My name is Ruben Ruiz, proudly born and raised in Mexico City.
My father always liked the Science and Astronomy. He had a small Telescope and when I was a Kid, he would show me the moon using the Telescope. I remember he bought every year the Astronomical Booklet from the UNAM. I would read the booklet every year and I remember that the section of the Eclipses always got my attention. I realized they were always in other countries, places far away from my reach. Since then, I had the dream of one day being able to see one Eclipse.
In year 1991 there was a Solar Eclipse in Mexico City, which I partially saw due to weather and also because I didn't know exactly how to experience it. I do remember it got dark, but I can't recall seeing the Eclipse itself.
In year 2003 I did my first "Solar Eclipse" expedition. I went to Iceland to see an Annular Solar Eclipse. The experience was great since the tour was also combined with lectures about Astronomy.
In year 2006 I was my first Total Solar Eclipse. This was in Libya, in the desert. There were no clouds at all, the weather was just perfect. When Totality arrived, I remember I cried of emotion. At that moment I got totally hooked up to this Hobby.
I have had the pleasure of giving conferences about Solar Eclipses. I remember that in one of the conferences one guy told me he would love to see an Eclipse, but he was afraid that would be very costly. He was around 22 years old. I remember I told him: "Why don't you begin saving some money and give this to you as your birthday gift when you are 25 or 30 years old?" This is one of the beauties of the Eclipses. You can know exactly where it will be, and you can plan with many years in advance.
In year 2023 there will be an Annular Eclipse which can be seen in my country. I plan to see it in a small town close to Campeche.
In year 2024 there will be a Total Eclipse, also visible from Mexico. I plan to watch it from the beach, in Mazatlán.
I created with webpage with the intention to share my passion, and also to document what I have done and for people to learn about this hobby. The website also contains links to other websites of interest.
If you have never seen an Eclipse, I recommend you try it. The first time, don't bother to take pictures. Just go and enjoy the experience. You don't want to miss the eclipse while dealing with your cameras!
Clear Skies,
Ruben.