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Tuesday, September 12, 2017

A total eclipse of the sun!

Our trip to Wyoming was primarily to see a total solar eclipse, for the first time in any of our lives. We'd read about how stunning it was to experience totality. We'd also read about the crazy "eclipse chasers" - and we didn't understand why they'd go to such lengths, like traveling halfway around the world, to see a total solar eclipse.

Our experience showed us why. We'd seen a partial solar eclipse which we would have never known was happening without peering through eclipse glasses. We'd seen an annular eclipse in Utah which we thought was amazing. I wrote about it twice, here and here.

In Wyoming in August, we learned that a total solar eclipse is a million times more mind-blowing than a 99% solar eclipse. Darkness sweeps across the world like a curtain closing. The sky darkens so much that planets are visible twinkling in the sky. It gets really cold very fast. The darkness and cold sweep over the world much faster than at sunset.
As long time readers probably have guessed, I tried to capture it with several cameras. I had one camera shooting close-ups of the sun. I had another DSLR shooting time lapse video, which I haven't processed yet.

Here's one closeup during totality (more to come in a future post).

Then, at the last minute, I decided to set up my little GoPro to record totality in plain video.

That's what I'm showing you today. We made fools of ourselves with the ridiculous things that we were saying during totality. "Oh my God" was said more than a dozen times. Someone howled. I yelled in a crazy voice, "LOOK AT THE STARS". Then, as it got light again, I kept babbling that it had happened so fast that we must have strayed from the middle of the totality swath. It seemed like about 30 seconds of totality when we experienced it. However, my trusty GoPro shows that it was 2.5 minutes. I'm afraid that I couldn't bear to listen to our ridiculous comments in the video so I put music to the video.

You can watch it here or at Youtube.


As soon as it was over, we were trying to find out when the next total eclipse was. I doubt that we'll become crazy eclipse chasers but we understand why someone would do that now! It is a stunning experience.

If you ever have the chance to see a total solar eclipse, grab it and go! I hope that I am alive in 2024 for the next one in the US! And we just might travel further to see one that will have 6.5 minutes of totality in Egypt!

28 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    I experieced a total when living Down Under - I agree, it HAS to be experienced!!! Love the music you chose for this... looking forward to more shots. YAM xx

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  2. Oh my gosh! That was incredible! Thanks so much for posting that! I had wanted to see what the surrounding area looked liked as it got dark, so many people took pictures of the sun/moon. Can't wait to see the time lapse! The 2024 eclipse will be a few hours north of me in NY, but I'll be 74yo by then, hope I make it!

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  3. Wonderful! Thank you for sharing! Here in Northern Virginia it was only 86%, but it was surprising how much of the warmth went out of the day and the daylight felt eerie.

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  4. OH yes!!! That was amazing. We got about a 99% eclipse here, and through the clouds, but it was still a spectacular view. 2024, Egypt??? Hmmm,not sure about that. But if there is a way, we are sure you will be there.

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  5. So very beautiful! Thank you for posting your shots!
    KZK

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  6. Thanks for sharing this KB. I would love to have heard your OMG's and WOW's it would have been a treat. The eclipse really places us all on the same plain.
    Cheers to you and yours and the Lickers.
    Ron and Sophie

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  7. Incredible. And "Oh my Gods" would have been perfectly acceptable in this case. Fantastic job.

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  8. I was hoping you captured it, thanks for showing us!!!

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  9. Wow...wow...wow...Thanks soooo much for sharing this!!

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  10. How cool! So you're heading to Texas for the next one? Utah has totality in 2045 if you're up for it lol!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  11. No wonder people travelled to see this, I saw on several web sites the road plans, the traffic expected and more. I hope you get to see the next one or more.How did the doggies manage, or did you have them shut in the van for that time?

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    1. The dogs acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. They just relaxed in the grass next to us!

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  12. Very cool. You came closer to capturing what I wanted to shoot, if we had been able to come back then. I wanted to see the sunset all around, the shadow as it passed. Everyone was all wrapped up in shooting the sun, and i would have shot the surroundings.

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  13. How cool!! Thanks fur sharing the video with us who didn't get to see the totality!

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  14. Our eclipse was occasionally obscured by a light cloud cover. But the clouds periodically opened up to blue sky and we saw much of the beginning and ending and the entire total eclipse. The katydids make such noise we could hardly hear one another. What an experience it was.

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  15. Thanks for sharing your cool eclipse video. I can't wait to see the rest of your images. We will be in totality in 2024 so if I'm still here (near Rochester, NY) you are invited to come stay here to enjoy it again.

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  16. We had 98% here and that was amazing
    hugs
    Hazel & Mabel

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  17. so glad you got this. Thanks for sharing. It was beautiful

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  18. Thanks for letting me see the eclipse.It's a great video! What is the name of the music you added?

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  19. It was total where I am, though for not as long, but was amazing! I think we all got goofy with what we said, but I honestly don't remember. It's crazy how quickly it gets dark right at totality, isn't it?

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  20. Yes, it is stunning how fast it gets dark. Lucky you if it was total at your home!!!! It sounds like you had as much fun as we did!

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  21. I certainly did. And there was a chocolate lab running around, too. :)

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  22. I can't imagine the thrill of seeing the eclipse in its totality, KB. Here in Indiana we had just a partial one and even that was awe-inspiring! All I kept thinking was... the universe is so great and we are so insignificant in it. Glad you got to see the total eclipse first-hand. My reaction would have been the same as yours, which either makes you normal or me zany like you. I think the former. :-D

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  23. Wow that is amazing, thank you for taking the time to film and photograph such an stunning event.

    Kiersten

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