We had not intended to view the eclipse, so despite the hype, we had not purchased special eclipse eyewear. We figured we’d focus on what was happening around us — the birds and other animals, the shadows, the suddenly-cooler air — rather than on the interplay between the moon and the sun.
But a neighbor drove up as we were standing outside our home and mentioned that he had an extra pair of eclipse eyewear, which he offered to us. So we took it and got a chance to view the eclipse safely — and we are so glad we did.
Watching that black moon disc slide over the glowing sun (to about 92% of totality here in the Boston area) was indeed a spectacle that was jaw-dropping. Although the news was filled with reports of traffic jams and millions of people traveling to watch the event in places where the eclipse was 100%, viewing the actual eclipse itself brought about a sense of calm and serenity that we can’t describe. It was as if our brains were hypnotized in some way by a celestial, supernatural event.
All of us take the sun and the moon for granted each and every day. But Monday’s eclipse created a sense of wonderment that never will be forgotten by those who viewed it.