Solar Eclipse Provides a Spectacular Experience in Fayetteville
posted by Je'Lesa Jefferson | September 13, 2017 | In Arts and Culture, NewsEven though the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 has passed I am sure that the memory will never fade.
Kathryn Birke, a retired teacher, said, “It was an awesome experience; mother nature doing something that does not come around often.”
That is a true statement. In fact, the last solar eclipse witnessed by the United States happened 38 years ago on February 26, 1979. Unfortunately back then the eclipse was only seen by 5 states. This year’s solar eclipse was seen from coast to coast. It was called “The Zone of Totality”, a moment when the sun, moon, and the earth align. The moon cast a shadow on the earth causing some to see darkness.
“It got quite dark and then you could see planets in the sky and hear crickets chirping” said Birke.
According to FSU Astronomy Professor, Joe Kabbes, it was the planet Venus that was able to be seen in the west. Many witnessed street lamps turning on in the areas that experienced “totality.” Fayetteville received a partial eclipse however, there were a few places in South Carolina that experienced “The Zone of Totality,” such as Greenville and Columbia.
For some people, the eclipse was a very emotional event and for others the viewing the eclipse was the chance of a lifetime. Whether or not you are interested in the sciences you must admit that the zone of totality was a remarkable event to see; especially the sight just before the moon covers the sun and a diamond ring effect left by it.
Changes occur whenever the eclipse happens. Here, in Fayetteville, we experienced a sort of dimness to the sky while others who experienced total darkness experienced things that usually happened at night like the hearing of insects and feeling the temperature drop a few degrees.
Hopefully everyone who witnessed the eclipse did not look directly into the sun. Professor Kabbes said, in reference to viewing the eclipse, “Be very careful when you point things at the sun.”
Why you might ask? Simple. Because hot things burn.
According to Nasa’s website the sun’s surface is so bright that even the smallest portion of it produces enough light to damage individual retinal cells. Usually what happens is that after a few seconds of staring at the sun you will begin to see spots. Depending on how long you looked at the sun determines how badly the retinal cells were damaged. Over time the spots may or may not fade. Still, it is never wise to assume that you can pull your eyes back in time to avoid retinal damage because every person is different in terms of retinal sensitivity.
All in all the solar eclipse of 2017 has been a memorable experience by bringing together people all across our nation and allowing us to just stop for a moment and enjoy mother nature’s gifts.
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