‘That Is Unreal!’ Experiencing The Total Solar Eclipse
2:34 minutes
On August 21st, millions of Americans stopped what they were doing and looked up.
The total solar eclipse captured the imagination of folks across the country. Science Friday had producers all along the path of totality (which ran from Oregon to South Carolina) and beyond to record people’s reactions to the spectacular stellar phenomenon.
[Don’t throw away those eclipse glasses! Donate them.]
[Here’s how NASA is preparing to live off the land…on Mars.]
[Birds of a feather, photograph well together.]
Segment Transcript
IRA FLATOW: Did you all have a good eclipse? I was sure lucky enough to be in Casper, Wyoming, for the big event. And after months– no, actually, years– of anticipation, I’m happy to say it was even more breathtaking than I had imagined. And the same was true for members of our staff, who were stationed all along the path of totality.
So, to cap off Eclipse Week, here’s one last treat for you– the sound of a total eclipse in four time zones.
[MUSIC]
SPEAKER: 10:24 a.m., Durkee, Oregon.
[CROWD CHEERING AND SHOUTING]
[DOG BARKING]
[CROWD SHOUTING]
AUDIENCE: Wow. Totality. [LAUGHS]
SPEAKER: 11:25 a.m., Midvale, Idaho.
[CROWD SHOUTING]
AUDIENCE: Oh my god! [LAUGHS] That is unreal. Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER: 1:13 p.m., Jefferson City, Missouri.
AUDIENCE: Oh my god! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh! This is weird. And it is dark. Wow. Look around. It’s gone. Oh my god. That’s unbelievable. It’s gone. Oh my gosh. Oh my God! Take it off and look at it. It’s crazy. Oh my gosh. It’s so cool.
SPEAKER: 2:38 p.m., Greenville, South Carolina.
[CROWD CHEERING]
IRA FLATOW: Gives me goosebumps. See how folks experienced it across the country at sciencefriday.com/totality.
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Meet the Producer
About Katie Feather
@sciencewritrKatie Feather is a former SciFri producer and the proud mother of two cats, Charleigh and Sadie.