12 days since the 19th century, and the ‘Great American Total Solar Eclipse’ will happen. The path of totality (SW of where I live) happens right over the little town in Western Kentucky (near the Tennessee border) named ‘Hopkinsville’ (which is now informerally named ‘Eclipseville’).
I’m still 50/50 to see this possibly once in a lifetime event, of going with my father or stay home and see a 95.8% covered eclipse (or just watch it on TV). I have the protective glasses, so I’m good there.
If I do go, my father feels it’s going to be a 100-150 mile trip down through Kentucky (and I got to get up early). Then he believes we could be possibly walking a mile (or further) away from where we park to the spot of full totality (which happens for nearly three minutes). Pretty much every local news station is going to be going down there, even people from NASA to gather data on the sun’s corona will be there.
But what worries me, isn’t the glasses suddenly failing and I go blind while staring directly at the sun (well, I doubt that would happen. These are official NASA-certified eclipse glasses guaranteed to work) but having people who are busy looking in people’s pockets (instead of the eclipse) and taking wallets. Of course, putting my own hands in my pockets will deter that. Also, the family car isn’t as held up as it once was. There’s always the chance we’d be stuck on the side of the road either getting there or getting back home.
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And also more (but I doubt this would happen), swamp creatures, vampires and other creatures of the night will come out to kill us. *sigh* What Terraria teaches me about “A solar eclipse is happening…”
And then finally, is a force that I (and anyone on this planet(that I know of)) cannot control; the weather. Rain and/or thick cloud cover will definitely hinder viewing of the eclipse. This is what I and a lot of others will be staring at the weathermen and women, praying for good luck (and clear skies) as the day gets closer.
Also, it would be nice if I could have clear skies on my 41st birthday, coming a day before. This eclipse will be a nice after birthday present.