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Eclipse: ‘Weird,’ ‘great,’ & ‘cool’ to see celestial event
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · April 10, 2024
“The light change was so interesting because it was gradual and it was gray, then dark and cool.”
West Branch Middle School science teacher Tara Opiola traveled to Mt. Vernon, Ill., to experience Monday’s solar eclipse in the path of total coverage.
Because of mid-70s weather, Tara and her family could feel the temperature change when the moon completely blocked out the sun.
“The diamond ring was visible!” Tara said, referring to the bright spark of sun peaking behind the moon at the end of the total eclipse. “As soon as the tiniest sliver of the sun was available it was bright and warm again.”
Mt. Vernon, Ill., is a 5 1/2-hour drive southeast of West Branch. Opiola’s husband, Ray, took pictures throughout the experience and shared them with the Times, which posted them on social media. The first photo showed a round, orange sun against a dark grey sky.
The second photo showed a chipped circle of burnt-orange sun against a red sky.
Later, an orange crescent appeared surrounded by an orange glow against a black sky. And, finally, when the moon covered the sun, the last picture made the shadow of the moon appear to cover about a third of the center with the sun shining white behind it.
“It was great!” Opiola said. “I hope to experience the next eclipse.”
Hy-Vee grocery store donated eclipse glasses to West Branch Community Schools, allowing hundreds of children to watch the event.
“It’s very cool,” sixth-grader Tatum Leblond, 12, said. “It’s weird.”
Another sixth-grader, Olivia Granaman, 11 1/2, also called it “very cool.”
“But it’s very bright at the same time,” she said.
“It looks like a ping-pong ball.”
All of the sixth-graders who spoke with our reporter said it was their first time seeing any kind of an eclipse.
“It’s cool,” Dusty Fenner, 11, said.
12-year-old Noah Heick said it was interesting that a smaller moon could cover a larger sun.
“It’s weird,” he said.
The eclipse started about 12:46 p.m. and ended about 3:16 p.m. for this area. In that 2 1/2 hours, the moon at its peak — about 2:02 p.m. — covered up to 87.8 percent of the sun for most of eastern Iowa, according to NASA.
Most West Branch pupils went outside between 1:50 and 2:10 p.m. and downtown employees popped out of storefronts from time to time to view the celestial phenomenon.
West Branch Public Library handed out eclipse glasses until they ran out.
Some residents saw reflections of the eclipse when the crescent shadows appeared on the ground under leafy trees. Others used colanders to mimic the same effect.
Two Sisters Kennel posted a picture of owners Michelle Anderl and Lauren Ruse and a dog all sitting together in the sun wearing eclipse glasses: “We’re excited to be in total ‘bark-ness’ for the eclipse today!”
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