The "Eyes On The Skies!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Had my special polarizing glasses on as well as the very dark glasses I was given a few weeks ago when I had cataract surgery.  Standing in my driveway with my metal tripod to which I had attached my DSLR camera with my 70-250mm lens and a polarizing filter over my lens.  Spent a few minutes making adjustments on the camera and tripod and I was ready for the eclipse.  I'm sure by now you know what I'm talking about.  We in the United States have been bombarded with stories and warnings about a once in a lifetime event that was not to be missed.  Actually, our local paper said it would be "Priceless."  

Chart showing exactly what occurred on August 21, 2017.

And, I guess it was!  I certainly was excited.  We who live in Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania knew we wouldn't have a total solar eclipse, but anything close would be amazing.  It was supposed to take 93 minutes to travel across the United States, at about 850 miles an hour. IF only we could drive across the United States in 93 minutes.  Those areas where there would be total darkness would be in darkness for 2 minutes and 39 seconds.  About 2:00 pm I was ready for the event while standing in my driveway.  Tried pointing my camera at the sun and pressing the button to make it automatically focus.  Wouldn't work.  Just ... wouldn't work!  Ah Ha!  Put my camera on manual focus, focused it to infinity and Voila!!  I knew ahead of time I wasn't going to get the same type of photos that I was seeing on television from places like Madras, Oregon and other locations along the 70-mile-wide swath across the United States.  But, I was hoping I could get a photo worthy of showing on my story today.  Then, about 2:30 the clouds rolled in and covered the sky.  

Taken from my TV showing the total eclipse in Kansas City, MO.

Geez, now what?  I'll be dead before this happens again.  We in Lancaster were supposed to see about 76% of the sun covered with the shadow of the moon, but we had to be able to see the sun.  Then, just as quick as the clouds covered the sky, they began to disappear.  At 2:42, the time we were told the excitement would begin, I began to take a few photos.  I tried every few minutes until I was sure it was over.  Checked to see what I got and hoped I had some great photos.  Didn't happen.  Not sure why, but I wasn't happy with my photos.  Probably doing something wrong, but it still didn't take away from the excitement of having a once in a lifetime chance of seeing a solar eclipse.  

Another view of the total eclipse taken from my TV.

Our local news outlets were telling me that the eclipse was the first total solar eclipse in the United States since 1979, which I don't recall at all, as well as the first total solar eclipse to cross the continental U.S. in 99 years.  We were also told that the air would get cooler and it would begin to get dark.  Not where I was standing!  The sweat was still rolling off my bald head and it was as bight as ever.  And, my wife kept reminding me not to look at the sun.  I did have my adjustable viewfinder on my camera pointed toward me so I didn't have to look towards the heavens, but you know how it is ... I just had to take a peek.  I figured how much worse could it be than when I look toward the sun while on vacation in the Caribbean and have the chance to take photos of a double rainbow.  Also read in the paper that people might act strange during the eclipse.  

And, the best I could produce from my driveway in Lancaster, PA

If you count the excitement involved, I guess you might consider that strange, but give me a break ... do you think people will really act strange?  Now, my wife said there's no way I can act more strange than I usually do, so we were safe in the driveway.  Yes, I can see animals who may be in the path of total darkness thinking it was nighttime, but others probably had no idea there was anything different happening.  I did read stories of things that happened 99 years ago when chickens went home to roost and birds returned to their nests and streetcars had to turn on their headlights.  Back then they made pinhole viewers and used smoked glass to view the eclipse.  Well, the event is now passed and truly was exciting and the next total eclipse for parts of the United States will appear on April 8, 2024 with the next full coast-to-coast total eclipse coming in 2045.  Only time will tell if I will be able to try again when the next eclipse arrives.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.