Chris Higgins
The Late Movies: Solar Eclipses
by Chris Higgins - August 11, 2010 - 9:00 PM

The Late Movies

I’ve personally only seen solar eclipses in the classroom, generally using complex pinhole projection devices designed to keep little-kid eyes safe. But when I saw this video from Argentina of a group of solar eclipse watchers, I realized the experience of people seeing this phenomenon as adults is very different. Watching the video, these people are totally freaking out — and I found a similar pattern in other eclipse videos. Check it out, and prepare to witness why a tiny web video doesn’t really capture the experience of watching the frickin’ sun going away. Par for the course: screaming, applause, sounds of wonderment and/or fear.

Argentina (El Calafate), July 11, 2010

People seem to be blowing horns (vuvuzelas?) as it starts, then the freaking out starts. There’s a palpable sense of relief when the sun reappears.

CBS Coverage of Annular Eclipse Visible from Africa

A good explanation of what an annular eclipse is, and professional video.

Washington DC, 1984

Cloudy weather blocks much of this eclipse, when it peeks through, it’s beautiful. If you want to zoom forward to about 3:30, you’ll see some beautiful shots as misty clouds float over the eclipse.

Turkey, March 29, 2006

There’s a good mixture of freakouts and decent photography here. Zoom forward to about 1:10 to see the main action.

And here’s another video of the same event by San Francisco’s Exploratorium crew, on location in Turkey. The photography is amazing.

Eclipse as Seen from Space

This is not a total eclipse; it’s shot by NASA’s STEREO craft while in space. In the video we see the moon pass in front of the sun — a very weird experience. (For a similarly non-earthbound perspective, check out this video of the moon passing in front of the earth.)

Brian Cox Sees an Eclipse in Varanasi, India

From the BBC series Wonders of the Solar System, includes excellent photography and some fanciful audio during the main event. “That’s the solar system, coming down and grabbing you by the throat,” says Cox during the eclipse.

San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, 1991

This was apparently the longest total solar eclipse until 2132. It’s sort of a mini-documentary. If you jump to the 4-minute mark you can witness what is basically a party/mass freakout on the beach.

Have You Seen a Solar Eclipse?

Share your experience in the comments!

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Comments (4)

  1. We were in the path of the Cabo solar eclipse on July 11, 91. I remember the date well as it is our daughter’s birthday.
    It was a little strange to see things get dark at noon and stay that way for about 5 minutes or so.
    It looked like it was night. It was an experience you don’t forget.

    posted by Steve C on 8-11-2010 at 9:10 pm

  2. BTY we live in Guadalajara, Mexico

    posted by Steve C on 8-11-2010 at 9:11 pm

  3. We could view a partial one from NJ in 1994. It canceled recess and we had to stay inside as it got darker.

    posted by Liz on 8-11-2010 at 10:19 pm

  4. I remember seeing an annular solar eclipse back when I was in grade 1. While all the other kids were stuck using the pinhole projector, my dad took time off work, got a piece of welders’ glass and attached it to binoculars so we could look at it directly. Definitely life-changing.

    posted by Manda on 8-13-2010 at 8:47 am

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