It was March of 1970. I was penned up in my New Hampshire dorm
rooms when a partial solar eclipse darkened the skin over Hanover. It wasn’t the spectacular drama of a total
eclipse, but I do remember looking out of my window to see the mass of my
fellow “scholars” pounding pots and pans to encourage the weakened sun to
return. I could have travelled to see
the total eclipse – the Southeast coast of the US would have served, but, at
the time, I was barely 20 years old, and it didn’t seem that important to make
the effort.
Path of Totality April 8 2024 |
Eclipse Necessity |
Totality Lower Exposure Reveals Solar Prominences
Suddenly, as if by flipping a
switch, totality blinked on. Despite all
my planning, panic set in. I rushed to capture
a range of exposures, but then I realized I was at risk of missing the
experience while trying to capture it. For the last half of totality, I just
settled back and enjoyed the view. It was spectacular and must be experienced
to be appreciated. I haven’t seen any
photograph that fully captures the phenomenon. In addition to the bright
corona, I was especially struck by the brilliant red of a solar prominence that
peaked around the lunar disc.
Nearly 3 Minutes of Totality |
First Sliver of the Sun's Return |
And it WAS a nightmare! Normally
it should take about 3 hours to make it home, but it ended up taking 8 hours
before we staggered back to Spofford NH.
We initially found a few less congested back roads, but quickly, every
path was clogged and the main route south, on Route 91, was a languid parking
lot. We left Colebrook at 4PM and finally got home at about midnight. There were a few saving graces, including the chance to listen
to some fun music, and the blessing of a wonderfully relaxed dog. Benji
actually handled the slog with far fewer complaints than either Susan or I. (And without drugs!)Route 91 - The Crawl
We have now recovered from
the journey, and I’ve had a chance to review my images. In just a few days, the pain has faded, and
the wonders of the experience are growing. The long journey has become just
part of the whole remarkable experience and will blend with our memories of
this amazing, once in a lifetime event. I’m
very glad that I made the effort to check this one off my list.
Jeff Newcomer
www.partridgebrookreflections.com
Great pictures! Susan had told me about the adventure, but I loved your description with your pictures!! Nicely captured! Jen Rivera
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience with us, Jeff. We in the Richmond are only had 87% but you made it ‘up close and personal’ for me! Cousin Patty
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