2024 Solar Eclipse

Next week, the Great American Eclipse will take place from Texas to Maine. My family will join the other eclipse chasers for this unique experience. Here’s why you should consider viewing the eclipse as well.

In 2017, we traveled to Alliance, Nebraska to see the eclipse. My husband insisted that we experience 100% totality; at the time I didn’t realize that 96% totality at our home in Colorado would be a completely different experience. He was absolutely right.

Totality refers to the moon completely obscuring the sun. While totality only occurs for several minutes, the effect is a dramatic multi-sensory experience. The environment darkens, as though it is nighttime. The temperature instantly chills. Birds become quiet and crickets begin chirping. As the eclipse ends, there are beautiful colors of sunrise in every direction.

During the total eclipse, it’s possible to see things that are not generally visible. The stars closest to the sun are only observable when the light of the sun is obscured. The corona, or surface of the sun, is apparent, as well as sunspots and solar flares dancing on the sun’s atmosphere. We gain an appreciation for the power of the sun and it’s its ability to warm and brighten our planet.