ACAC

Posted by: Athena Community Astronomy Club
Received a note, this morning, from a former – moved but not forgotten – member of the ACAC, regarding an eclipse-chaser’s experience in China. I thought it important to share, considering the Maritimes’ consistent inconsistency insofar as April weather is concerned:
“The author has been clouded out on only one occasion in his life, and it wasn’t just a cloud-out, it was a thick, heavy, downpour-of-a-rainout that offered a sum-total of NO CHANCE of seeing anything on eclipse day.
Water glasses were set up on the concrete abutments at our location, and a sizeable amount of “eclipse rain” was collected as it fell during totality. To this day, that water in those sealed vials, that fell on us from the sky during totality in China, is a great reminder to me of the time that I went all the way to the other side of the world to see a massive eclipse, and was treated to nothing more than a pelting of rain that melted plans and softened egos.
The metaphor contained within that water, of the dashing of carefully-made plans, is intense – and was a defining moment in life. And believe me, it got DARK during totality under all those clouds! No lights came on as it became blacker than the blackest night on the ocean or in the Outback, and so we could not see the nose on our faces during those 5+ minutes when we should have been rejoicing in the view of the corona!
Our Chinese guides took the Zen approach, and comforted us with the fact that we had all still been situated in the shadow, and we had indeed taken part in the event, in the one way that was our destiny on that day to be able to participate. They were satisfied, even while we travelers were not.
Easy for them to say…! But maybe they had a point. Your experience will be unique, of course – but let’s hope it involves seeing totality!”
(slight editing… blame self-aggrandizement)

⇒ Original Post