Did You See That?

2:05 CDT shot of Solar Eclipse. 4/8/2024 dwm

I didn't plan for the solar eclipse, other than hauling my camera and tripod to work. No special filter on the lens and I missed my opportunity to grab a pair of eclipse glasses.

An eclipse is an interesting event but doesn't rise to the level where I'd travel a great distance to be a witness.

When I went outside a little before 2, there was a small crowd of people on the sidewalk. They were not residents of our community.

Side note, if you listened to any of the eclipse coverage you likely were reminded not to look directly at the sun. Some people interpret the message to mean the sun is brighter during an eclipse than other days. That's not it. 

The sky was blue, honest. 2:05 CDT 4/8/2024 dwm

 You shouldn't look at the sun for any period of time. We just aren't tempted to do so because there isn't anything to see.

 In Madison, the moon's coverage of the sun was 87%. I could tell it was darker than usual but not as much as I expected if most of the sun was covered.

 Next time there is near-total eclipse of the sun, I'll get a pair of glasses for the occasion. 

 The photos didn't develop as I expected but the bare branches in the foreground and lack of color in the sky creates a neat effect.

This was taken before the peak, 1:57 pm CDT. 4/8/2024 dwm