3 minutes and 52 seconds of totality
Where time stood still and people came together to be present in this totally humbling and awe-inspiring moment
Every 18 months or so, somewhere in the world, a total solar eclipse takes place. Total, because during these few minutes or seconds, the moon completely covers the sun. It’s only visible from narrow path of totality, a section of earth around 9000 miles long and only 90 miles wide. A total solar eclipse is a predictable event governed by the laws of physics, but for most of us mortals, being in or near this path of totality is a chance circumstance. For us that chance came last Monday when the path of totality happened near my hometown of Chicago, giving us the opportunity to see this marvel of nature first hand. I wrote about the event in our last astro post; today I want to share a bit about what this incredible experience was like.
Everyone needs to see a total eclipse!
Partial eclipses are relatively frequent and well worth observing. With a pair of eclipse glasses you can watch the moon skirt in front of the sun. You can also easily capture it with a camera equipped with a solar filter.
But a TOTAL eclipse is a completely different experience.
We were lucky to have perfect weather and a great spot at Sullivan County Park and Lake in Indiana where we camped for the long weekend with my aunt Sandy, my sister Stephanie and her five-year-old Jude. Part of the park was reserved for an Eclipse Festival with bouncy castle, music, and food trucks. While Stephanie and Jude headed for festival vibes, Mark, Sandy, and I found a quieter part of the park so we could take some pictures and enjoy the build up to totality. Though in the end, the setting didn’t really matter because wherever you were, time stopped during totality, and you couldn’t help but being totally immersed in the moment.
I don’t think I’ve ever witness a time where everyone is happy around me.
Everyone is happy and in the moment.
How often does it happen these days? Never.
What happened yesterday won’t happen again until the next one.
You can listen to a few soundbites from our chat post totality here…
When day turns into night…
In Sullivan, Indiana, the total duration of the eclipse was 2 hours 34 minutes, with totality lasting just 3 minutes and 52 seconds. Before and after totality, it feels like just another day. As the eclipse started, we watched the moon make its way across the sun through eclipse glasses and through our camera. But with glasses off, the sky appeared as normal and if you didn’t know better you’d have no idea that something spectacular was going on.
Then suddenly something very special happens as totality approaches. The air cools. The sky darkens. Some report birds going silent. We didn’t notice this, but we did notice swarms of nocturnal bugs rising from the grassy lawn from which we were perched.
It’s hard to describe this shift into darkness. The light and colours totally change, and you’re surrounded by a 360 degree sunset. During totality, you can take the eclipse glasses off and look directly at the sun with the naked eye because all direct light is obliterated by the moon, allowing you to see sights only visible during totality.
Things you can only see during a total solar eclipse:
Shadow bands: About a minute before totality, moving, wavy lines of alternating light and dark can be seen on the ground and along walls. These shadow bands are the result of Earth’s turbulent atmosphere refracting the last rays of sunlight.
Diamond ring: Seen about 10 to 15 seconds before and after totality, the solar corona (the outer atmosphere of the Sun) becomes visible. Together with the single jewel of light from the Sun, it creates the well-known diamond ring effect.
The Sun's corona: As the diamond ring fades, the outermost part of the Sun's atmosphere becomes more prominent. It is visible as a faint ring of rays surrounding the silhouetted Moon and is around 200–300 times hotter than the Sun’s surface—its temperature can reach over 1 million °C (1.8 million °F).
Baily's beads: About five seconds before totality, Baily's beads appear. They are little bead-like blobs of light at the edge of the Moon created by the sunlight passing through gaps in the mountains and valleys on the Moon's surface.
The Sun's chromosphere: The second most outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere gives out a reddish glow. It is only visible for a few seconds right after totality. (Source: timeanddate.com)
My five-year old nephew Jude described the eclipse in possibly the best capture of the day, taken by Stephanie from the festival grounds at Sullivan County Park:
During a total eclipse you can also catch sight of stars and planets. During those short few minutes we saw Jupiter, Venus, Rigel and Betelgeuse. (You can spot Venus in the video above just below and to the right of the sun.)
Thank you, Sullivan, Indiana
The whole day was made extra special by the friendly folks at Sullivan County Park and Lake. Not only did they create a magical space for watching the eclipse, they were also incredibly helpful and friendly, particularly when we got our van stuck in the mud! We had a spacious campsite at the end of “Lover’s Lane”, all to ourselves.
The total solar eclipse of 2024 was the first totality experience for all of us except Mark (whose last total solar eclipse was cloudy, so basically this was his first!). The experience left us wanting more. There’s a lesson here - the total eclipse forced everyone for those few moments to stop, pay attention, and experience the wonder and awe of the natural world. You just can’t help it! And it makes a lot of other life dramas feel somehow insignificant. Is it possible to carve out more of those moments in every day life? Can we keep totality in our hearts as we carry on with life as usual?
We can try…
In the meantime, there are future total solar eclipses to look forward to…
Europe will see its first total eclipse in 26 years on August 12, 2026. The lucky ones will head to Greenland where totality will last over 27 minutes!
In the USA, the next total eclipse won’t be until August 2044, with totality visible in Alaska, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. We’re already looking forward to it, and finding out what Jude has to say about the next one (at which point he’ll be 25 years old!).
An amazing experience. I'm envious. I went to Plymouth for the 1999 eclipse, but it was cloudy.