Connect with us

Dallas, TX

An eclipse victory: What it was like at Love Field in Dallas | Astronomy.com

Published

on

An eclipse victory: What it was like at Love Field in Dallas | Astronomy.com


Weather is a one-day event. For all of the analysis of trends, of where clouds or Sun will mark the landscape, anything can happen on any given day. In Texas, the weather prospects for the Great American Eclipse looked bleak. For days, the idea that storms would plague the region of Dallas, or at least thick clouds, seemed a sure thing. And then came eclipse day.

My journey this year was centered on Love Airport, a historic locality known in recent years for the landing site for John Kennedy’s ill-fated 1963 trip to Dallas. Being a history guy, I spent the remainder of my travel day visiting the sites associated with that dark day in November, more than 60 years ago, when the course of the nation suddenly and shockingly changed.

Advertisement

The airport is still very active (we had planes taking off during totality!), and hosts a fantastic collection of aircraft and flight-related artifacts in the wonderful Frontiers of Flight Museum. Our hosts there, led by Abigail Erickson-Torres and facilitated by the energetic Rosalie Wade, assembled a wonderful day that invited some 2,500 members of the public into the grounds to view the eclipse.

The Editor of Astronomy Magazine was not alone, however. We partnered with our good friends at Celestron, and their staff turned out in force, with many people and several telescopes on the ground. The telescopic feed we relied on for potential TV use came from one of the Celestron scopes. Our good pals Corey Lee, Kevin Kawai, Ben Hauck, Stephanie Schroeter, and others were on hand. And that wasn’t all: Partners from The Weather Channel were also there, broadcasting live, with the great meteorologist Alex Wilson taking the lead on camera and a big team led by producer Mike Jenkins coordinating the whole process. I had a wonderful time spending parts of the day on camera with Alex, narrating our experience dodging clouds and seeing the alignment of worlds come together.

But as I said, when I drove to Love Field at 5 a.m. on eclipse day, it looked like a washout. Although I’m a galaxy guy, really most interested in deep-sky objects, as Editor of the brand you get to see lots of events. I had experienced a dozen total eclipses before this one, two of them underneath a solid blanket of clouds. Believe me, that’s not a good way to see an eclipse.

We got an early start on camera. It was an extreme pleasure working with Alex Wilson. She is such a smooth pro that it was effortless to talk about the science, the observations, the meaning of it all as we looked skyward and hoped for the alignment of worlds. As dawn broke, the sky was still sketchy and the forecast far less than great. I recall the network proclaiming that Maine seemed the best place as far as clear skies went. Mexico seemed troubled too. As we looked to the south, past Parkland Hospital on the horizon, walls of clouds seemed to be destined to move our way as the morning continued.

Astronomy Editor Dave Eicher teamed up with The Weather Channel’s Alex Wilson to provide eclipse commentary. Credit: Dave Eicher.

I spent the waning moments of pre-eclipse time in the museum auditorium with a packed house, delivering a lecture on everything everyone needed to know to view and image the eclipse. When I walked out into the field again at noon, with first contact approaching, the situation had changed. Clouds were less dense, and hope appeared. Amazingly enough, as we awaited first contact, we had significant holes and could get a good view of the Sun, some 60° high in the sky. We would see the start of things, at least.

As always happens, people screeched out in joy as the first little bite out of the Sun’s disk became visible. Although we’ve known about solar system motions precisely since the days of Johannes Kepler, it always seems a bit like magic to many people when we count down by the second and an eclipse starts. And then, even with thick clouds visible way down to the south, we had a long, vertical corridor of clear sky that seemed to favor us as totality approached.

It dawned on us that we were going to defy the odds and see this thing. Excitedly, Alex Wilson and I narrated much of what was happening on The Weather Channel, off and on. The rapid darkening of the sky during the final moments before totality always amazes, and we had a rapid cooling of air too. The diamond ring! Glasses off! We had totality and it looked spectacular!

Advertisement

Our Love Field site experienced 3 minutes 51 seconds of totality, and we saw the whole thing perfectly. The corona seemed large, flower-like, and with some pretty good brushes and rays, too, expected from the current cycle of solar activity. We had some nice prominences too, especially one at bottom right (as we faced south), that was incredibly bright near the end of totality. Venus popped out immediately and Jupiter too, after a bit of cloud passed it, and we did not expect to see Comet Pons-Brooks, nor waste time with binoculars searching for it. The chromosphere seemed bright around the Moon’s rim but lacked the color we saw in 2017. It was a beautiful eclipse, however, and we felt very lucky to have seen it so well.

