Thursday, August 24, 2017

Hey, it's getting darker....

Yes, as L'il Orphan Annie sang, "The sun'll come out tomorrow," after the stunning and awesome 2017 eclipse in Charleston, S.C.
         
I had planned it pretty good. 

Slipping on my approved solar glasses, I had checked where the sun was in the sky several days at 2 pm when I stood on my deck in Hanahan.

It looked like I could be seated comfortably and track it easily as the sun was gobbled up by the moon and arced across the sky.

The total black out would happen before the sun dipped behind trees, so I was good to go!

Unfortunately, those pesky clouds rolled in about two minutes before the eclipse reached totality.

Sadly, I stepped inside and watched the "money shot" scene on tv. Bummer!

It could be seen happening about 12 miles away on our barrier islands of Mount Pleasant and the Isle of Palms. 

Coastal breezes that we usually love had blown all the clouds my way!
          
Until the sun was blanked out, I had enjoyed watching the crescent sun that gradually mimicked the moon on our state flag before the rains came.

I went back out on my deck, taking off the safety glasses.

The sudden and complete brief 2-minute afternoon darkness was awesome!

It got quiet - no birds chirping -  and all of my solar-powered yard and deck lights came on. 

My confused indoor cat ambled off to take yet another brief nap.
          
Several members of my Photo Group* were in the right places nearby and posted some really nice photos, (thanks, Rudy Lutge) including this great "Diamond Ring" one by Brian Smith.
          
I had planned to relax and just enjoy the experience and not even bother taking photos for a change. 

I saw my neighbor and family in their back yard, sitting in chairs and looking up and, later holding altered cereal boxes to get a pinhole camera effect.

Member of the 21st Century Photo Group, Joseph Nienstedt, was able to shoot through a thin layer of clouds 

He caught this crisp shot as the sun started peeking out around the shadowing moon.

 This was when I would have put my solar glasses back on if I had had that great view.

I think I scared some folks the day before when I posted a picture of my real solar dark glasses and a pair of some old 3-D glasses I found in a drawer.

There was concern that I was dumb enough to damage my eyes wearing the wrong pair.

I knew that National Geographic - and the NASA people in town - would produce better images than I could hope to with my small pocket-size Canon sx280HS. 


Hmm, but it does have a 25mm - 500mm zoom lens.

Fortunately, my group members really came through.

I was disappointed to have missed the several minutes of the awesome totality.

Our tv weather persons were very apologetic about the cloud cover that wiped out views in Summerville, Ladson, North Charleston, Hanahan, and others.

NBC's Al Roker, was aboard the USS Yorktown over at Patriot's Point in Mt. Pleasant.

Al gave his morning report on the Today Show and stuck around to see the eclipse from the last view spot in the United States in South Carolina.

He and all the people who chose to drive to the beaches made good choices and saw the heavenly display.

(Click on the photos and links for more details.)

 Hopefully, you were in a clear sky spot and enjoyed the total experience.

 2024 I'll get another chance. Think I'll head to the beach.





Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by chuckography @ 11:29 PM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home