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xkcd #2914: Eclipse Coolnesss
(imgs.xkcd.com)
Alt text:
A partial eclipse is like a cool sunset. A total eclipse is like someone broke the sky.
I was quite impressed by the 20...17 eclipse over California, imo get lucky with a clear day, and stand near a tree without leaves, look at the kaleidoscope of shadows cast by the tree onto the ground, it's indescribable when shadows don't look like shadows any more.
2017 one went spot on over my hometown when I was lucky enough to have moved back there for a couple years. No traffic to get to a good spot just wandered outside during work to watch it all happen. The shadows were more fascinating to me than the sky it was incredibly surreal, it felt like an immersion breaking shader glitch in a game
2017 was the first one where I could notice it but coverage was at only like 40% in my area. The shadows were by far the most hallucinogenic thing I have seen sober. Especially on the tree leaves in the breeze? Magic.
I haaaaaaate that I’m at literally 91% for 2024 with intermittent clouds.
Shadow snakes? At least that's the name I recall from Smarter every day talking to an eclipse pro/fan.
Sounded very cool, if I recall right it's a phenomenon you can observe shortly before, and especially right after, a total eclipse.