Eclipse more impressive in person, observers say

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Monday’s total eclipse was only three minutes long, but to some the celestial spectacle was more impressive than the hype leading up to the event.

That was the consensus from people interviewed at Seacliff Park and Seacliff Beach in Leamington Monday afternoon. 

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Thousands of people gathered at various locations in Leamington, bringing potable fold-up chairs, coolers full of food and toys for children to play with as they awaited moment.

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The darkness, the sudden chilly weather and the sun’s corona – streams of light from the sun’s outer atmosphere that shot out from the moon’s shadow – impressed most eclipse watchers. 

“It was getting really eerie,” said Kevin Boyer, who watched the eclipse at the beach with his fiancée Daniela Cosme. “It was just that experience of seeing that darkness come in so fast. …And then looking up and seeing that ring and seeing the little flames coming off the sun. That was amazing.” 

When the partial eclipse began in Leamington shortly before 2 p.m., onlookers glanced at the sun through their safety glasses, but many went back to outdoor activities – kids playing games, adults chatting at picnic tables. 

As the moon crept along the face of the sun, the temperature began to fall substantially, transforming a warm day into a nippy afternoon. Even when the moon covered all but a fingernail of the sun, those who looked up without glasses, still saw what appeared to be a full sun.  

When the moon finally covered the whole surface of the sun around 3:13 p.m, the crowd erupted in cheers and clapped. A few minutes later, they looked on in awe at the extraordinary phenomenon — a giant black disk, surrounded by streams of glittering light, — seemingly hanging in the sky.

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Kayla Jakobszen had read a book on eclipses to get a better understanding of the event, but Monday’s eclipse was better than she had imagined. 

‘It was awesome in the root meaning of the word awesome,” she said. Reading about the eclipses “really kind of elevated my idea and my expectations. So I was worried I’d be disappointed.”

The suddenness of the darkness surprised her. “The disappearing of the sun is incredible. I can understand why people travel to see eclipses.” 

She watched the eclipse on Seacliff Beach with a group of friends — Liam O’Leary, Madison Bygrove and Sahar Solanti. 

“I was just amazed by it … awestruck,” said O’Leary. “I didn’t know what to expect. Just the way the moon (covered the sun) and you got like that halo, it was amazing.

“I’m just thinking back to civilizations that had no idea what was going on. I understand why they thought it was like this huge thing, like the world was ending. It’s just amazing to see.” 

The sudden darkness and cold temperature caught Bygrove’s attention. “Seeing it in real life is not comparable to a picture,” she said. “You kind of just have to see it to appreciate it.” 

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Sahar Soltani said she saw a total eclipse when she was a child in Iran, but all she remembered is that it got dark.  

“That was one was great experience,” she said of Monday’s eclipse. 

Adriona Ciotoli owner of WindsorEats, watched the eclipse on the beach, clutching his dog Zoey. “It’s actually beautiful, seeing something like that,” said Ciotoli. “One of the first things that goes through my mind is before we knew the technology … what people must have thought back in the day. It may have been scary back then. I’m looking at it as a good sign.” 

Jesica Gerdevic and Nicholas Manzon also watched the eclipse on the beach. 

“I didn’t think it was going to get this dark,” said Gerdevic. “It was cool to hear the cheers and everyone freaked out while it was all happening.” 

“It’s definitely cool just being a part of it,” said Manzon. “You’re in the moment and you see everything gets dark and you’re there. It’s way different than seeing it on your phone.”

bamacleod@postmedia.com
 

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