GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024 - 21

family reunion
While this April's eclipse can be seen from many
places, the most wonderful and transformative experience
takes place within the path of (what is called)
TOTALITY.
For the family reunion, we wanted to find the best
place possible to experience this incredible
and extremely rare event with
the greatest number of minutes of
viewing the totality. After a year and
a half of online research, with my
eclipse-chasing friend, we found the
exact location we wanted where we
would have the longest eclipse viewing
time in the US. Once we determined
the location, there were lots of
phone calls and back-and-forth emails
to vacation rental listings until we
found the optimal property to watch
the eclipse totally. It's a terrific lakefront
spot in the heart of Texas Hill country
which is only 80 miles from Austin. This
rural country spot houses three separate
cottages with room for all of us and is in the path
of totality which will last for a remarkable 4 minutes
and 23 seconds.
Back in August of 2017, along with my
"
Remembering the shared history
and love that binds the family
together will always be the
underlying thread that withstands
the test of time.
21 GRAND SPRING 2024
"
"
Standing among the hills of Oregon we watched the surrounding
mountains turn from brown to dark blue and then to deep purple. The sky
became darker and darker and the temperature continued to drop.
eclipse-chasing friends Bob and Sharon,
we were able to watch the totality eclipse
in Oregon. With the same amount of
research, we found a great place well
within the path of totality. I will never
forget it. The mystical experience starts
happening when the eclipse travels from
halfway to three-quarters. From that
point on everything changes. The air
temperature begins to slowly drop. The
sky is darkening, too.
The total eclipse created a midday
sunset which is very different from an
evening sunset when the sun is high
in the sky instead of low on the horizon.
During evening sunsets, air molecules
scatter away the shorter wavelengths of light and
the only light that penetrates through the atmosphere
produces colorful sunsets. With the eclipse's midday
sunset, there are no pinks, oranges, yellow, or pale blue
colors. It just gets darker, everywhere.
Standing among the hills of Oregon we watched
the surrounding mountains turn from brown to dark
blue and then to deep purple. The sky became darker
and darker and the temperature continued to drop.
And the surrounding area became very quiet, too. No
birds chirping or any small critter's movement could
be heard. The environment became still. So did the
spectators. Except for everyone's soft sounds of " wow "
or " oh my. "
And then, finally, it happens, totality! From the carlined
roads to the rolling hilltops, people cheered
because, for one minute and 27 seconds, we could
remove our NASA-approved protective eclipse glasses
and look at the completely covered sun. Only the illuminating
white glow around the dark black shadow,
which streaked light pushing from the center, could be
seen. This is called the corona and it was like nothing
I've ever seen in my life. Then just as the moon moved
off the sun a blast of light shot out of the top corner. It
was the diamond ring!
Like most large (or small) families, there will most
likely be squabbles and arguments about one thing
or another at the family reunion but no matter
what, the ties that bind families remain unbreakable.
Remembering the shared history and love that binds
the family together will always be the underlying thread
that withstands the test of time. Everything else aside,
one thing we can all agree on is that this reunion and
epic eclipse will be part of our shared history and be
what we always remember.
Click here for the best places to
see the 2024 solar eclipse
Click here for solar eclipse protective
wear.
Continued on next page
"

https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/best-places-to-see-the-solar-eclipse-in-2024#:~:text=Solareclipsewillcreatea,offireinthesky https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/best-places-to-see-the-solar-eclipse-in-2024#:~:text=Solareclipsewillcreatea,offireinthesky https://eclipse2024.org/2024_special.html https://eclipse2024.org/2024_special.html

GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - Spring 2024