What to Expect During a Total Solar Eclipse

Here is my response that I wrote recently, to a question on Quora. With another solar eclipse coming up, the subject has become timely, so it got a fairly good response, so I thought I would share it on this blog.

When there's a solar eclipse, do you have to protect your eyes? Doesn't it just get dark?

Yes, you should take reasonable care with your eyes while watching an eclipse. I have actually experienced at total solar eclipse and it does get rather dark and rather cool as the sun is eclipsed. That said, it is by no means pitch dark nor night-time cold, as the eclipse doesn’t last long. For that reason, it doesn’t cool down all that much (though it is noticeable) and it doesn’t get majorly dark (though you might see Venus or some other bright stars). Here’s a photo of the 2017 eclipse from Idaho:

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I should add a couple of things to my post, as I submitted prematurely by accident. You can safely look at an eclipse without filters, during totality (it is quite remarkable at that time). While it is in partial eclipse state, it is best to have some solar filters to look through (they are quite inexpensive), though a quick glance without a filter won’t render you instantly blind. That said, the whole event is rather amazing, so you could forget yourself and stare too long during partiality, so best to use the filters then.

There is a lot of weird lore around solar eclipses and the “struck instantly blind” is one of them. In practice, if looking directly at the sun for a short interval was that harmful, most of the human population would be blind by the time they were ready to go to school. But, there is the temptation to stare, so be careful.

I think there are also a lot of written accounts of eclipses that are quite “other the top”. It is a pretty remarkable experience, and worth going out of your way for it, assuming that you have the time and money. But, contrary to some accounts, you probably won’t have a mystical experience or see God.

Here are a couple of the people (relatives) that I went to the Idaho eclipse with, wearing their filter glasses. The binoculars also have solar filters. You won’t see God, but it will make you smile. There were little kids watching too. They got really excited, which was neat.

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While I am blogging this, I might as well plug my book about that trip. It has a much more detailed description of the eclipse, as well as some associated touring from Alberta to Idaho.

The Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017

Here's a travel story about a trip to see the Total solar eclipse in 2017, in Idaho Falls U.S.A.. Total solar eclipses are quite fascinating to experience, some people even plan their lives (well, vacations, anyway) around seeing just one more total eclipse.

The trip involved some touring in the mountain parks of Alberta, Canada, followed by a journey through the rugged coulees and beautiful mountains of Montana and Idaho. It culminated with the spectacular total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 as seen in totality from the scenic small city of Idaho Falls. The story also includes some scientific and historical background about the eclipse phenomenon in general.

The story is about 12000 words (about an hour reading time at typical reading speeds) and features many photographs. It is only $0.99 on Amazon (U.S. or equivalent in other currencies) and is also on Kindle Unlimited. You can also watch for it on free promotions, every 3 months or so.

Amazon U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon U.K: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07BH7WBQ1

Amazon France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B07BH7WBQ1