By RILEY EATON Special to North Palm Beach Life Photos by Riley Eaton April 8th, 2024: a regular Monday for some, and a much-anticipated event for astronomical fans and select state residents alike. Last week kicked off with an out-of-this-world show for over twelve U.S. states, and I was blessed to have a front-row seat (NASA). Well, "seat" as in "standing in someone's front yard." Reporting directly from Indiana, I had the honor of experiencing the 2024 solar eclipse, holed up at the home of someone I knew rather than in the trenches of public festivities. You couldn't catch me in public that day—the Hoosier government and Indiana news outlets had insisted on the likelihood of large crowds in public places, terrible traffic the day of, and potential gasoline shortages due to droves of travelers coming to watch the eclipse (Runevitch) (NBC Chicago). However, a friend who was driving around Indiana that day noted that the towns he drove through were ghost towns because so many locals stayed home!
In my direct surroundings, a sense of community filled the atmosphere: the street was busy with cars coming and going, people hung out in open garages in sports chairs or played basketball in their driveways, kids zipped down the sidewalk on bikes and scooters, and groups or couples walked around. I settled outside at 1:30 PM; totality wasn’t supposed to hit until 3:06 PM. It wasn't until 2:30 PM that things really revved up. I felt anxiety as I registered the light changing in ways I've never seen before: the sky was unusually rich in the northeast while the southwestern sky was pale, and shadows laid heavy. I suddenly couldn’t stand to sit in the shade—the shadows felt suffocating—so I stood out in the sun. My mother, who was there with me, astutely assessed, “It feels like the light's coming down.” Sure, light does come from the sun down to Earth, but when people see sunlight in the afternoon, I bet most people don't FEEL it coming down, right? During this eclipse, the sunlight appeared weighted and it FELT as though the light was pressing in on the earth—it was a very different and uneasy experience than typical day-to-day light. A chill entered the air, the richer light on the ground became pale, and soon night was upon us. At 3:06 PM, automated lights around the house flicked on, and I'm certain I saw a lightning bug fly pass me! Totality is the only time during an eclipse that a person may view an eclipse without protective eyewear—taking off my eclipse glasses, the sun and the moon shown as a large black circle with a halo of white beams emanating, and a few stars were visible in the surrounding sky (NASA "Eclipse Safety"). An abrupt crack of fireworks and obnoxious airhorns echoed in the distance, along with a hearty, "WHOO!" Leave it to the Midwest to add pyrotechnics to the mix! The beautiful halo of light and visible stars lasted four minutes, but as soon as the moon shifted just slightly, the smallest sliver of sun revealed blinding light. Even the small sliver of sun cause the daylight to return, and while the light was back it was still pale and lacked strength—I saw sunlight on my skin, but I didn't feel it's warmth. The next thing I knew, it was really over: by four o'clock, the moon was entirely gone from the sun's path, the sunlight shone in full strength and heat, and I felt sick! I was so excited about the eclipse that as soon as it ended, I became weak after my giddy anticipation eased! Not to worry—a little rest and some water fixed it. A total eclipse is not something I will forget easily. I am immensely grateful that I could experience this, and I hope I could give readers a fun follow-along experience. I'd highly encourage anyone who is able to see a total solar eclipse for themselves, whether someone can travel to a nearby path of totality or stay home if an upcoming eclipse is visible at home—it is a truly unforgettable experience. Catch more by Riley Eaton on Instagram: @rileyeatonworks References NASA. "2024 Total Eclipse: Where & When." NASA, unknown date, https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/ Accessed 13 April 2024. NASA. "Eclipse Safety." NASA, unknown date https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/ Accessed 13 April 2024. NBC Chicago. "Indiana Gov. issues executive order warning of 'massive' amounts of people coming to state for total solar eclipse." https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/indiana-executive-order-total-solar-eclipse-indianapolis/3398369/ Accessed 13 April 2024. Runevitch, Jennie. "Police urge drivers to plan ahead for traffic trouble during total solar eclipse." WTHR, 7 Mar 2024, https://www.wthr.com/article/news/world/solar-eclipse/police-warn-traffic-trouble-during-solar-eclipse-totality-path-april-8-indiana-timing-events/531-a40c7d84-9add-4049-bdbd-7006da0b3444 Accessed 13 April 2024. Comments are closed.
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November 2024
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