On Monday August 21, I woke up wondering if I would get to see any of the eclipse. Now, being in Minneapolis didn't exactly put me in the prime zone for the ultimate eclipse experience, but it's close enough that we had a chance to see something. When I woke up at 7 a.m., it was cloudy and dark. "No problem," I thought, "It could clear up!"
Sure enough, after an hour or so, blue sky was peeking through the clouds and the sun was shining. Great sign, the sky is clearing up! Or so I thought. As it drew closer and closer to 1 p.m., it became darker and cloudier, much like it was when I first arose. It was time to come to terms with the fact that I was not going to be able to see the eclipse. While the clouds were creating cool dips and waves, they were still blocking the view. In spite of the cloud cover in Minneapolis, this image was captured:
The overcast sky shut out the sunlight and threatened to rain on everyone who was out hoping to see the eclipse in spite of the cloud covering. I counted down the minutes until the eclipse was set to happen, staring woefully at the clouds that decided they had to be right there right then. The momentous occasion came and went, and I continued about as though nothing exciting was happening behind the clouds. It started raining shortly after and continued on through the rest of the afternoon, which made me feel better because that meant the clouds weren't just an inconvenience. At least they had a purpose.
That night, I came home--home being Rochester, Minnesota, which is about two hours from Minneapolis--and spoke with my family and friends about the eclipse. My mom proceeded to tell me that her coworker brought in special glasses and they took turns watching the eclipse. My friends gushed about being downtown in the plaza and watching it.
They said there were a lot of people who had glasses and other devices to watch the eclipse, and because it's such a unique experience, people were sharing their devices with those around them so they could all see the eclipse. Interestingly, they said that there were crescent shaped shadows cast by a lot of objects and structures. Sure enough, a lot of the photos taken related to the eclipse are these quirky little crescent shaped shadows.
While I'm totally bummed out that I myself didn't get to see the eclipse, it was pretty cool to hear what other's thought of it and what they got to see. Of course, the pictures are amazing and some of which have been gathered and shared here. The good news is that the next total solar eclipse that will be visible in the U.S. is supposed to happen in 2024, so there's still hope!
