A Solar Eclipse
I realize this is a little late, as the 2017 total eclipse of the sun (visible from North America) was actually August 21 - but this phenomenon needed to be documented somehow.
The path of totality (or "the period during a solar eclipse when the sun’s photosphere is completely covered by the moon and the period for a lunar eclipse when the moon is in the complete shadow of Earth") ran approximately 60 miles north of Augusta. Unfortunately on eclipse day, I found myself in San Antonio for work, where we experienced a partial solar eclipse with +/-60% coverage. While I am glad I was there for my projects, the missed opportunity to experience total solar coverage continues to nag at me. My husband did make the short drive to Columbia, South Carolina for totality with a friend of ours. They arrived early, grabbed a great spot in a park with their folding chairs and coolers, and waited with an enthusiastic crowd and their eclipse glasses. Totality for Columbia lasted a glorious 2 1/2 minutes.
My experience of the partial eclipse from South Texas was breathtaking and short - I can only imagine being enveloped in the totality. The outdoors did become a little grey and desaturated, but the real joy of the afternoon was getting caught up in collective excitement as the moon passed over the sun. Homemade eclipse viewers were set up in the Overland courtyard and eclipse sunglasses were available to share. Miscellaneous objects from our surroundings and the office were experimented with to see what would make interesting eclipse shadows - from fox tail ferns in the courtyard, to perforated aluminum mock ups, samples, and umbrella holders, to trees casting their shadows on our sidewalk.
I will be ready for the next total solar eclipse visible from North America in April 2024. The path of totality does cross very near San Antonio - perhaps I will be back in Texas for this one.
Note - Also interesting were the eclipse-related mythologies that were shared, many times by word of mouth from older generations to younger ones in the days leading up to the eclipse - especially the ones revolving around pregnancy. Eclipses are unclean, do not go outside especially if you are pregnant. Eclipses will affect your digestion, particularly if you are pregnant. Pregnant women should string a key and wear around their waist to prevent problems with the baby during an eclipse. Pregnant women should wear a key around their neck on a string, like a necklace, to prevent the baby from being born with a cleft lip. The last one stems from an Aztec myth that relates the moon "biting" the sun with a "bite" being taken from a baby's face. Fascinating!
