A lot is happening in the world right now, but today, the only topic that seems fitting was the solar eclipse. It was the big event for most of us today, and like many people, I revolved my day around that.
After getting off from work earlier in the day, I drove and went looking for eclipse glasses (obviously late). They were sold out - everyone seemed to be out of glasses.
Damn!
By that point, I was cursing my own stupidity, wondering why I had not managed to obtain a pair of eclipse glasses well before the day of.
Yet, one lady at the Target that I went to mentioned that nearby Kinnelon Library was having a viewing party, and would be handing out glasses, so long as viewers remained on the premises. It sounded good to me, so I decided to take a chance and take my son and I there, so we could hopefully view this truly historical event.
The last time that there was a total eclipse on the American mainland (or the lower 48), was back in the late 1970's. And the last time that a total eclipse stretched across the United States was over a century ago!
So clearly, this was not an event to be missed, or to be taken lightly. Going to Kinnelon with the hopes that we could make good on actually seeing the eclipse was a priority. The good news is at the end of the event, I was glad to have taken the chance and gone. First of all, as the librarian in charge suggested, going to see a Solar Viewing Party, as they called it, added a special element to it. You are doing something with a community of people present, which enhances how significant and unique the event felt. Also, they were equipped, and we wound up with a pair of viewing glasses within a minute or two of the main part of the eclipse, as people left surprisingly early!
We got to see a good amount of the eclipse, and it was indeed spectacular! My son really enjoyed it, and I heard a lot of people talking about how cool it was to see it. Still, even while most of the sun was still blotted out by the moon, yet a lot of people left in drove, within minutes of the peak. Before 3pm, we were among the few people left on the green lawn of the library, which was a surprising turn of events. Again, this happens only so often, so why were people in such a rush to leave?
My son and I stayed for quite some time, until almost 4pm, when it was supposed to end. By the time that there was just a tiny sliver left, we decided to go. By then, there were just two people left, and they had been staring up at the eclipse without a break. I had made sure to use the so-called 20-20-20 rule, which is that you can only view the eclipse for no longer than 20 seconds, then you need to look away for 20 seconds, and then you focus on something to give your eyes a break for another 20 seconds. That was the way that we were doing it, and the way that experts talking about it on the radio kept insisting was the safest way. But those two people kept on staring, without a break, which surprised and somewhat alarmed me. I mentioned how it was recommended not to stare longer than 20 seconds within their earshot, although they did not budge.
By around 3:30 or so, a woman suddenly came, with two boys (presumably her son). They wanted to see, and so we lent them the glasses, which they seemed appreciative of. They, too, were also amazed at the eclipse, and it was again a pleasure to feel like we were together, enjoying something bigger than ourselves.
In any case, it was something to see, and I am so glad that my son and I got to see it together! So, on this day, I feel blessed, and thought I would share both my own experiences, with pictures, as well as some other relevant information regarding eclipses.
The last time that there was a total eclipse on the American mainland (or the lower 48), was back in the late 1970's. And the last time that a total eclipse stretched across the United States was over a century ago!
So clearly, this was not an event to be missed, or to be taken lightly. Going to Kinnelon with the hopes that we could make good on actually seeing the eclipse was a priority. The good news is at the end of the event, I was glad to have taken the chance and gone. First of all, as the librarian in charge suggested, going to see a Solar Viewing Party, as they called it, added a special element to it. You are doing something with a community of people present, which enhances how significant and unique the event felt. Also, they were equipped, and we wound up with a pair of viewing glasses within a minute or two of the main part of the eclipse, as people left surprisingly early!
We got to see a good amount of the eclipse, and it was indeed spectacular! My son really enjoyed it, and I heard a lot of people talking about how cool it was to see it. Still, even while most of the sun was still blotted out by the moon, yet a lot of people left in drove, within minutes of the peak. Before 3pm, we were among the few people left on the green lawn of the library, which was a surprising turn of events. Again, this happens only so often, so why were people in such a rush to leave?
My son and I stayed for quite some time, until almost 4pm, when it was supposed to end. By the time that there was just a tiny sliver left, we decided to go. By then, there were just two people left, and they had been staring up at the eclipse without a break. I had made sure to use the so-called 20-20-20 rule, which is that you can only view the eclipse for no longer than 20 seconds, then you need to look away for 20 seconds, and then you focus on something to give your eyes a break for another 20 seconds. That was the way that we were doing it, and the way that experts talking about it on the radio kept insisting was the safest way. But those two people kept on staring, without a break, which surprised and somewhat alarmed me. I mentioned how it was recommended not to stare longer than 20 seconds within their earshot, although they did not budge.
By around 3:30 or so, a woman suddenly came, with two boys (presumably her son). They wanted to see, and so we lent them the glasses, which they seemed appreciative of. They, too, were also amazed at the eclipse, and it was again a pleasure to feel like we were together, enjoying something bigger than ourselves.
In any case, it was something to see, and I am so glad that my son and I got to see it together! So, on this day, I feel blessed, and thought I would share both my own experiences, with pictures, as well as some other relevant information regarding eclipses.
These were the best shots that I had from my cell phone camera. We just put the darkened lenses from the glasses over the camera lens, and took a few pics. They came out fairly nicely, especially the top one!
Above - Here I am, looking up during the eclipse, while below, my son gives me the thumbs up, showing that he sees and likes what he sees.
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