Unless you have been hiding under a rock somewhere, you have probably heard or seen the word “eclipse”. A solar eclipse to be specific. A lunar eclipse is a different astronomical phenomenon. We will discuss that more when we look to the night sky on July 27, 2018.
Speaking of hiding under a rock, the moon will be hiding the sun from us on August 21. This article will not be flooded with facts about the eclipse as there have been plenty and the information has been repeated several times. Library patrons have offered their opinions ranging from not caring whatsoever, to being scared of the mass traffic chaos to come. I am anxious to see what it will be like from the comfort of my porch.
Websites say any breezes we have that day will dissipate. We haven’t had that many strong winds lately to speak of anyway.
“Shadow bands” will move across the ground in a ripple/wave type effect. That could prove to be interesting.
The temperature is said to go down 10-15 degrees. It has been fairly cool by August standards, so that shouldn’t affect us too much.
They say birds will stop chirping and may come in to roost. Now this will be of particular interest to chicken owners, peacock owners, and us goose owners that have geese that gather under the yard light each evening.
I had thought about taking pictures or videos of the whole 1 minute and 11 second event, but people tend to miss out on the “just being there” and “experiencing the moment” like the use of our phones have done with the cute antics of our children or grandchildren. I’ll borrow clips from the professionals and make it mine.
Happy and Safe Eclipse watching!
(We have approved glasses, Moon Pies, Sunny Delight, Eclipse gum to chew while watching eclipse themed movies, and “worksheets” to complete for Saturday’s pre-eclipse day.)