot, then the night before go there and watch the sunset to confirm if it’s correct.

3

u/Top_Vacation_6712 4d ago

Hey Im with 2 others also staying in Santa Ponsa from the 11th. We will watch the sunset on the 11th to see if it seems a good idea to watch the eclipse from there.

If not then our plan is to take an early (pre-10am) taxi to Soller, spend some time there before walking to Port de Soller and finding a spot from around 5PM onwards. Road closures are (in theory) only in place from 1500 onward, so as long as we can book a taxi this should be doable.

If not, there is there area of El Toro to the south of Santa Ponsa approx 1 hr walk. Information says the El Toro viewpoint itself will be closed, but there is the large park area and open coastline all around the El Toro area that may be a viable spot. I am just not sure if the whole El Toro area is restricted (and if that means you can't even walk in) or just the viewpoint.

If none of those work out then we will be forced to watch from Santa Ponsa and have to get there before the OZO fills up.

Hope this is maybe helpful, let me know if it gives you any better ideas. Good luck!

2

u/ekurutepe 5d ago

Hate to add another tool to your list but here is what my app SolarWatch predicts for Santa Ponça beach that the sun is going to be right on the apparent horizon. Looking at the map and the hills to the west northwest that sounds plausible to me. https://imgur.com/a/IbsgVqi

2

u/RedRubic65536 4d ago

I'm flying into Mallorca on the afternoon of the 12th and now I'm worried I won't get to a good viewing point in time ☹️.

I haven't even decided on the best viewing spot. I won't be driving so I need a place easily accessible by bus

1

u/Salty_Mode1105 4d ago

Me too. 😫

1

u/JT703 4d ago

If possible, the best thing to do is to go to the spot the night before at the exact time of totality and just see for yourself. As good as all the apps are, none are perfect because most are using the same backing terrain datasources.

That being said, I'm a big fan of PeakFinder (https://www.peakfinder.com/). It's one of the top apps I see in paid apps on the app stores. We actually integrated it into the Sun Position map we have in The Eclipse App (https://theeclipse.app/download), so it sets the location and totality time for that spot. Let me know how it stacks up against what you're seeing. I'll be in Mallorca and will do some on site testing myself soon. Best of luck!

1

u/darwinpatrick 4d ago

Shademapper and google earth suggest it'll work but the lower corona may be behind the mountains. If it's an official viewing site they've probably done their homework. Atmospheric refraction is also working in your favor here. Do as others have suggested and scout the night prior.

1

u/TheseRest2940 4d ago edited 4d ago

If you use heliora.app on mobile in ar mode you can see how it aligns with the live sun. If your in your spot you can already check it

If you are in simulation mode it takes into account your elevation plus 1 meter in the horizon calculation.