2024 solar eclipse: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious for some, disappointment for others
CHESTER — My view of the solar eclipse on April 8 was uneventful. There was so much hype about it, I imagined there would be a lot more to it. It also could be that I'm just not into the cosmic scene like others. If my coworker Bill Atkinson hadn't shared a pair of protective glasses with me, more than likely, I would not have made arrangements to observe the celestial phenomenon.
Last night while shopping at CVS, a young man, desperately seeking solar eclipse glasses, shook his head after the clerk told him they did not have any. He had been to several stores trying to find a pair. He seemed determined, so I bet he scored some before he called it a night.
This morning, I asked my friend Robin Pruett to alert me when it was time to go outside and watch the moon pass between the Earth and the sun. After she called at 3:04 p.m., I grabbed my spectacle spectacles and raced outside to watch what was sure to be a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious sight in the sky, a moment to remember.
Why such a large word to describe the solar eclipse? Why not? With such a huge amount of media coverage about the rare occurrence, it deserves a glorious adjective. According to Wikipedia, in his book "Crazy English," Richard Lederer breaks down the meaning of the compound word which was a song and single from the 1964 Disney musical film "Mary Poppins."
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: What does it mean?
Super: above
Cali: beauty
Fragilistic: delicate
Expiali: to atone
docious: educable
Lederer's word decoding moment resulted in the 34-letter word being defined as "Atoning for being educable through delicate beauty." That is some deep dung but seems to somewhat appropriately describe a solar eclipse.
Some cultures believe the sun and moon are in a heated battle during an eclipse. However, after they resolve their conflict with each other, darkness goes away. So, "expiali" in the 14-syllable word is spot-on. The star and natural satellite make amends, acknowledge previous wrongdoings, and brighten the world once again.
Chester, Virginia: 2024 solar eclipse
What did I think about the solar eclipse? Well, I must admit, it was kind of cool, but it never got dark like I thought it might do. However, the sky around me had an eerie, golden hue. I snapped pictures around 3:18 p.m., the peak time in the Tri-Cities area when roughly 85% of the sun got blocked by the moon. The special sight that everyone insisted I see looked like a crescent moon who had paid big bucks for an awesome headshot.
I noticed a driver stop along River's Bend Boulevard, place his protective eyewear, and look up. My neighbor's friend watched it with a lens removed from a welding helmet. It was very tiny, so I hope he only used one eye at a time to view the solar eclipse.
In my apartment complex, a family of five, three young children and two adults, were on a third-floor balcony looking up at the sky. None of them were wearing glasses. Yikes! I hollered up at them, pointed to my flimsy glasses and shared with them, "You're supposed to wear a pair of these." They smiled, waved and resumed the hazardous moment in time. Hey, I tried.
Another neighbor who was sitting on the back of his truck tailgate, showed me his images. I showed him mine. We both agreed neither of ours were worthy of sharing. Ha! At least he had one with a jet passing the solar eclipse. Granted, it did look like a dot made with a blue ink pen. LOL! His girlfriend in Michigan joined in on our solar eclipse discussion. She said the eclipse cast a very large shadow where she lived.
I remembered my boss man Jeff Schwaner suggested taking shadow shots. Thank goodness I had a backup plan to contribute one photo at least. On social media, I spotted some awesome solar eclipse pics taken by my friend Richie Blick in Berryville, Virginia. He kindly shared them with me to share with our readers. His cute 13-year-old dog Ginger looks adorable sporting solar eclipse glasses.
The next total solar eclipses in North America are not anticipated until 2044 and 2045. If you missed this one, I bet you will find enough 2024 solar eclipse images and videos online to keep you busy until then.
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Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram.
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This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: 2024 solar eclipse: Was light show worth hype at 85% moon blockage?
