Eclipse Trip -- Eclipse Day

Monday, August 21, 2017

Today was the excuse for this entire trip...America's Eclipse.  First the basics about the eclipse as seen from Charleston SC, as indicated by this website we found earlier while preparing for the eclipse:

Total solar eclipse visible (100.00% coverage of Sun)

Magnitude: 1.0035 
Duration:2 hours, 52 minutes, 59 seconds

Duration of totality:1 minute, 38 seconds

Partial begins:Aug 21 at 1:16:56 pm

Full begins:Aug 21 at 2:46:19 pm

Maximum:Aug 21 at 2:47:08 pm

Full ends:Aug 21 at 2:47:57 pm

Partial ends:Aug 21 at 4:09:55 pm

Times shown in local time (EDT)

The eclipse would not start until early afternoon, but there was great concern that Charleston would have traffic gridlock.  Many businesses were closed, schools were closed, and the University of Charleston was not starting fall classes until Tuesday.  We were not sure how credible these fears were, but any such fears we did have were only exacerbated when we heard on Sunday afternoon that one of the bridges over the Ashley River, which is a draw bridge, was stuck in the up position.  Oh great!

The Denison Physics Department Eclipse Watch had been put together by Glenn Masline, a physics alum several years ahead of the Frog.  There had apparently been a Physics Department eclipse watch some 50 years ago that Glenn had missed.  He had recently gone on record that he wasn't going to miss this one and wait another 50 years.

We were planning on viewing the eclipse from a condominium owned by Jeff Jalbert downtown on the Cooper River near the Charleston Aquarium.  Dr. Jalbert is a former Denison Physics faculty member and was the director of the Denison Computer Center when the Frog was first playing with computers...albeit batch jobs with punch cards.  Making it to their condo from our room at Motel 6 meant a trip over the Ashley River and across the peninsula, a trip of at least 20 minutes under the best of conditions.  However, it had always taken longer on the multiple similar trips we had made the past several days.  We planned to park in the Aquarium Parking Garage, then walk the several blocks to their condo building.  

GPS track on day of the eclipse

The Jalberts had invited us for lunch, followed by an afternoon of eclipse viewing. To avoid any potential traffic or parking problems, our group decided the night before that we would leave early to make the drive across town, get the cars parked, then walk somewhere in Charleston for breakfast before making our way later in the morning to the Jalberts'.  

Since the Frog and I knew we would need breakfast before most of the others, we got up early and walked to that world famous restaurant next to the motel, McDonald's.  That worked out great, since we could get by with just fruit and such for our "second" breakfast. 

Our trip across town was uneventful, although there were clearly lots of people already starting to gather and the parking garage was filling.  We did end up, totally by chance, at a great restaurant for our group breakfast, Saffron Restaurant and Bakery.  It turns out to be somewhat of a Charleston institution.  This turned out especially well, but there seemed to be so many restaurants everywhere in Charleston that I am sure we would have found something.

We then made our way to the Eclipse Event at the Jalberts'.  It was absolutely terrific to see Dr. Jalbert and another Physics prof, Ron Winters, who had been the Frog's research advisor.  There was lots of reminiscing about old times and catching up about the intervening years.

Most of the Denison contingent:  Pat Winters, Bob Malcuit, Dave Curry, Cliff Thomas, Ron Winters, Doug Hamilton, Mary Ann Malcuit, Ruthanne Thomas, Glenn Masline, Diane Kitelinger, Jeff Jalbert

Although the Denison crew was only a subset of the people present, I don't have pictures of most of the other folks.  In any case, it was a delightful group.  

The Jalberts went all out with a big spread to feed us.  Then we began peeking at the sky through our eclipse glasses from one of their multiple balconies.  Of course, if we got bored with trying to find the sun through the clouds, we had spectacular views of the Charleston Harbor.

Looking for the eclipse.  On the left in the background is the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown at Patriots Point Park across the Cooper River.  The blue container ship is steaming through the main shipping channel.  In the foreground is part of a commercial pier, which in other pics seems to be a holding spot for pallets of aluminum.

Physics alums just hanging out hoping the clouds will clear. 

Geek alert.  There is extra credit to anyone who can identify what Glenn's button means without Googling first.  What?!  You knew what it meant?!  Wow!  You are definitely a Super Geek!

It soon became apparent that the roof over the balcony would likely obscure the sun, so we moved to the pier outside their building.

It slowly got darker and progressively cooler (or at least less hot) as the eclipse approached totality.

There continued to be lots of clouds, but they parted just at the right moment as the eclipse reached totality.  Cheers went up from the various groups sprinkled along the waterfront.  I think I even saw the corona briefly.  Very cool! 

It did not get as dark as I had expected, but perhaps the light was dispersed by all of the clouds.  It was more of a twilight effect, but in all directions.

We were in total eclipse.  Then, before we knew it, it was over and the sun started to reappear.  However, a significant thunderstorm to the north showed flashes of lightning and the clouds came back with a vengeance.  I barely saw the sun after that, but it did not matter.  We at least got to see it during totality.

Pelicans over the Cooper River before the eclipse

I had always heard about animals exhibiting strange behavior during an eclipse, so I made a real effort to watch for that.  Unfortunately there weren't many animals to observe.  I did watch what appeared to be pelicans flying around, but I don't know what is normal for them let alone abnormal.  I took several pics, but my iPhone is not necessarily the camera of choice for birds in the distance.

Despite the fact that my cell phone was not the greatest of cameras, I did notice later that I think I could see Fort Sumter on the horizon. 

Part of the above picture--note Fort Sumter in the distance

After the eclipse we went inside to do more reminiscing with all of these great people.  We really hated to leave because it had been so good to see all of these folks, but we finally called it a day after finishing off more food.  

I don't know what time it was when we left, but it was well past dark. The parking garage was nearly empty and the streets were nearly deserted.  By going early and leaving late we had avoided any of the major crowds everyone had feared.

The South Carolina flag is blue with a palmetto tree and a crescent moon.  As with such things, there is all kinds of symbolism.  However, from now on, I think I will always think "eclipse" when I see that flag rather than crescent moon.