The earliest scientifically useful daguerreotype, or photograph of a total solar eclipse by Johann Julius Friedrich Berkowski at the Royal Observatory in Königsberg, Prussia, on July 28, 1851. Source: Wikipedia
Total solar eclipse seen on Monday, August 21, 2017 above Madras, Oregon. Eclipse swept across a narrow portion of the U.S. from Lincoln Beach, OR to Charleston, SC. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Star Date: Monday, August 21, 2017 – North America.
Today, we observed and bore witness to a total solar eclipse. It was truly a celestial experience. In ancient times, this heavenly event must have inspired the creation of mythical gods and goddesses to explain this otherworldly phenomenon.
The partial eclipse began in our neck of the woods at 11:58 a.m. with the beginning of totality at 1:27 p.m. and ending at 1:29 p.m.. Gallatin was the epicenter of this solar/lunar event and experienced a whopping 2 minutes and 40 seconds of total darkness.
As the moon slowly covered the sun, the temperature dropped precipitously, birds, cicadas, crickets and other twittering and chirping creatures, quietened. The light slowly dimmed casting a curious filtered, glow across the land and for a few scant minutes, all was still as if the earth was holding its breath.
We were all scattered like the wind for the viewing but here’s a little glimpse of what we all experienced.
Counting down the minutes to the eclipse near Old Hickory Lake in Gallatin.
Terry staring at the face of the sun.
Sunlight through the trees cast little half moons onto the pavement.
The dimming of the day.
Terry captured this shot as the sun began to eclipse.
All that is now, All that is gone, All that’s to come, And everything under the sun is in tune, But the sun is eclipsed by the moon ~ Pink Floyd, “Eclipse”.
Roy viewing the eclipse from his office near downtown Nashville.
Jill shared these twilight like photos from the Farm.
I found this cool composite eclipse photo by Sue Waddell from Eastview, KY where there was a 98.3% eclipse. Credit: Earthsky.org.
I have been eagerly anticipating this eclipse for a year and the countdown clock has finally expired. The next total solar eclipse will cross North America diagonally from Texas to Maine, April 8, 2024. See you then!