Total Solar Eclipse – Madras, Oregon
People cried, people screamed, and it was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. The light became eerie, shadows got extremely defined, the air got cold, and then this incomprehensible object surrounded by a white, wispy corona shimmered in the sky. For over two minutes, our consciousness departed Earth as we all stared at an otherworldly body suspended in the immensity of space.I'd read that witnessing a total eclipse can be life changing. I'd have to 100% agree.
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![eclipse astronomy total eclipse Nature SKY Sun moon Travel Space Oregon](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/4d913756412465.5c752b3f612c8.jpg)
Combination of 12 exposures ranging from 1/4000 to 1/2 sec. This looks very close to how totality actually appeared to the naked eye. The wispy corona tails with the hint of blue still visible in the sky made it all the more dramatic and spooky.
![eclipse astronomy total eclipse Nature SKY Sun moon Travel Space Oregon](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/0e768256412465.5c752b3f6e4d3.jpg)
Just before the moon fully blocks the sun, little bits of light poke through the canyons and mountains on the moon's uneven surface. I captured some as well as a few prominences (arcs of gas) erupting on the sun's surface. Some of these prominences can loop hundreds of thousands of miles into space.
![eclipse astronomy total eclipse Nature SKY Sun moon Travel Space Oregon](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/4821cb56412465.5c752b3f678bb.jpg)
Diamond ring, moments before totality.
![eclipse astronomy total eclipse Nature SKY Sun moon Travel Space Oregon](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/a2e00d56412465.5c752b3f740df.jpg)
![eclipse astronomy total eclipse Nature SKY Sun moon Travel Space Oregon](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/794eb956412465.5c752b3f80636.jpg)
Combination of 12 exposures ranging from 1/2000 to 2 sec. When I included a 2-second exposure in the construction of the composite, you can actually see some details on the lunar surface. This is due to sunlight being reflected off the Earth's surface onto the moon, also known as earthshine.
![eclipse astronomy total eclipse Nature SKY Sun moon Travel Space Oregon](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/aa52cd56412465.5c752b3f7bd98.jpg)
Just before totality hit, things got really weird. This eerie light blanketed everything--a light unlike anything I'd ever seen. The temperature also dropped about 15 degrees.