Iron Butt LogoSolar Eclipse Rides
Lunar Eclipse Rides

Date last revised: December, 2025

© 2025, Iron Butt Association, Sheridan, Wyoming
Please respect our intellectual property rights.  Do not distribute this document or portions therein without the written permission of the Iron Butt Association.

Background

Solar and Lunar eclipses are one of nature’s unique events. They occur infrequently with a viewing area limited to a specific part of the world. Special certificates will be issued for these rides.

Be sure to read the rules for the iconic SaddleSore 1000 on the Iron Butt Association site.  The rules for this ride are similar and you will get valuable background information.

Definitions
DBR - Dated Business Receipt

A DBR is a machine generated receipt with the date, time and LOCATION on it.  Check it - do not assume it is correct.  A receipt with an incorrect time/date/location is worthless.  Check and re-check.

Fees  See Fee Page

IMPORTANT ABOUT VIEWING THE SOLAR ECLIPSE
You will need special glasses to view a solar eclipse.  The American Astronomical Society provides a list of reputable vendors of eclipse glasses and hand held viewers found here: https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters

Refer to this path maps on https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse to determine the date, time and path of both solar and lunar eclipses. It also will provide the time of maximum view for your location.

General Rules

Spotwalla is required for all Eclipse Rides.

Eclipse rides vary in difficulty depending on the type of eclipse and the location of the visibility region.

Any eclipse listed on timeanddate.com may qualify for Eclipse 1000 providing you are in a viewing area.

Only Total Solar, Annular Solar and Total Lunar are eligible for the Gold level certification.

Eclipse 1000

You must ride a minimum of 300 miles to your eclipse viewing location
.
You must be at your viewing location at the time of maximum view for that location.
 
Solar eclipse must be somewhere within the eclipse path shown on timeanddate.com.

Lunar eclipses must be in a region where the eclipse is visible at maximum view shown on timeanddate.com.

The ride must be completed in less than 24 hours.

You may finish at your viewing location, observe the eclipse at maximum view, and then obtain your final DBR.

To prove that you were at your viewing location at the time of maximum view of the eclipse, plan to arrive there several minutes before that time so your spotwalla device can send a 'ping' at that location.  Plan to stay for a few minutes after the maximum view time to be sure your device sends another 'ping'.  Most devices allow the sending of a custom or 'OK' message.

Eclipse 1000 GOLD

The eclipse must be a Total Solar, Annular Solar, or Total Lunar eclipse.

You must ride a minimum of 300 miles to your viewing location.

Your viewing location must meet the following visibility requirements:

Solar eclipses: Your viewing location MUST be within the path of totality for Total Solar or the annularity path (for Annular Solar) as shown on https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse

Lunar eclipses: Your viewing location MUST be in a region where  all phases of totality are visible* at the time of maximum eclipse.

*Refer to the color legend on right of the map "Entire eclipse visible" (darkest shaded area) https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse

The ride must be completed in less than 24 hours.

You may finish at your viewing location, observe the eclipse at maximum view, and then obtain your final DBR.

To prove that you were at your viewing location at the time of maximum view of the eclipse, plan to arrive there several minutes before that time so your spotwalla device can send a 'ping' at that location.  Plan to stay for a few minutes after the maximum view time to be sure your device sends another 'ping'.  Most devices allow the sending of a custom or 'OK' message.

Spotwalla is required. 

Merchandise:

There is no additional merchandise for this ride.

regular
gold