Solar Eclipse 2017

August 23, 2017

On August 21, the United States experienced the first total solar eclipse, that was visible from the West Coast to the East Coast in 99 years! A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks the Sun. In this eclipse, the Moon appears black as it passes across the Sun and at totality the Moon completely covers the Sun and only the aura of the Sun can be seen.  In the areas of totality, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun, the day turns to night as soon as the Moon blocks the Sun. When the Moon passes directly behind the Earth and the Sun is in alignment with this pattern, the result is a lunar eclipse. The moon appears to be red and is often called a "blood moon."

Here is Maryland, we were not in the path of totality for the solar eclipse but we were in the 80 to 83% range for a partial total eclipse. I dropped the kids off at the daycare and completed a couple of errands, earlier that day. The time for the eclipse to start in the area was 1:18 PM. I didn't have work because my orientation for my role at Mosaic Community Services is tomorrow. Yay! I did get to see the online stream of the eclipse and many of my friends actually went to areas of the totality like Tennessee and South Carolina. I was keeping up with their postings on social media and around 10 AM Eastern Time, the eclipse started in Oregon. Many people had the special eclipse glasses and I didn't have the glasses. I was unaware of the eclipse and it kind of caught me off guard. I love science and space too! I saw some of the people on the TV that were interviewed that said they had been waiting for this eclipse for 20 years.

I thought of where I wanted to view the eclipse and I was going to go to Rocky Point Beach Park or Miami Beach Park or a just a nearby park. It was very cool seeing the stream of the eclipse because when the eclipse went to totality in Oregon, it got completely dark! Right on live TV. It was amazing!!! The totality was for about 2 minutes and in other places in closer to the East Coast, it was for longer. It was so neat seeing the different areas around the US get dark as the eclipse swept across the United States. So then it came to about 1:20 PM and I decided to stay home, which was actually a better idea than I could have really known. I went out in the backyard and looked up but not for long. I looked at the sun through my smartphone, I know not that technical yet and I should have really had the glasses, or at least made a pinhole projector. I looked at my picture and got the start of the eclipse:


Yes, that is the Sun being covered by the Moon. The Sun wasn't blue though and that was more because of my camera on the smartphone. I went back in and waited, watching more of the live stream and chatting with friends on social media. The peak of the eclipse for the area was to be at 2:43 PM and something just told me to go out and snap a few pictures before the peak. I did and saw it was starting to get cloudy. Scattered thunderstorms were in the forecast for the area, and I had seen in other areas of the United States for there were clouds and showers, but during totality, the sky opened up and the eclipse could be seen. I knew that the area I was in was not going to get totality but I thought that 80% partial might break the clouds a bit. I was very wrong. It started thundering and getting more cloudy and by the time of peak it was lightning and raining, heavy.

Here's a picture I got before the thunderstorms:


I was like, "Really?" It continued to thunderstorm and when I opened the back door to see if maybe I could catch another glimpse and if some of the clouds broke around the eclipse, but I saw a flash of lightning and heard a crackle and I quickly closed the door. It didn't stop raining until well over 3 hours after the peak and the eclipse was to end for the area at 4:01 PM. My dad and Kate in New Jersey got pictures of the eclipse with his phone and they got clouds. The area in NJ they are in was around the same for visibility. I was a little upset that I couldn't see the eclipse at peak for the Baltimore region but I was very happy to have gotten the pictures I got and see the eclipse and the areas of totality through the live stream. I thought even with 80% the area might get a little dark but it did get dark with the thunderstorm. 

The area of totality is absolutely amazing. I really think for the next solar eclipse to sweep the US in 7 years, on April 8, 2024, I might try to go to a location of totality. I'm thinking Erie, PA. I saw many of my friends went to various areas of the US in the path of totality for this eclipse and I really might try to plan with some of my friends for the upcoming one. There will be so much better planning, even if I decide to stay where I am at that time. Gosh, the last eclipse I can think of was the Christmas Eclipse of 2000. I had glasses then. :-)

Here are a couple of pictures from this magnificent event from other eclipse viewers:






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