It was only about 50% here. Didn't look up. Totally clear skies.
This is what the solar array noted during the event:
Partial Solar Eclipse 8 Apr 24.jpg
So even though it really didn't look much darker, the solar panels knew.
- After I ask a stranger if I can pet their dog and they say yes, I like to respond, "I'll keep that in mind" and walk off
- It's above my pay grade. Mongo only pawn in game of life.
I had planned to use my self dimming welding hoods, a Miller and a Speedglas one but they were too smart, would not dim in just sunlight!
Retired Guy- Central Iowa.HVAC/R , Cloudray Galvo Fiber , -Windows 10
I drove 70 min SE to my sister's on the south side of Indianapolis. It was near perfect weather--just a wisp of clouds in the sky, and 75°F. By the time the sun was 50% obscured, I could tell that the sun was less intense on my skin, even though it didn't feel much cooler outside. Took lots of photos, saw some Bailey's Beads, and a couple solar flares. But photos just don't do it justice. At full eclipse, there was a very ethereal quality to the darkness, and direct viewing of the totality almost didn't look real. It reminded me of the Dark Saber in the Mandalorian (if you watched that series)--the black center was VERY black, but the corona glowed. Then, just like that, the diamond ring popped.
When it was all said and done, I left my sister's about an hour later, and that 70-minute drive became almost three hours due to eclipse traffic leaving the area. I didn't even go home, but met my wife and son at a bar less than a mile from home to watch our Boilers play for the national championship. The big man did his part, but the rest of the team just didn't help enough.
Getting up at 0415 and going to bed after midnight is getting harder to do...
It was definitely surreal when it became of a full eclipse.
it was also amazing how little sun it takes to light and heat the area. It only got truly dark and cold when it was a 100%. Even at 99% it was relatively light outside although definitely cooler.
We watched it near Shelbyville (rural and lots of fields). Interesting to hear the animals get ready for sleep and then 3 to 4 minutes later wake back up.
Yes, I have 3 phase!
We were a couple hundred mile north of the totality path. Started looking weird/different. We had the approved glasses and sat outside and checked every few minutes at the progress. 2:01 PM Central was peak for us. My daughter lives in Ohio West of Cleveland and was virtually dead center in the totality path. Said it was definitely strange getting dark for 3 or 4 minutes. Fortunately for most the weather was clear enough to get a good view of it.
Blue skys all day, 230 rolled around and a giant cloud rolled right in front of the sun. Couldn't see a thing.
My three favorite things are the Oxford comma, irony and missed opportunities
The problem with humanity is: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and God-like technology. Edward O. Wilson
FYI... if you had eclipse glasses, please recycle them via https://astronomerswithoutborders.org/home
they send them to poor countries when they have an eclipse... there is one this fall in South America
The local Menards had hundreds of pairs of eclipse glasses left early Monday afternoon. I checked the Menards website yesterday curious to see how many eclipse glasses were still in inventory and the eclipse glasses were gone off the website. I would not be surprised if they threw away the remainder. They had them on clearance last week already for $1 instead of the original $2. Minnesota was only getting a partial eclipse which is why the eclipse glasses did not sell out.
Menards stores in a state that was going to see totality ran out of eclipse glasses a week or more before the eclipse. I saw something from a Menards employee saying they would answer the phone and immediately say they were out of eclipse glasses as that was the majority of calls.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)