If you were one of the millions of people who experienced the 'Great American Eclipse' of 2017 and you weren't smack dab in the path of totality, then you missed the experience entirely!
There's a saying out there, and it goes something like this...
The difference between 99.9% totality and 100% totality is 100%. If you're not in the path of totality, you're missing the show completely. 99.999999% totality is not enough. The sun is just too bright. It has to be 100% totality or nothing at all.
Sure, being able to see the sun turn into Pac-Man through solar eclipse glasses is a pretty astronomical experience in itself, but it is nothing compared to the moment when you're able to remove your eclipse glasses and stare in complete awe at the gigantic black hole in the sky that replaced the sun literally fifteen seconds ago. Seeing the corona streaming off into outer space, together with the stars and planets that become visible really puts everything into perspective. For some, a total solar eclipse in complete totality is a life changing experience.
I had always wanted to experience a total solar eclipse. The photos I had seen in books and on the internet over the years always captivated me. When I heard about the eclipse that was coming in August of 2017, I had decided I was going to see it no matter what. Heck, I skipped work that day just so I could see it!
In the days before the eclipse, I heard several people say they didn't think it was going to be a big deal, and even heard a poor soul say she didn't think it was even going to happen. Nothing I tried to explain to them seemed to do any good, so I gave up trying. They were going to miss the grandest spectacle they could have ever witnessed.
On the day of the eclipse my nephew, sister, and myself all hopped in the truck and drove 2 hours south towards Hopkinsville, Kentucky. We had made reservations to sit out in a field near the point of greatest eclipse. The field was FULL of people waiting for the eclipse to start. If I remember correctly, we counted license plates from 22 separate states and even Canadian license plates too! People had come from all over to see the eclipse. Seeing all those people made me start to realize that maybe I had even underestimated how huge of a deal this was going to be.
About an hour later I heard someone yell "It's starting!!!", so I threw my eclipse glasses on and looked up. Sure enough, there was a tiny sliver of the sun missing.
At this point it wasn't a big deal. I had seen the same thing when I was a kid in school back in the 90's. All the children at the school had made eclipse viewers out of pieces of construction paper. We poked a hole in the paper so we could see the image of the sun on another piece of paper. I was hugely in love with anything science related, so I was constantly getting in trouble for paying attention to the odd hue through the school windows as the solar eclipse progressed. I don't think I got much work done that day haha.
Back at the field I occasionally glanced up at the sun with my eclipse glasses to see how much of the sun was being eaten by the moon, and eventually it surpassed what I had seen as a child all those years ago in school. The lighting became an eerie pale color, and shadows became extremely crisp. I looked at my nephew and said "It's coming!".
All of a sudden it began getting really dark, as if some behemoth creature was lumbering over the landscape, blocking out the sun above us. In a matter of about fifteen seconds it went from day to night. The entire field erupted in applause, whistles, and screams. I took my eclipse glasses off and looked up.....
The sun was gone. A black disc surrounded by streaks of energy had taken it's place in the sky. We had been transported onto the set of a science-fiction Hollywood Blockbuster, but we hadn't. This was real! Nothing about it even felt remotely like real life. I stood there in awe, not a word came out of my mouth. Just unbelief, and the feeling of being infinitely small towards the rest of the universe. Time stood still during those fleeting moments. The crowd grew silent as we all stood in amazement at the transformation we were witnessing. Some people say real magic doesn't exist but let me tell you, this was as close to magic as I had ever felt in my entire life. As unbelievable as it was, it was right in front of us!
For a split second I snapped back to reality and managed to take 2 or 3 photos of what had happened around us. Nighttime had enveloped our little field, but in the distance you could see the sun was still shining. It was like the most beautiful sunset you could ever imagine. It wrapped 360 degrees all the way around the horizon. Simply breathtaking.
I looked up to the sky again to take it all in once more, and after a few seconds a small bead of extremely bright light appeared on the edge of the disc, as if there was a giant diamond engagement ring in the sky. This lasted a whole of about 3 seconds before it was too bright to look at once again. The entire field erupted in applause and cheers once more as we came to the end of the most amazing and unbelievable moment of our lives. I instantly knew it had changed me. It's like I absorbed pure energy straight from the sun. Everything seemed possible at that point. If something so spectacular as a total solar eclipse truly exists, then anything is possible!
Today, if I asked my sister or nephew what the coolest thing they have ever seen in their lives were, both of them would say it was the eclipse. I can't think of anything that could even compare to seeing a total solar eclipse from the path of totality. Maybe if a nebula spontaneously appeared and covered the entire sky? That would be in the same ballpark as a total solar eclipse.
I urge you to go see a total solar eclipse for yourself. You owe it to yourself to go see one! Every living person deserves to see one at least once in their lives. The next one for North America is in 2024. The driving distance from anywhere on the entire planet is worth the drive. I promise! It could very well change your life!!!
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I am a storm spotter for the National Weather Service office out of Louisville, Kentucky.
Amateur photographer, capturing as many of life's amazing moments as I possibly can.
Proud former student of 
