Moment of Totality

For 2 minutes 15 secs I was at one with the universe and understood all its mysteries...at least that is how I felt during the total eclipse on Monday. I had spent almost a year researching and planing the trip. Because of my aerospace background I understood, down to the mathematical level, the motion of the Sun and Moon. I could visualize the orbits in 3D and see the shadow that the moon was projecting on the US as it moved from Oregon to South Carolina. Because of my interest in astronomy  I knew all about the corona and what it should look like when the Moon passed in front of the Sun. I had researched different weather models and compared different astronomical weather prediction algorithms for predicting sky conditions to make sure I could determine, to the best degree possible, where to head to get a perfectly clear sky. At that moment all that knowledge came together so that I not only saw the eclipsed visually but was able to take it in on a number of different levels.

Getting to that moment was a lot of work. I had used the sum of all my knowledge to make sure I got to see it and capture a total eclipse that I know are rare, beautiful, and fleeting. I probably spend over a hundred hours researching the best place to be, determining the best information to use to predict where the sky would be clearest, coming up with plans with multiple alternatives to make sure I could stay ahead of the crowds and get around any traffic jams. It was a lot of work and some what stressful because I had only one shot to get it right. However at the point right before totality when I knew that this was going to happen all the anxiety I had went away and was replaced by the joy that I could finally relax and enjoy the totality...

...of course no amount of research can totally prepared you for what you will see and feel. For me it was awe inspiring and overwhelming. I got some great pictures that are probably similar to the ones you see on the news but what I saw with my eyes and experienced with my mind was much difference. As the astronomers, next to us explained, the human eye can see and put together multiple exposures and wavelengths together in a way a camera can't. Even if you have a camera that can take multiple exposures and put them together you only get a poor visual approximation. 

There is also an emotional context to the experience. I was in a field by the Payette River with a few hundred other people. Even though we didn't know each other before that day we quickly became family as we talked about the eclipse and ourselves for the few hours we were waited for the Moon to block out the Sun. At the moment of totality we were no longer a group of strangers but were like a society of druids celebrating the summer solstice. There was cheering and screaming and high fives all around. I felt connect to everybody there in that moment as we were all taking in the totality. It was a feeling of joy and happiness that is hard to describe.

I know that not everybody is excited by a solar eclipse and would not have gone through the trouble and planning I did to see it. For me however it was one coolest things I have ever seen or experienced. It was as powerful as expected but also much different than I thought it would be. It was not only visually and intellectually beautiful but also unexpectedly emotional. It is a memory that will give me joy every time I think about it. 

I have a lot of good stories around the moment of totality, that I will post later, about how we got to where we did and some the of things we did along the way like, almost making it to the highest tri-point in the country, watching Sweden annex part of the US, finding the actual middle of nowhere...

For now however here are some more pictures. The one at the top of the post is just at the end of the eclipse when the moon is just about uncover the sun. The flash or "diamond" effect is caused by the fact that the moon is not perfectly round and that flash is caused by the sun going through the canyon at the edge of the moon.

Here is a picture at the middle of the eclipse showing the full corona around the sun.

Here is another one showing a solar flare at the 1 o'clock  position. I didn't think the camera and telescope I used could actually see solar flares so this picture surpassed by wildest expectations. 

This last one is a wide angle view showing the eclipse. Its not exactly how it looked but you get a general idea and if you click on the photo and zoom in you can see some stars and planets if you know where to look...

...more stories to follow.