The August 1999 eclipse revealed a rounded corona nearly at solar maximum. Jeffery C. Buell Everyone likes to dream. Surfers dream of the perfect wave. Actors dream of the perfect role. Wine connoisseurs dream of the perfect vintage.
Eclipse chasers are no different.
For them, the perfect solar eclipse combines a long period of totality with nary a cloud in the sky. Throw an exotic locale into the mix and you'll get any eclipse watcher's juices flowing. And while perfection can be hard to achieve, the eclipse of June 2001 comes close, offering the best chance in 10 years to turn this dream into reality. The first solar eclipse of the new century cuts a narrow swath across the South Atlantic and southern Africa on June 21, 2001. Even better, the weather prospects rate among the best for any eclipse in decades.