2024 Total Solar Eclipse

My mom, older brother, and I drove up to Millinocket Maine and got onsite to the town park around 11:30am or so. A few hundred people were already there. Many more came as totality came close. The town had setup a stage with loud music playing. Some vendors and food were available. Not many places to use restrooms though.

I met up with my amateur astronomer friends Paul Butler and Charlie Sawyer who had telescopes setup looking at the sun. Charlie had a 40mm Meade PST solar scope which had some great views of solar flares and prominences on the surface of the sun. He also had a 8″ Celestron SCT scope with solar filter which showed several nice sunspot groupings. I helped Charlie a bit run his scopes while he could grab a bite to eat. Many people came by to look through his scopes. He was also interviewed by local TV reporters from WABI and Maine Public Radio.

It was hot but not unbearable outside in the 70F range, unusual for April especially in northern Maine. Skies were nearly clear of all clouds. Some wind too. Not long before totality my middle brother came with his girlfriend unexpectedly. What a great surprise and gift. My mom and my 2 bros together for the first time in many years.

I tried to setup my Canon M50 camera right before totality but it has some internal issue and would not work. Instead, I viewed with binoculars and just my eyes. Taking in the scene with own eyes was the best, instead of fiddling with electronics and scopes. Once totality hit, the temperature definitely dropped and winds died down a bit. I remember seeing a bird very much confused flying around almost in circles not sure what to make of the eerie darkness. Totality lasted much longer than the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse that I saw in Tennessee. I could also see a solar flare and the corona naked eye, something I don’t remember seeing during my first eclipse experience in 2017. The corona was probably the best highlight that will stick out in my mind.

It took over 5 hours to get home, nearly 3 of which were in standstill traffic getting out of Millinocket to East Millinocket then onto I-95. I had friends who went to Lincoln and found a road to turn off and viewed that way. And got home much quicker. I think I would have liked that instead of being with a huge crowd.


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