“The Spark”; Eclipse 2024

“The Spark”; Eclipse 2024

The half past 3pm time of totality won’t be here for another 5 ½ hours, but arriving this early allowed pick of any parking space and plenty of time to get some plein air painting done. Sandy River Plantation Maine at the Route 4 turnout promised 1 ½ minutes of totality – and a quick getaway for home afterwards. The bluebird clear sky and warm 60 was a rarity this time of year and an astronomical coincidence to be on the day of the eclipse.

Setting up my easel next to my vehicle, with the forward leg anchored in a 4’ snowbank, I decided to paint a direct view into the woods. A forest view with streaking sunlight on spring snow. I painted for almost two hours while a steady stream of cars meandered north toward Rangeley before a car entered the turnout to take up another parking spot near mine. For the next hour and half, one after another the rest of parking area filled up – then cars started parking on the edge near the road, and even across the road in a small open area. The atmosphere changed to festival like. A Frisbee came out, there were coolers, lawn chairs, child laughter, and friendly discussions about why we were all there. A man from Brunswick, a lady from the UK. One woman gave me a pair of eclipse glasses when she found out I didn’t have one.

The sun gradually moved west over the next hours. I couldn’t see the moon but I knew they would meet up soon. At about 2:35 a man announced “It’s beginning!” as he studied the sun through his bright colored cardboard glasses. “I can see a piece missing at the bottom so far!” Looks a little like the moon does when it’s in that phase. I painted for another 15 minutes but kept taking breaks to see how the eclipse was progressing. Then I put the painting and all my gear away, and focused all my attention to what was happening in the sky.

When I looked at the sun at about 3:10, it was at a thin crescent. The festival like atmosphere quieted down, and the road traffic ceased. Most people were looking sunward through their protective glasses.

The progress was like trying to see a minute hand move on a clock. My perception could not see the movement except in remembering an interval. Time ticked slowly as we watched… and waited. But progress it did and the light gradually faded as if a dimmer switch was activated. An eerie sight to see all shadows in place as normal but lit by a very dim light. Something special was happening.
The sun shrunk to a sliver, then the sliver erased from the bottom and top until nothing but a small piece was left. It appeared as nothing more than a spark in the sky – then for a brief few seconds the spark remained as the corona burst out and drew itself into a ring about the darkened mid area – a beautiful diamond ring in the sky! Then the spark vanished and behold the corona shining like a mirage in a darkened late twilight sky – complete with stars and planets. Cheers in the crowd erupted – especially in the younger folks across the road! Everyone looking skyward sharing this, one of nature’s most rare spectacles – no eclipse glasses needed now. For the next minute and a half everyone was fixated on taking in as much of this view as they could. Then, with moon’s continued progress across the sun’s face, the beautiful diamond ring briefly showed again as it was re-drawn on the opposite side – until it released the corona once again to the spark in the sky, which gradually re-grew out to the full sun’s disc.

Michael Ranucci

Footnotes:
This being my first total eclipse I was struck by how dynamic the change is as the partial eclipse enters totality. The “spark”, changed to the diamond ring – then it released to totality with only the corona showing in a matter of seconds. This in stark contrast to the slow progress through partial eclipse. As I saw it, the ring didn’t just appear – it grew out of the spark with light travelling around the invisible moons’ perimeter top and bottom until it met at the opposite end to create the ring. It looked like it was drawn in place. Astonishing to see! Then the ring is gone leaving the amazing corona! All this happened in just a few seconds. You can hear gasps and cheers as this was witnessed. During totality I was able to see an orange glow slightly protruding at the lower left side that I thought could be a solar flare. I learned later on a news report that what I saw was a “solar prominence” – a different phenomenon than a flare – however just as incredible to see with the naked eye.
Totality at my location lasted about 1 ½ minutes. As totality ended, the moons’ forward progress caused the reverse to happen on the opposite side – corona went to diamond ring to spark to eventually full sun.

Of April 8, 2024.

Painting from that day:   “Waiting for Total Eclipse”

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