Add Eclipse 2024 post (#9)

content/blog/2024-04-12-eclipse-2024/index.md

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+---
+title: Eclipse 2024
+layout: post
+categories:
+- eclipse
+- solar
+- nasa
+date: '2024-04-12'
+image: partial-collage.jpeg
+---
+
+On August 11, 1999, myself and a couple of friends took a trip down to Cornwall
+to get in the path of totality for the eclipse that was happening in the UK that
+day. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side and we had wall to wall
+clouds which meant that we could actually see anything. We did experience
+totality which was an awesome and eerie experience.
+
+This year, I knew about the eclipse happening across North America (where I now
+live) but didn't initially plan to travel for it.
+
+<!--more-->
+
+A friend of mine asked me on Sunday if I would be able to watch his cats, as he
+was planning to take a day trip down to Indiana to see the eclipse. Then he
+asked me if I'd like to come with him. My initial reason for deciding not to
+travel was that I had left it too late to book a hotel and the amount of driving
+to do it in a day would be brutal (about 12 hours!). I figured if he was
+planning to do the trip anyway I should take the day off and hitch a ride!
+
+He picked me up at 5am on eclipse day, and we began the trip down to Indiana
+from Madison, Wisconsin. We didn't have a specific location in mind, just that
+we would find the path of totality and then pick somewhere. We took a good look
+at the map on the way down and decided on Bloomington as it seemed like a small
+enough town that it wouldn't be too busy, but not so small that there were no
+amenities.
+
+About 3 hours after we left we found ourselves entering Indiana...
+
+<figure>
+  {{< img src="indiana.jpeg" alt="Entering Indiana on the freeway" >}}
+
+  <figcaption>Indiana, we are in you!</figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+It took us another 3 hours to reach Bloomington, at which point we had to
+decided where we were going to go. We found a nice park somewhere just outside
+downtown in the suburbs called Bryan Park. There were plenty of people already
+camped out for the eclipse but it wasn't busy.
+
+<figure>
+  {{< img src="glasses.jpeg" alt="" >}}
+
+  <figcaption>Testing out the solar eclipse glasses</figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+At 1:49pm (13:49) the moon started to move across the sun. For the next hour we
+watched through our solar eclipse glasses as the sun became obscured. Gradually
+it became darker and we noticed that the temperature was dropping. By the time I
+took the last shot of the partial it was almost dusk like.
+
+<figure>
+  {{< img src="partial-collage.jpeg" alt="" >}}
+
+  <figcaption>Stages of the partial eclipse, taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max
+    through a pair of eclipse glasses</figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+Then, at precisely 3:04pm (15:04) the moon completely covered the sun and...
+
+Wow.
+
+I mean, wow!
+
+<figure>
+  {{< img src="eclipse.jpeg" alt="" >}}
+
+  <figcaption>The total eclipse, taken with my Fuji X-Pro 2 at
+    183mm</figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+For 4 minutes we stared in awe at the corona of the sun. It seemed massive in
+the sky. It went as dark as night. The birds stopped singing. People cheered and
+clapped.
+
+Then... the sun started to re-appear. Beading at the edges at first. Then
+becoming brighter until we needed to don our solar eclipse glasses once more.
+
+<figure>
+  {{< img src="beads-collage.jpeg" alt="" >}}
+
+  <figcaption>The sun starting to bead at the edges of the moon</figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+We decided not to stick around to watch the moon recede from in front of the
+sun. We were very hungry and also knew we had a long drive ahead of us (I ended
+up driving us the whole way back).
+
+We stopped for food at a local place called Yogi's Bar & Grill. It was good!
+They had this lovely bulb lit sign on the wall right over our table.
+
+<figure>
+  {{< img src="indiana-sign.jpeg" alt="" >}}
+
+  <figcaption>Bulb lit sign above our table at Yogi's</figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+After that we got back in the car and started the long journey back to
+Wisconsin. We decided to avoid Chicago on the journey back (Chicago drivers are
+fucking crazy!). My friend dropped me home at 11:30pm (23:00).
+
+It was a very long day, but absolutely worth it. Experiencing the eclipse was an
+absolutely fantastic experience. Seeing a partial eclipse is great, but it
+really doesn't hold a candle to being in the path of totality.
+
+I'm already thinking about how I can get to Spain or Iceland for the eclipse in
+2026. I'll be better prepared this time!