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The Great American Eclipse of 2017

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What did you think of the Eclipse?solar eclipse

What were you doing and where were you when the Great American Eclipse took place Monday? It was billed as a once in a lifetime event but that’s not really true. America was treated to a solar eclipse 38 years ago on February 26, 1979. The difference between then and now is that the path of totality in 1979 was the Pacific Northwest. This one is called The Great American Eclipse because it can only be seen in the US. It started over Oregon and ended near Charleston, SC.

Path of Totality

Starting around 10 am local time in Oregon it traveled across the US at an amazing 1700 mph. The whole thing was over in about 1.5 hours. Kentucky experienced most of the action with the sun blocked out for around two minutes and 41 seconds. We only got a partial eclipse here in Massachusetts but it was still very interesting. In fact I found I was much more excited when I actually saw it than in thinking about it.

partial eclipseI wish I Could Have a “Do Over”

I didn’t get excited about the eclipse until about the week before. After a mad scramble I got my hands on some glasses. But it was on the whale watch Sunday that I really figured out how I messed up. I was in the office hard at work through the whole eclipse. Well most of it anyway. I did step out for part of it. But the office is surrounded by trees so the viewing area is a bit obscured. Lots of people from other offices were watching.  I should have taken the day off and gone out on a boat trip. Talk about a wide open view!

Amazing World of Technology

I made sure that I wasn’t too left out even if I was stuck in the office. NASA, Facebook, U Tube were just a few of the online sources for viewing. I could watch the moon taking a bite out of the sun in Oregon! Isn’t technology amazing?

Next Time

The next solar eclipse that is going to cover America is April 8, 2024. April can be cloudy and chilly. No guarantee I’ll be able to get any better views then. Best to make the most of this one. I would love to see a Total eclipse now that I’ve gotten a taste of a partial. What about you?