It’s always struck me as funny that as soon as totality ends, the interest in the rest of the eclipse, for the next hour plus, kinda fades away. But alas, everyone was elated, celebrating a great view, and the party started. We had a very happy airport full of people, on a natural high from the experience, and already talking about other eclipse adventures — Iceland, Spain, and yes, the most amazing one to come, Egypt.

I hope that you also experienced a great eclipse. There’s nothing that quite equals seeing the worlds align, and remember that the Moon is inching away from us a little bit every year. We have only 600 million more years to catch total eclipses, and then they will be a thing of the past.

David J. Eicher is Editor of Astronomy, author of 26 books on science and history, and a board member of the Starmus Festival and of Lowell Observatory.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Dallas, TX

Dallas Fire-Rescue sends 6 firefighters to assist with California wildfire response

Published

on

Dallas Fire-Rescue sends 6 firefighters to assist with California wildfire response



CBS News Texas

Live

Dallas Fire-Rescue has deployed six personnel to assist with ongoing wildland fire response efforts in California.

Advertisement

On Saturday morning, a Type 3 fire engine staffed with four wildland firefighters, part of a strike team composed of resources from across the state, headed to Los Angeles County, according to a news release. Two Dallas Fire-Rescue members will also join the Emergency Medical Task Force to provide essential medical support for the firefighting crews.

The strike team will assist in high-priority areas where their efforts can have the most significant impact.  

“We stand in solidarity with the teams of firefighters working to protect lives and property,” said Dallas Fire Rescue interim chief Justin Ball. “Dallas Fire Rescue Department is always ready to step in to support our fellow firefighters, especially in these extremely challenging conditions.”

Wildland firefighters, including those from Dallas Fire-Rescue, are specially trained in wildfire suppression and capable of tackling fires in challenging and hazardous environments, such as steep terrain and high temperatures, the news release states.

The deployments are expected to last up to 14 days, with the possibility of extension based on operational needs and ground conditions in Los Angeles County.

Advertisement

Dallas Fire-Rescue will collaborate with other strike teams, which include personnel from Parker County, Greenville, Allen, Frisco and McKinney, the news release states.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

Dallas faces conference rival Denver

Published

on

Dallas faces conference rival Denver


Associated Press

Denver Nuggets (22-15, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (22-16, fifth in the Western Conference)

Dallas; Sunday, 3 p.m. EST

Advertisement

BOTTOM LINE: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets visit Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

The Mavericks have gone 16-13 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas is ninth in the NBA with 45.2 rebounds led by Dereck Lively averaging 8.2.

The Nuggets have gone 14-10 against Western Conference opponents. Denver is third in the NBA scoring 120.6 points per game while shooting 49.9%.

The Mavericks average 116.4 points per game, 0.1 fewer points than the 116.5 the Nuggets give up. The Nuggets score 8.8 more points per game (120.6) than the Mavericks allow (111.8).

TOP PERFORMERS: Irving is shooting 49.0% and averaging 24.3 points for the Mavericks.

Advertisement

Russell Westbrook is shooting 45.9% and averaging 12.9 points for the Nuggets.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 4-6, averaging 111.1 points, 43.9 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 7.0 steals and 7.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.9 points per game.

Nuggets: 6-4, averaging 122.8 points, 45.5 rebounds, 32.0 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.1 points.

INJURIES: Mavericks: Dante Exum: out (wrist), Luka Doncic: out (calf), Kyrie Irving: out (illness).

Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: day to day (calf), Jamal Murray: day to day (knee), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Spencer Jones: day to day (thigh), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).

Advertisement

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.




Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Dallas, TX

Former Dallas Cowboys DE, Robert Quinn, arrested in South Carolina

Published

on

Former Dallas Cowboys DE, Robert Quinn, arrested in South Carolina


Robert Quinn (Charleston Co. Jail)

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn was arrested in South Carolina Friday morning after police said he tried to leave the scene of an accident.

Quinn, 34, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and reckless driving, jail records show.

Advertisement

What we know:

Police in North Charleston, South Carolina responded to a car dealership just after 2 a.m. Friday because of a collision involving a red truck.

