Aug 2017 KENTUCKY Henderson 2 - Total Eclipse of the Sun

The next morning we met at 7:15am for a quick breakfast at the hotel. Biscuits were outstanding. I made a cheesy egg sandwich out of one and Mike had gravy over two. Then we headed out in search of the perfect viewing spot along the Ohio River. It was already 79 degrees and not much in the way of clouds. Yay!

This eclipse was very special because we had not experienced a TOTAL eclipse of the sun in the USA since June 8, 1918 (99 years ago). Neil DeGrasse Tyson also pointed out this eclipse path would only occur within the US and not any other country. So unusual! Ron stated he had been waiting "his whole life" to see it. Dixie was dressed, oh soooo appropriately, for today's event.

In simple terms, here is what we would see. The moon passes between the earth and sun and the three orbs line up precisely. The moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, but it is also 400 times closer to earth than the sun, so it appears the same size. From the right viewing angle, the moon will entirely cover the sun and make a shadow racing across earth's surface. The only light comes from the sun's corona (outside flaming surface), appearing as a "halo" around the moon.

Ron had scoped out a tentative spot in the 100% viewing zone. The drive from our hotel was 1-½ hours and about 68 miles down 2-lane roads. Much of our route followed the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (more later), according to signs along the way. The road ended at an old ferry crossing on the Ohio River. At 9:45am, it was already quite crowded there.

We turned left and drove about 10 miles looking for the perfect spot close to the river that wasn't crowded. No luck. We returned back to the ferry crossing and continued on in the other direction. We drove a few miles to a dead end and back-tracked about ½ way. There was a turnout under some shade trees and we chose that spot. Not another living being around. All in all we were there about three hours and only eight cars drove by.

One reason we picked this spot was that we hoped to see the shadow of the eclipse moving quickly across the wide expansive field.

The landscape around us was mostly soybean fields--in front of us and behind down a short trail.

That was a bonus for me because I always wondered what soybeans as a crop looked like up close. See the fuzzy pea pods hanging down the center of the stem in this pix.

Beyond the field was the Ohio River. We saw a long large barge easing its way down the river. The white you see is one boat, or maybe a couple hooked together, pulled by the helm to the far right.

And beyond that were rock cliffs and a resort or something hidden in the trees. Here's a close up of what you can barely see it in the upper right corner of the me/he shot above. (What a great camera I have!) We wondered what the eclipse view would be from the resort as they were facing directly into it.

We were all prepped with sun glasses (used before the eclipse), solar eclipse safety classes, hats, sunscreen (thanks, Dix), chairs, binoculars, multiple cameras, picnic lunch, and lots of water. By now the temp was 93 degrees. Ron set up his camera with a timer to get this shot of our crew. As we sat here, the eclipse would occur behind us. When it started we would move from under the tree and turn our chairs around to face the sun.

I had downloaded the Solar Eclipse Talking Timer app ($1.99). It was developed by plastic surgeon Dr.  Gordon Telepun. He has a keen hobby interest in astronomy and particularly solar eclipses. The app even had a test button, so you could simulate what was going to happen and be more prepared. NASA actually used this exact app in announcing various phases of the event. Wow, amazing app! It certainly enhanced our experience.

Once we were at our destination, the app found our longitude-latitude position. It then configured the app to verbally announce various phases of the event at the exact right times.

11:54:13 - 1st contact - when the moon firsts starts covering the sun. Ron took this pix with his cell phone through his solar glasses at the start of the event. The moon was moving in from the top right. I tried taking a pix, too, but pretty tricky. I did not want to take a chance and accidentally view the sun, incurring eye damage. This shows the first "bite" out of the sun.

13:22:06 - 2nd contact - when the moon nears completely covering the sun
13.23.25 - Max eclipse - when the moon hits the perfect mid point of covering the sun
13:24:43 - 3rd contact - when the moon starts uncovering the sun
14:49:17 - 4th contact  when the moon completely moves away from the sun

To be continued ...