Residents share stories of total eclipse
The high expectations Sarah Curran, of Butler, had for seeing the total eclipse Monday, April 8, were completely blown out of the water when she watched the moon completely cover the sun from an airfield in Medina, Ohio.
She and her two sons — one in sixth grade and the other in first grade — were in complete darkness, save for the runway lights that turned on because of the blackout, for about four minutes.
“It is kind of indescribable,” Curran said. “When it crossed and the final sliver was gone, it was like turning all the lights out in your house in an instant. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever looked at.”
The Butler County area experienced a partial eclipse Monday afternoon, with about 98% of the sun covered by the moon. The path of totality crossed parts of northwestern Pennsylvania and much of Ohio, creating an opportunity for many Pennsylvania residents to experience the cosmic event.
Curran said she had her children take the day off from school, and the family left at around 9 a.m. to beat the traffic. However, while interstates that crossed the path of totality were clogged with traffic, Curran said the back roads were pretty empty.
The airfield where they watched the eclipse, she said, made a party out of the phenomenon.
“We ended up watching at Medina (Municipal) Airport. We didn't have a plan, but we passed it on the way and they had a little party going on,” Curran said. “I think there were about 200 people there. We had a great spot, we were right along the fence. We put a blanket down, watched the eclipse, had some snacks.”
Christina Moss, of Butler, left herself a birthday present almost seven years ago, which she retrieved from Carbondale, Ill., on Monday, April 8, one day before her 44th birthday.
She traveled to the city on Aug. 21, 2017, to photograph the total eclipse that happened then, when she learned the next total solar eclipse the U.S. would experience was a day before her 44th birthday. On that initial trip, Moss buried a necklace she made using an Oregon sunstone and a moonstone, in commemoration of Oregon being the place where the shadow from 2017’s eclipse first made landfall.
“I discovered the 2024 eclipse will be crossing Carbondale again, creating an ‘X’ across the United States,” Moss said on March 30. “I studied maps of the totality epicenters for both eclipses and while in Carbondale for the first eclipse, I buried a necklace on Aug. 19 very close to where those two lines intersect.”
Moss watched the total eclipse from a cemetery atop a hill in Carbondale this time, so the experience was even better than her viewing situation in 2017.
“I thought this one seemed a little darker than the last one,” Moss said. “My duration was longer where I was. The first time was two minutes and 38 seconds, this time it was four minutes and eight seconds.
“This time I was on a hilltop, so I got the full effect of the cool breeze.”
Bob Pakozdi, of Renfrew, traveled to Bristolville, Ohio, to watch the eclipse near a bike trail. He also said seeing the sun fully covered by the moon was indescribable, and recommended people make plans to see a total solar eclipse next time it is predicted to happen.
“It was something definitely worthwhile,” Pakozdi said. “If you get a chance, do it. Take the day off, if you've got to travel a little bit, it's a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