Advertisement

The North Charleston Fire Department arrived first on the scene and told police that the suspect might be attempting to leave the scene of the crash in another car.

When police arrived, they found Quinn in the passenger seat of a white Dodge Challenger that had its reverse lights on. The vehicle’s driver placed the car in park and told police she had been called by Quinn to “pick him up,” according to a police report.

Police said Quinn had visible injuries to his head and face, had slurred speech and was uncooperative with officers who asked for his identification.

Advertisement

Quinn eventually provided his identification to officers, but asked himself “where is my wallet” while his wallet was in his hand before dropping it in his lap.

The police report states a maroon Ford F-150 registered to Quinn was on the other side of the parking lot and looked to be the vehicle that started the collision.

Advertisement

Police said Quinn’s truck hit the passenger side of a Honda Element, which was pushed into a blue Ford F-150 that hit another car.

Officers asked Quinn to get out of the Challenger, but Quinn resisted by holding the door to the car, the report states. Police removed Quinn from the vehicle, and he was “escorted to the ground” by officers because he was trying to pull away from them.

Officers interviewed the woman with Quinn, who said she had met him at G-Club, a gentleman’s club, where she works, earlier that night.

Advertisement

Another employee of the club came to the scene and said Quinn had left alone about an hour before the collision happened.

Timeline:

Advertisement

Police said they used city cameras to build a timeline of the crash.

The police report states Quinn’s truck was seen driving down the road around 2 a.m. Friday and was veering left, crossed an intersection, a median and then onto dealership property.

City cameras did not pick up the collision, but it can be heard, the police report states.

Advertisement

Police said around 2:03 a.m. a single person is seen walking through the parking lot and a few minutes later that person walked to a Valero gas station.

At 2:07 a.m., the person is seen walking back to the dealership parking lot while stumbling and falling several times, the police report states.

Advertisement

About a minute later, a white Dodge Challenger is seen entering the parking lot around the same time that the fire department arrived, according to the report.

Dallas Cowboys Defensive End

Quinn played the 2019 season with the Dallas Cowboys after being traded from the Miami Dolphins for a sixth-round pick.

Advertisement

Quinn was suspended for the first two games of the season after violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He was named the team’s starting right defensive end when he was reinstated.

Quinn finished the season with 25 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Quinn signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Chicago Bears the following season.

Advertisement

Quinn was drafted 14th overall by the St. Louis Rams in 2011 and spent six years with the team before going to Miami, Dallas, Chicago and ending his career in 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Quinn was born in North Charleston, South Carolina, where he played high school football before playing college football for the University of North Carolina.

Advertisement

The backstory:

This isn’t Quinn’s first tangle with law enforcement.

July 2012 – Florissant, Mo.

Advertisement

Quinn was arrested for driving while intoxicated in July 2012 in Florissant, Missouri, while a member of the St. Louis Rams. 

Florissant police said Quinn was involved in a single-car accident on an exit ramp of Interstate 270 on July 10, 2012. Police said he was cooperative with them during the arrest.

Quinn was also charged with failure to exercise a high degree of care and having no insurance.

Advertisement

August 2023 – Summerville, S.C.

In August 2023, Quinn was arrested in Summerville, South Carolina after police found four unoccupied vehicles in a subdivision had been damaged.

At some point, Quinn allegedly exited his vehicle and got into a physical altercation with a woman before leaving the scene.

Advertisement

According to an accident report, a Ford F-150 truck crashed into multiple vehicles. Responding officers proceeded to search the vehicle and found an empty whiskey bottle on the passenger side floorboard.

Per the police report, the unidentified woman was sitting in her driveway when the suspect hit two parked vehicles. The driver then exited the truck and offered to buy her beer, the woman told investigators.

Advertisement

Quinn was charged with third-degree assault and battery, hit-and-run of an attended vehicle, four counts of hit-and-run property damage and striking fixtures on or adjacent to the highway.

What’s next:

Quinn was booked into the Charleston County, South Carolina jail.

Advertisement

Jail records show Quinn has a preliminary court date set for Feb. 27, 2025.

The Source: Information in this article comes from the North Charleston police department and previous FOX reporting.

Advertisement
Crime and Public SafetySouth CarolinaDallas Cowboys



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending