Journey to the Shadow, No. 14

New friend Scott Wargo made this video of totality during the August 21 eclipse, as seen from our Greenwood, South Carolina location. I've already shared this link on some sites, so apologies if you have already seen this. Just trying to be thorough. Enjoy. http://bit.ly/2wakOKK

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 13

Friend Craig MacDougal made this 13-minute YouTube video to capture the sights and sounds of the August 21 eclipse. Watch the Walmart as the sky grows erily darker and folks get more excited, see the darkness and hear the shouting during totality, and then watch how the world seems to quickly return to normal afterward. Did it really happen? I'm pretty sure it did! http://bit.ly/2w3PmPZ

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 12

August 21, 2017

I have no photos from totality. But I have memories. Wow! Amazing. It was so otherworldly. The corona had the look of a Star Fleet delta shield with a solar prominence thrown in. The experience was so worth the trip. I will be scanning the recordings for the eclipse as it appeared when I saw it with my own eyes. We broke camp about 30 minutes after the end of totality. We are making our way back home with the rest of humanity. ETA, sometime after midnight Eastern Time.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 11

August 21, 2017

More observers collected as we got closer to totality. One family had some guests, a missionary family back from Niger. We had some fun with a pinhole projector.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 10

August 21, 2017

As we waited through the partial phase, Craig played a little Frisbee to pass the time.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 9

August 21, 2017

We met up with Craig's friends in Greenwood. We are camped in a shaded area by the parking lot of a Super Walmart. Partly cloudy, but we still consider it a great spot. Also, we aren't relocating again. And so we wait.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 8

August 21, 2017

It is the morning of Eclipse Day and we have a new plan: Go West! Craig's careful study of the weather models and satellite imagery gave him a headache. But suggested that around eclipse time in South Carolina, the chances of cloud cover will be lower the farther west you go. Therefore, we've decided to drive to Greenwood, west of Columbia. There we will meet an old friend of Craig's who will be observing there with friends. Being Eclipse Day, we expect traffic to be a challenge. So, for our dash across the state, we will take a few roads we hope will be less traveled. And by doing so, we hope that will make all the difference. The optimistic travel-time estimate is about 2 hours 30 minutes. If there are significant delays on the road, we may get to Greenwood after first contact (C1, the start of the partial phase). But as long as we are in place before totality (the time from C2 to C3), then no worries! The rough eclipse contact times for Greenwood, SC (Eastern Time) are: C1: 1:10:25 pm; C2: 2:39:22 pm; C3: 2:41:51 pm; C4: 4:04 pm. Queue the John Williams music!...Trivia Item 1: Experiencing a total solar eclipse where you live happens on average about once in 375 years. Trivia Item 2: 12.2 million Americans live in the path of this total eclipse. Of course, with visitors, that number will be much higher! About 200 million people (a little less than 2⁄3 the nation's population) live within one day's drive of the path of this total eclipse. In addition, millions of Americans will be able to view a partial eclipse, weather permitting.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 6

August 20, 2017

We have arrived at the Best Western in Santee, South Carolina. The agenda for the evening includes: (1) Get the wi-fi going, (2) forage for dinner at a local establishment, (3) construct some pinhole projectors to have on hand for the eclipse, and (4) study the latest weather models for tomorrow. Oh, and (5) get a good night's rest. Trivia: The last time a total solar eclipse occurred exclusively in the U.S. was in 1778.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 5

August 20, 2017

We reached South Carolina and topped off the tank. We're back on the road to Santee. Trivia: The last total eclipse in the United States occurred on Feb. 26, 1979. The last total eclipse that crossed the entire continent occurred on June 8, 1918.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 4

August 20,2017

Now in Georgia. Behold the image of a sign partially eclipsed (ha!) by another car taking a pic of the same sign! Trivia: The umbra (or dark inner shadow) of the moon will be traveling from west to east from almost 3,000 miles per hour (in western Oregon) to 1,500 miles per hour in South Carolina.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 3

August 20, 2017 

All packed and waiting for my cohort, Craig MacDougal. The black bag has pieces of foam core board for pinhole projectors. Trivia: On Aug. 21, 2017, all of North America will view – weather permitting -- a partial eclipse, when the moon obscures part of the sun.

On our way! Note the car signage. If others can advertise their fanaticisms, so can we. Trivia: The total eclipse will be viewable throughout a 70-mile-wide path that crosses 14 of the United States from Oregon to South Carolina.

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Journey to the Shadow, No. 2

August 19, 2017

The Journey to the Shadow gets serious tomorrow as we leave Tampa, Florida for Santee, South Carolina.

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