The North American Solar Eclipse, Aug. 21, 2017 Options

[PDP8E]

As all of you know, by now, there will be an amazing Total Solar Eclipse this summer in North America stretching from coast to coast, and basically from 10 AM to 2 PM local time, from west to east.
An estimated 75 million people will be less than a half day's drive away from totality.
My family and I will be in Missouri that day, prepared to zip east or west in case of inclement weather.
Do you plan on observing this event?

[PDP8E]

My wife and I traveled to St Louis (from Boston MA) and stayed at the River City Resort, on the Mississippi River (6 miles inside the path of totality)

We (meaning me) had great and exhausting plans to scoot east or west in case of weather. But a month before totality I decided to stay put on the roof of the parking garage to make this the least stressful event it could be. Rain or shine we were staying put.The only traffic would be the elevator.

Totality there, would be 1 min 37 seconds. Good enough for our 'starter eclipse'. We watched Oregon and Wyoming on the weather channel; we were glued glued to the TV (and the south facing window)

Forty five minutes before totality (which was going to be 1:18pm local) we went to the roof of the garage (5 floors up). It was the size of a football field and could hold several hundred cars -- I counted about 30. I guess everybody else was on the road or had their own place picked out. It was 95 degrees and humid. We walked to the south end. Below, the Mississippi was a hundred yards to our left, a huge storm system was visible far to the north. The Sun was high and overhead in the south.

The weather cooperated. A few puffy clouds off to the left and right as we faced south. Glasses on and off as we checked the progress and looked over the 360 degree view.

The light got dimmer in the sense that things looked grayer -- a lack of contrast.
A few minutes before totality Venus was a brilliant beacon in the dull blue/gray sky about 30 degrees to the right of the sun/moon. We were looking through the shadow at Venus. The temperature was dropping

A large working boat on the river (a stationary dredge? It had been there for the last day or so) was darkening and all of a sudden all its lights came on. It looked like Christmas lights, dozens of reds, greens, whites, ... it was a beautiful sight.

Glasses back on, a thin sliver was dwindling in real time. I shot a quick peek behind me to see if there were the 'shadow bands' on the pavement - nothing.

I looked up and saw the inbound diamond ring. No bailey beads that I could see. It was cooler and I felt a breeze from the west

Then Bang! Totality! Dark sky! A spiky corona! The corona was a brilliant - yet detailed - a white that I have never seen before. After a short bit I looked at the horizon -- all the way around - it looked like a never ending sunset. It was noticeably cooler now.

Back to the Sun/Moon -- amazing - breathtaking
Hey wait! where's Jupiter? I scanned to the left (east) and finally picked it out (50 degrees away?) -- not as brilliant as Venus

Back to the sun. There was Mercury -- so tiny -- you really had to look for it.
I missed mars completely - We heard crickets chirping

Back to the Sun/Moon. I could see red prominence at 12:00 and 3:00

The whole Sun/Moon/Corona was bigger than I expected

Pictures do not - and will never do justice to the all-embracing scenes and senses of everything that was going on. You have to be there!

A few seconds later a brilliant diamond ring -- a few seconds more and it was too brilliant to look with out the glasses.

The sky to the west was brightening as if it was sunrise - the sky to the east was dark - the moon's shadow was cruising on to Illinois and beyond

It was emotional -- I knew it would be spectacular -- but the gut emotions were quite unexpected -- I had a tear on my cheek - and my voice was cracking as I spoke about what we just saw.

We lingered a while, looking at the scenes and people. we talked to almost everyone on the roof as we walked to the elevator -- they were all blown away.

We went back to the room and watched more eclipse coverage

We didn't take a single picture -- we were just there in the moment

It was one of the best events of my life

My wife wanted to know only one thing: when is the next one ...

April 2024 - Mexico to New Found land!

We are going to be somewhere in there...