In Washington, DC, the solar eclipse of 2017 was not total, but it was awesome nonetheless. Equipped with safety glasses, we saw the moon obstruct about 90% of the sun, the mostly sunny day became noticeably dimmer as the eclipse progressed.
A particularly striking phenomenon was seeing images of the partially obscured sun randomly scattered on the ground. You can find many fine examples of this on the internet, but these are photos I took so they have that little extra bit of nostalgic oomph.
As you may know, the gaps between the leaves of trees, or the holes in a colander, act as pinhole cameras that project images of the sun onto the ground. The explanation sounds boring, but the effect is weird. For me it is the most uncanny thing about a solar eclipse. Maybe if I experienced totality that would change, but the sight of these crescents all over the ground was truly unnerving. (For a reminder of how the sun normally projects through the leaves, click here.)
I am looking forward to the eclipse in 2024, with totality in Cleveland, my home town.
