Your Snapshots From The Solar Eclipse
The “mental snapshots” readers shared from the April 8 solar eclipse capture the joy, wonder, and surreality of the day.
On April 8, those in the path of the total solar eclipse were able to witness a rare moment of alignment between the sun and moon. I flew from New York to Texas to see totality, and all I’ll say is that it was sufficiently exquisite. Rain or shine, totality or partiality, I hope your experience was terrific, too.
All of the submissions to our eclipse memory snapshot form were absolutely delightful! Below, you’ll find a compilation of a few eclipse memories we received.
My expectations were through the roof, but I was still not prepared for the magnificence of the time leading up to totality as the light faded and colors muted. I was a complete mess by the time totality began. I will never forget the day.
The birds which were chirping earlier seemed to have taken a refuge, and no cars were driving—all things went splendidly silent … Our two year old son—who was oblivious to the eclipse and the occurrence—understood the sudden and total darkness.
Just a sliver of sun seen, 94% coverage. Dogs barking and cooler.
During totality someone mentioned the sunset all around. So I turned in all directions 360° and sure enough, the sun was setting in every direction.
The most unusual thing I experienced was the light before totality. The shadows were weird, and it was like dusk, but completely different.
This was an installment of our 2024 limited-run eclipse newsletter, “Moon Mail.” See the full “Moon Mail” archive here.
Emma Lee Gometz is Science Friday’s Digital Producer of Engagement. She’s a writer and illustrator who loves drawing primates and tending to her coping mechanisms like G-d to the garden of Eden.