A Rare Phenomenon

 

Well – today’s the big day. The day we’ve been hearing so much about. A day no one has seen since 2009. A day not to be repeated for another two years (according to Google, if you can believe Google). Can you feel the anticipation? The sky goes dark. Temperatures drop. Birds and animals go quiet. For those of you who’ve been living in a cave, today there will be a total eclipse of the sun in certain parts of the United States. In most states, there will only be a partial eclipse, thanks to the fickle new moon, who only wishes to travel in a straight line across the middle of the nation.

Here in Vicksburg, I think we’ll see like an 80% eclipse sometime around 1:30 p.m. if  we remember to venture outside and look up.

But don’t look directly at the sun! How many times as a kid did we hear our parents warn us about staring at the sun? I don’t know about you, but I remember my mom uttering those words at least a dozen or so times when I was growing up. She undoubtedly had to say it more than once because I was a stubborn child who did not always heed the advice of my mother (or listen).

Anyway, this used to be the only affordable way to view an eclipse:

Remember those days? Everybody staring heavenward with a box on their heads? What an odd contraption that aluminum foiled pinholed box was. I’m told you can also try viewing this event with this simple kitchen gadget:

Nowadays, it’s easy peasy to get your hands on a pair of these special viewing babies:

I still have the 3-D glasses I got for free from my special pre-release debut of the last Hobbit movie. I wonder if those’ll work. Maybe I’ll wear those with my colander and see what happens.

I hear folks are flocking to Oregon (the supposed optimum viewing location), causing havoc for small towns not prepared to handle the huge influx of people. Gas stations are running out of gas. Grocery store shelves are empty. Hotel rooms are $500 a night. You’d think it was the apocalypse, not an eclipse. Call me crazy, but I think I’ll just stick around here with my colander and 3-D glasses and hope for a better opportunity from my own back yard in 2019. No need to travel to parts unknown to experience a six minute freak of nature in my opinion.

But hey, if you’re one of the crazies determined to enjoy the ultimate experience, don’t forget your special viewing eyewear, And a whole bunch of patience if you’re headed to Oregon. And don’t forget to post your pictures so I can see what I missed.

Happy eclipse day dear readers. How are you spending today? Got your special glasses? Ever make a viewing box?

Word of the day: Ambisonics

Fun fact about me: I’ll probably forget to go outside today.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, August 2017. Photos courtesy Google Images.