[Above is the unobscured sun as seen here through a black polymer solar filter yesterday afternoon before showtime.]
Maine was the last state in the U.S. from which to watch our little moon totally eclipse its 400-times-larger sun yesterday through the magic of perspective. And, it turned out that the lunar “Path of Totality” through center-north Maine was one of the best places to view the spectacle – the skies were clear and it was relatively warm. We won’t have another chance to see a total solar eclipse in the 48 contiguous states until 2044.
Here on the coast, a bit to the east of the Path, the moon eclipse was not total. It hid slightly more than 97% of the sun, right above Great Cove. The sun became a slivered crescent to us and it got chilly, but the landscape never got very dark.
The only wildlife here that might have gotten erratic due to the event were a few wild turkeys that appeared to offer extremely loud gobbling praise when the eclipse was at its maximum. But, you can never tell when a turkey will get goofy. Also, at about 2:30 this dark, moonless morning, we were awakened by coyote pack howls, screams, and barks, but it is more likely that this offering was a spring celebration than a “lunatic” ceremony.
Here are selected images of the partial eclipse that we saw here yesterday afternoon:
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on April 8, 2024.)