Stories

From Eric Brown:

If this is your first eclipse, you should take lots of pictures before the eclipse, and lots after. About 10 minutes before 2nd contact, safely put away your camera...and forget about it. There is NO photo that you could take, that will be a fair tradeoff for what you will miss in the sky, seeing with your own eyes. Set up a video camera instead, and leave it alone. You will get more pleasure LISTENING to the replays of your video, or some tape recording of the event, than any photos you are capable of shooting yourself. Listen to the birds, watch the animals, see if flowers close their petals. Stand very still, and feel the breeze brush across your face, and a moment or two later, another breeze but cooler this time. What was the drop in temperature?? Did the direction change?? I have seen shadow bands at EVERY eclipse I have been to, and they have always been against different backgrounds. I always put up a white sheet, but in Turkey, they were most prominent against the dark bus that we were traveling in...and I have seen them after 3rd contact every time as well... luck.... I dont know... but I am never fumbling with a camera.... I leave that to the pros. and... PS... If you are in an organized area with street lighting, or other automatic lights, make sure to see that the sensors for the system are shut down. These automatic lights will go on about 10 minutes before totality. You dont want that!!!! I have NEVER met a guy after his first eclipse thatdidn't want to see another. And I have never heard anyone ever say... "been there, done that." To the "virgins".... Your lives will soon be changed. You will experience nature like you have never before, and your lives will subtly change... I promise.