In early April, I watched the 2024 Solar Eclipse.
I observed the eclipse in the small town of Sparta, Illinois, on April 8.
While I was there, I recorded video of the mid-day twilight created by the eclipse, and the reactions of onlookers gathered in Sparta’s City Park.
From my location, the moon completely blocked the sun, except for the sun’s corona, which formed a ring of light around the moon.
The brief time when this occurs is known as totality.
My attempt to photograph and record video of the eclipse itself didn’t turn out as well.
A Pleasant Journey
My eclipse odyssey began April 7 as I departed from my home of Manhattan, Kansas.
During my drive, I stopped at a park called “Old Prairie Town” in Topeka.
The park displayed a work of art depicting flowers created from bottle caps and pop tabs.
I didn’t see the name of the piece or its artist’s name displayed nearby.
The park also included many colorful tulips for visitors to enjoy.
I drove through Kansas City later that day.
I stayed the night at a hotel in Columbia, Missouri, for a reasonable rate.
Hotels along the path of totality were considerably outside my price range.
On April 8, I drove to St. Louis, before heading south.
After St. Louis, traffic increased tremendously, from all of the people driving to see the eclipse.
I originally planned to watch the eclipse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, but I decided to stop in Sparta, Illinois, instead, due to the heavy traffic.
Sparta was still well within totality, and the town had a nice park where I could comfortably view the eclipse.
After the eclipse, I charged my phone at the Sparta Public Library.
Between my navigation app and recording the eclipse, my phone definitely needed to be charged before my drive home.
I stopped at a Target in the St. Louis suburb of Bridgeton.
Targets in larger cities have a lot more to see than ones in smaller cities like Manhattan or Salina.
The Target sold large plushies of Pokémon, including this adorable Eevee.
The Target also sold “The Game Master’s Book of Villains, Minions, and their Tactics.”
After a harrowing drive through Kansas City at night, I finally made it home to Manhattan, before returning to work the next day.
If you enjoyed my video of the eclipse, you might also enjoy the videos in my Natural Wonders playlist.
No comments:
Post a Comment