If you can travel to be in the path of totality that day, DO IT. I have seen 2 total solar eclipses so far. While the deep partial phases (>95%) are amazing on their own, nothing compares to actual 100% totality. Only during totality can you safely look directly at the Sun (because it’s entirely hidden). Only during totality can you see the Sun’s corona for several minutes, as a whitish ring of light around the black hole that used to be the Sun.
Here is a more detailed map and description of the eclipse from NASA … the map shows percentages of how much you can view the eclipse depending on how far away you are from the actual path of the total eclipse
For example, I’m up near Sudbury and Sault Ste Marie, Ontario … so my area looks like its far from the total eclipse path, so I was disappointed when I viewed every other map that just shows you ‘total elicpse’ or none with no estimate on partial eclipse for a given area. My area is going to see 80% - 85% of the eclipse which is just great for me. I got my eclipse glasses already in the mail and I’m ready to see the moon float in front of the sun.
It’s amazing because everyone all the way out to the American midwest and the entire Atlantic coast will at least see a 50% eclipse.
If you’ve never experienced totality, I highly encourage you to go. The difference between being in the shadow vs out of it makes all the difference. 1-99% eclipse is basically the same vs 100%
Here’s a couple of differences: With totality, the stars become visible again. The darkness is such that air temperature drops like at sunset. Birds stop signing, and insects start chirping. Also, i think you can see the sun’s corona. While the sun is totally blocked, you can look at it with naked eyes.
I’m not sure how much of this occurs with a 95% eclipse… I would encourage anyone to go to the nearest place to see totality. I will personally visit family living 2 hours drive away to be in the totality zone.
I was in an area with 99.8% totality in the 2017 eclipse and all of that happened.
Everyone I know who went to a 100% location described everything you did as the reason for going, but gets annoyed when I explain I experienced literally the exact same thing.
Yes. In totality, you can safely stare at a black hole of a Sun for 2-3 minutes on end, no glasses required, and marvel at the fine details of the corona and the intense red-pink light of the chromosphere. You get to experience a profound bone-chilling realization that we are on a literal rock hurtling through space.
I have not seen a total one since i was a small kid, so I can’t really say… Totality will have these things last longer, but I’m sure there is no clear-cut difference.
Toronto will get 95% eclipse … with eclipse glasses, it will still be amazing to see with proper protective lenses, the moon almost completely blocking out the sun
I really hope so! That would be exciting! I was planning to make one of those eclipse boxes, which I made for the last solar eclipse we had, but I may also go with eclipse glasses, too!
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