Total Eclipse: Stunning!

Hubby and I went to Grand Island, Nebraska to experience the total solar eclipse on August 21. We decided to witness it on the grounds of the Stuhr Museum. Traffic was backed up the minute the grounds opened at 8:00 AM, but it limped along at a steady crawl, and we got in and parked with plenty of time to spare and plenty of parking spaces left for more people. The grounds are huge, and they had room for thousands. The whole time we were there, until the last few minutes, traffic kept coming in.

If you have ever watched a partial eclipse, you have an idea of what the waiting time was like. The moon gradually moved into the sun's path, but we couldn't see any difference on earth. We put on the special glasses and looked. It seemed to be a small bite out of the sun for the longest time. Finally the moon moved further over the sun, and we were surprised to see that there was still very little evidence on earth. The sunshine was still bright; it did not feel like dusk at all until the eclipse was nearly full. That gave us an appreciation for just how bright and strong our sun is. With even a sliver of it left shining, it felt like full sun.

Near us was a young woman who teaches middle school science. She was so excited about the eclipse, and she ran periodic live Facebook lessons for her students. Her excitement was contagious; it was very fun to listen to her explanations of what was happening. She told them she was "nerding it out with 15,000 other nerds" and that we were all excited.

Below: (1)a fraction of the large crowd that spread throughout the huge museum grounds
(2)the science teacher, with phone in hand, and her sister, watching the unfolding excitement

For a while the surroundings took on a bright yellowish tinge... hard to describe, but the colors were just odd, and the shadows were different. Under the trees, we could see crescent-shaped shadows, from the eclipse shining through the leaves.

The temperature dropped. It felt chilly. It got a little dusky feeling. Crickets started to chirp. Canada Geese flew in "for the night" to rest with their buddies in the nearby pool. There was a sunset-y looking sky all the way around the horizon. You can see that in this picture of people, all looking up.

Then came the full eclipse. I'm telling you, friends, it was soooo awesome! I can't even describe it! The crowd oohed, aahed, cheered, made noises of disbelief. It is INCREDIBLE, having night suddenly happen in the middle of the day. SO AWESOME! I was stunned at its beauty. We could finally look directly at the sun/moon/corona. Glorious!

We could see a few stars. Then, slowly, the moon kept moving, now getting out of the sun's way. First came the diamond ring. That, my friends, is another gorgeous moment. This picture of the diamond ring is from NASA. I couldn't get a good pic of it myself.

Then the sunshine came back, it was daytime again. We were still in awe, kind of in shock. People stayed put and were quiet for a while. Then..
back to normal. The sun was shining again. People packed up, went to their cars, and left. Just remembering this experience gives me shivers. If you ever get a chance to experience a full eclipse, DO IT! Next one is on April 8, 2024. Start studying that path now, and make your plans to be there. If we're still able to walk and travel, we will be there with you.