Monday, August 21 –
One of the highlights of our Tennessee trip was getting to be in the path of the total eclipse. We attended a watch party at a home near Nashville. There were lots of people there and everyone was so excited to be in a position to witness something very few will ever see.
Have watermelons will travel.
The light is beginning to become noticeably strange.
As the sun went into eclipse, it became very suddenly dark. The cicadas and crickets began to chirp and the stars were able to be seen.
This NASA video will show you what is happening across the U.S. The little black dot at the point of the triangle shows the small area (22 mile wide strip) that will experience the total blackout.
This picture of the eclipse doesn’t really do it justice. There was only a very tiny ring of light around the sun. I guess the camera is designed to magnify all available light and so it seems brighter than it was. My new Nikon camera got some good pictures. I was so glad I had it. Cell phones and other cameras just wouldn’t hardly capture it.
As soon as the sun began to peep out again, it became bright right away. I think if a person didn’t know they were in a totality zone, they could be completely surprised by an eclipse. There really was an amazing difference between one instant before the total eclipse and during the eclipse itself. This one only lasted for two minutes or a little more approximately. Hardly enough time to really grasp what you were witnessing and experience it. Quickly, it was over and the light was all around once again. See for yourself by viewing this short video of the event. It’s a combination of Stockton’s cell phone footage and my Nikon footage.