Eclipse Madness

August 21 is already a highly celebrated day in my family, as it's the anniversary of the arrival of my mom's belly button - a.k.a. her birthday. This year was extra special though, as it was also the day of a total solar eclipse in North America.

People from all over the U.S. were flocking to areas of totality, where the moon would block out the sun completely for up to two minutes. There were hundreds, if not thousands of people flooding the towns and roadsides in parts of Tennessee, Wyoming, Oregon, and other locations. Hotels and campgrounds alike were completely full and there were reports of hundreds of people "camped out" in Wal Mart parking lots.

For me, as a scientist, it was imperative that I get to experience this majestic event, but my anxiety didn't agree with the crowds. I opted to stay put, where I could watch in amazement, and still celebrate with Mom. I had questioned whether the eclipse would bring an increase in paranormal activity due to the change in solar x-rays as well as the current lunar phase. My hypothesis was probably correct, as CCPI did experience a slight increase in requests for investigations!

The closest I could get to a scientific setup,
considering most of my research takes
place at night.

With my lawn chair, ice water, tripod, Nikon camera and $1 Wal Mart paper eclipse glasses, I camped out next to my mail box and waited for the cosmic event.

I watched in amazement as our moon slowly crept across the sun. First a slight touch - barely noticeable, then a gradual sweep, making the sun look like Pac Man for a bit. My neighbors, whom I'd never met before, began to come from all directions to ask about what I was seeing. I shared my eclipse glasses, so they too could witness the majesty of the space phenomena. They gasped in awe as they pointed their heads to the sky and watched the event for a few moments.

I managed to take a few noteworthy photos. Putting my eclipse glasses over the lens of my Nikon, so as not to ruin the sensors within, I zoomed in and out, played with the different settings, and finally found a working combination. With the eclipse glasses over the lens, zooming in as close as it would go, and using the back light setting on my camera, I captured the beginning, peak and end stages of the event. Keep in mind, we only had 86% coverage here. Where my offspring was, on the other side of the state, there was 94% coverage. He said it got very dark. Over here, the light was the same as a cloudy day, but the thing that impressed me the most (aside from the eclipse itself) was the lack of ambient noise. No birds, no crickets, no animals. Aside from vehicles and the like, it was dead quiet.

Beginning Phase

Here, I will show you the beginning, peak, and end phases that I was able to capture with my Nikon. As I mentioned earlier, the beginning phase slightly resembled Pac Man eating the "power pellets"...or maybe when he meets a ghost and dies, as the image shows him on his proverbial back. It also beautifully shows the corona. A corona is an aura of plasma that surrounds the sun. The sun's corona extends millions of kilometers into space, but from earth, it resembles a beautiful orange halo around out star.

The peak moment. 86% coverage.

Keep in mind, we only had about 86% coverage here in western Colorado, so the peak image shows just a sliver of the
sun...similar to what you'd see at the end of the waxing and waning phases of the moon. I wasn't able to center the image because I was so excited to capture the peak. I even set an alarm on my phone for 11:40 a.m. so as to be ready for the peak moment at 11:41. I waited patiently for the seconds to tick by, then I started snapping my pix. My gathering of neighbors waited patiently for me to finish my photography, then joined in as I once again shared my paper glasses. They took in the beauty and applauded me on my photos, then went on their merry ways back to normal life.

End Phase

For me, I was literally moved by the event. I read on social media that some were brought to tears. While I didn't get that emotional, I was filled with a sense of awe and wonderment. I reflected back to when I was a child (5th grade, I think) when I wanted to be an astronaut. I was fascinated with space, the planets, and constellations. I even applied for a scholarship to Space Camp, which I did not win, but the desire remained for quite some time...until I found something else to be passionate about. (I think it was boys by then, lol.)

The birthday girl and Dennis

Once I captured my end phase photos, I threw everything into the trunk of my car and drove up to Mom's workplace. I didn't even put on shoes or grab my purse. I wanted to be able to share what was left with my mom. I found everyone outside with either paper Wal Mart eclipse glasses or welding masks, their heads cocked back, and smiles on their faces. Mom and her "significant other" Dennis (they're pretty much common-law married) were standing together, witnessing what could potentially be the last eclipse in their lifetimes. Not too long ago, my mom quipped about having a total solar eclipse on her birthday. "How many people get to have a total solar eclipse on their birthday," she asked with pride. My son, who was with us at the time replied, "Me," and pointed out that the next total solar eclipse in North America will take place on his 23rd birthday. Mom stood there gaping for a minute, then bragged about how special she and her grandson are to be able to have eclipses on their birthdays. That's class if you ask me!

Baby Brother Joining The Event

Now, not too long ago, Mom and Dennis adopted a puppy. When they first got him from the shelter, he was a 4-pound ball of fluff that fit in the palms of my hands. Hawk, or "Hawkie" or "The Hawker" is now 40-something pounds of pure energy. Dennis had brought him but kept him in the truck (with both windows completely down) so that he wouldn't disrupt the viewers. Since day one, I have referred to Hawk as my "Baby Brother". When I got there, I went over to pet and love on him. He thumped his tail and gave me a few licks of appreciation. When the crowd had dispersed, Hawk got to get out of the truck and lick my still bare feet. I wanted him to have the same experience as the rest of us, so I put my paper glasses on him. It seemed as if he was not impressed, but maybe deep down, in his own doggy way, he was thankful that I included him.

All in all, it was an incredible day. I'm so thankful I got to witness it, as the last one in North America took place when I was almost two and before that when I was about 6 months old. Now I've been able to witness one when I can remember and enjoy it. What's more, I'll get to see the next one on Offspring's birthday...maybe we'll take a trip into the path of totality. For now, the madness has died down and life, for most, has returned to normal. For me, I'll remain focused on my research and look to see if the change in solar x-rays and lunar phase really did play a part in our slight increase in requests...or maybe it was just coincidence.