Overcast skies may have put a damper on the Durango solar eclipse experience, but it didn’t deter spectators from viewing the rare event on Monday.
Durango was not in the direct path of the solar eclipse, and viewers could see about two-thirds of an eclipse. However, cloudy and hazy skies made it difficult to see the eclipse’s full effect.
A solar eclipse is when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth.
There were a few spectators standing on street corners holding cardboard eclipse glasses to their eyes.
But the area of town that experienced more significant eclipse traffic was outside Magpies Newsstand Cafe at the intersection of Main Avenue and West Seventh Street, where spectators admired the halo the eclipse created at around 12:15 p.m.
“We really enjoyed just standing in historical downtown and living through history and observing,” said Magpies’ co-owner Jo Thompson. “It was absolutely stunning and for what seemed like about 20 minutes, we saw an amazing transformation.”
She is alluding to when the sky became slightly darker and the eclipse displayed a vibrant halo in the sky. Without wearing eclipse glasses, the circular ray of light was the only strong visible feature of the eclipse.
The halo is created when photons from the sun’s surface are blocked, and the two aspects of the solar atmosphere, the corona and the chromosphere become more visible, according to NASA.
“I think the halo was just gorgeous,” she said.
Thompson said the event was one that anyone could enjoy if they had a few minutes to spare and had the proper viewing equipment.
“I think it was such a wonderful bonding moment for the community,” she said.
Durango residents Terry Bacon and Debra Parmenter made the trip to Uvalde, Texas, to see the eclipse in its totality. Bacon is an author, and Parmenter is a photographer.
It was not a promising start for the couple because of thunderstorms and cloud cover in Uvalde.
The couple started by driving 70 miles east, but found themselves once again in the grasps of a low pressure system. Then, they drove 20 miles back toward Uvalde before deciding to wait out the clouds.
“We drove many miles to get here hoping that the gods would favor us, so to speak,” Bacon said.
At around 1:25 p.m. Central Daylight Time, the clouds gave way and allowed the couple to see the eclipse in full view. Bacon said the full eclipse lasted about four minutes.
“It was nothing short of fabulous,” he said. “We didn’t think we were going to be able to see it because of the cloud cover.”
His wife captured a photo of the eclipse using a special filter on her phone camera.
For those who are interested in the next eclipse, Bacon said he recommends chasing it down, adding it was a stroke of luck that they were able to see the ring of fire in the sky.
This was the second solar eclipse in two years. On Oct. 14, 2023, an eclipse was strongly visible across most of the Western United States. It was especially visible in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Utah, according to the National Park Service.
Monday’s eclipse was mostly visible in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont.
NPS indicates the 2044 total eclipse will likely be seen in Montana and North Dakota.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
