In 2017 the United States experienced a solar eclipse. A solar eclipse is when the moon blocks the sun and the Earth is caught in its shadow. Every couple of years, around the globe, various locations experience solar eclipses. What was so special about the 2017 solar eclipse? Well, the type of solar eclipse was a total solar eclipse: the moon completely covered the sun’s disk, showing the outermost atmosphere of the sun or its corona.
There are various different types solar eclipses: annular, partial, and total. Annular events happen when the new moon blocks the sun, creating an outer ring of fire, but the eclipse does not block the sun entirely like totality. Partial solar eclipses, perform what one would expect, block the sun but not entirely, creating crescent shapes in photos. But on August 21, 2017, if the day wasn’t too cloudy, one could view the first US coast-to-coast total solar eclipse in 99 years.
I was in Aldie, VA, working from home, but managed to get the scope out, equipped with a solar filter, and invited the neighbors and kids to view our area’s partial solar eclipse. Also, managed to capture a few photos of the moment. Even though our area did not see totality, the brief event was a good time for all, complete with solar eclipse glasses, crescent shape photos and sun spots, and lots of media hype.
The next chance to see a total solar eclipse in the US will be on April 8, 2024. It is already dubbed the Great North American Eclipse.
