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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Total Eclipse Is Sure To Draw A Big Crowd To The Caribbean

David Swanson Special To Travel

Most of us go to the Caribbean to bask in warmth and sunshine. But next February, thousands will wing south to watch the lights go out when the heavens stage what is being billed as the second-best eclipse of the decade. Amateur astronomers from around the world are lining up to take part in the show.

“There’s nothing else like it,” says Gary Spears of Oklahoma-based Spears Travel, an agency that caters to eclipse chasers with package tours. “A total eclipse is mind-blowing - one of the most phenomenal natural events you’re ever likely to see.” Based on advance bookings for cruise ship cabins and hotel rooms, plenty of travelers would seem to agree.

A solar eclipse streaks across the globe approximately six times each decade. Some, like the Siberian eclipse last March, occur in areas hard to reach or with unfavorable viewing conditions. The upcoming Caribbean eclipse is a different story.

On Feb. 26, 1998, the moon’s shadow - the umbra - will course a nearly 100-mile-wide path across the Earth, through the equatorial Pacific, Colombia, the Caribbean and Mid-Atlantic. Within this 8,700-mile-long track - the “zone of totality” - the eerie viewing experience will be up to several minutes of sudden darkness. And, where clear skies allow, the backlit moon, a panoply of stars, and all five “naked eye” planets should become visible.

The umbra makes its first landfall when it skims the Galapagos Islands before continuing across northern Colombia. Viewing opportunities there will be shaky, since clouds are frequent in western Colombia.

The umbra enters the Caribbean just after 2 p.m. (local time). Both Aruba and Curacao lie within the zone of totality, and the arid islands will be in the middle of their dry season, increasing the odds of a cloud-free show.

The moon’s shadow will continue across the Caribbean Sea to the Leeward Islands at a speed of a half-mile a second. Twenty minutes after visiting Aruba and Curacao, the umbra engulfs Montserrat, then Antigua and Guadeloupe before racing into the Atlantic where it disappears.

Eclipse chasers have two main options for viewing the event: by land or by sea.

An optimal location will be in the waters between Aruba and Curacao, where both the best weather and a long period of totality - almost four minutes - are anticipated. A number of cruise lines are diverting their itineraries to this position for the eclipse. In addition to being situated at the center line of totality, they may be able to steer to an alternate site if clouds become problematic.

Some ships, including Stella Solaris and the new Dawn Princess, are already fully booked, while a Texas outfit, Tropical Adventures, has leased Star Clipper and three of seven ships in the Windjammer fleet. A few other lines are still redrawing their schedules to cash in on the lunar rubber-necking.

For some, viewing the event from land is a must. Professional photographers and eclipse chasers with telescopes will want a steady platform, and if conditions are right, an elevated, southwest-facing observation position will allow one to see the oncoming shadow cone swooping in from the horizon.

Land-oriented travelers can pick from a variety of backdrops on five islands - from active volcanoes to shimmering beaches to a pair of writhing Carnival celebrations. Rooms at the most ideal locations, Aruba and Curacao, are almost sold out, and Curacao’s Carnival concludes Feb. 24, exacerbating the accommodation shortage.

Islands in the Eastern Caribbean have devoted less energy to promoting the celestial event and, consequently, rooms are still available.

Optimal places to view the event are the northern tips of two-winged Guadeloupe, where totality will last three minutes; the limestone cliffs near Pointe de la Grande Vigie should provide a striking front-row perch. An added treat is that the island’s annual Carnival, one of the region’s most spectacular celebrations, also concludes on Ash Wednesday, the day before the eclipse.

Antigua representatives haven’t noticed an increase in bookings yet, but February is high season for island properties and “sold out” signs are sure to appear soon.

The southern reaches of the island will have the longest totality - 2 minutes, 47 seconds - and of all the places to view the event, few are more photogenic than Shirley Heights, the fortressed hill that rises above English Harbour.

If you miss the Caribbean event, mark the next one on your calendar. It will be the final eclipse of the century.

On Aug. 11, 1999, the moon’s penumbral shadow will streak a path across much of Europe - England, France, Munich, Bucharest and Turkey all lie within its course, providing ample accessibility, if less reliable weather conditions.