The Path of Totality

The Path of Totality

I happen to be lucky enough to live in what they call “The path of totality”. Not only am I, for the first time I can remember, living in the right place, but I’m also living at the right time as well.

You see, there has not been a total eclipse of the sun where I live since 1806. That means I will see something that my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents, and my great, great grandparents never got to see: A Total Eclipse of the Sun.

Throughout history, solar eclipses supposedly foretold the downfall of nations or political leaders. Solar eclipses have been associated with the spread of disease, birth defects, and general hard times. Animals have been sacrificed to appease the gods after solar eclipses.

I won’t be sacrificing any animals, that’s for sure, but this is a special time and I definitely want to witness this rare celestial event.  I just wish there wasn’t so much hyperbole surrounding it. In my little town, all city offices are closing for The Eclipse. Not just for the 3 minutes and 54 seconds the moon will completely cover the Sun. Nope. For the entire day.

Further, local authorities are telling us to stock up on necessities and groceries – and to expect cellphone outages – as our area will be swamped with Eclipse groupies who long ago booked up all the available hotel and motel rooms in my little town and in all the towns around me that happen to be in “the path of totality”.

And the conspiracy theorists are using this to up their viewer count. More viewers equals more money you know. The internet, the bottomless well of questionable knowledge, has been buzzing lately with claims of a celestial “Nineveh” situation. The 2024 eclipse will grace not one, not two, but seven, eight, or nine (depending on the TikTok soothsayer you consult) towns named Nineveh with its totality. Maps have even surfaced depicting the eclipse path as a laser pointer gone rogue, targeting all these unsuspecting Ninevehs.

Now, here’s the history lesson: Turns out, that Nineveh was a real place visited by the biblical Jonah, a prophet with a penchant for dodgy boat trips. Some social media stars, bless their enthusiastic hearts, seem to believe Jonah witnessed an eclipse back in the day, and now it’s modern-day America’s turn for a celestial light show (and maybe a whale encounter?).

Thankfully, reality injects a healthy dose of “meh” into this prophecy. The actual path of totality includes only two Ninevehs, one each in Ohio and Indiana. So, it’s much less “divine intervention” and more celestial coincidence.

However, a total solar eclipse in my area is a rare event. The next one in my area will occur is in 2099, and I’m sorry to say I won’t be around for that one. And neither will either of my children, but some of my grandchildren might, even the youngest would be 77 then – older than I am now (really!).

I just wish people would not hyperbolize things. I have seen videos showing the moon covering the sun and the Earth below shrouded in nighttime-like darkness with a sky full of stars shining above.

But it’s not going to be like that. According to scientists, from the vantage point of my little town, the moon will cover the Sun for three minutes and fifty-four seconds. During that time, I will experience twilight-like conditions and possibly be able to see Venus twinkling in the sky. It will be a spectacle I would not want to miss, but it won’t be the midnight-like darkness so many are predicting. I am looking forward to it. I just hope it’s not cloudy – or worse -raining.

Don’t worry – I’ve got my eclipse glasses!

I have official solar eclipse glasses to protect my eyes while I watch the moon slowly cover the sun. Did you know the sun is 400 times bigger than the moon but it’s also 400 times farther away from the Earth, meaning that the sun and the moon appear to be the same size?

And did you know that…

Nearly one-third of Americans don’t know viewing a solar eclipse without the correct eye protection can cause permanent damage, according to a new survey released Tuesday.

The survey of 1,006 people, conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, asked Americans about their knowledge of health risks that could emerge from Monday’s celestial phenomenon… (from UPI)

I would have guessed nearly everyone knew that looking at the sun could damage your eyes.

If you too are in the path of totality you will see something rare and something beautiful. You will realize how small and insignificant we are on the grand scale of the cosmos.

I’m an old man who’s lucky to be in the path of totality and able to witness a total eclipse of the sun from my own backyard.