Eclipse
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
Finally, this week was the big eclipse. We all saw totality photos and videos. But if you ask those people who saw it in person, there are simply no words to describe it. We live a few hours away from the path of the totality, but we had a 97% total eclipse here without driving anywhere. Our kids had school, so we stayed home. Fortunately, we checked them out after lunch, in time for the eclipse.
In a rare moment of foresight, my husband purchased certified eclipse glasses weeks before the retailers ran out. He also made a pinhole camera with a pizza box, which projected the solar eclipse on the ground for people to see without glasses. My kids had lessons in science class to prepare them for the event, and my husband gave a great bonus lecture throughout the event.
We went to our neighborhood pool and watched the eclipse with our neighbors and their kids. It was a wonderful experience for our kids, and even the adults were impressed. The temperature dropped, the shadows danced, and the sun faded to only 3% of its regular brightness. It was pretty amazing. My only regret is that we missed the “totality” only a few hours away. Our friends who made the drive were rewarded with an even more spectacular view. If we ever want to see a totality again we are going to have to drive or fly MUCH farther away.