‘Shock and amazement’ as Dixie State University group sees total eclipse in Idaho
Utahns settled in for the eclipse at home and around the West.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Total solar eclipse, at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Grace Gannon, 8, Idaho Falls, tests out her solar glasses, as she waits for the solar eclipse at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Jeremy Harmon | The Salt Lake Tribune) The solar eclipse reaches its peak as seen from Salt Lake City on August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Prominences can be seen, as well as the diamond ring of the solar eclipse, at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Total solar eclipse, at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Grace Gannon, 8, of Idaho Falls, prepares her Barbie for the solar eclipse at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Tom Wharton | The Salt Lake Tribune) Eclipse chasers walk along the Snake River in Idaho falls, Idaho. The town falls in the path of totality for the Aug. 21, 2107, eclipse.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Marc Nordby, Anastazia, 12, Isadora, 10, of Coeur d'Alene, ID, watch the early stages of the solar eclipse at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Oaklen Lawrence, 9, of Idaho Falls, watches the early stages of the solar eclipse at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Darkness surrounds the ball park during the totality phase of the solar eclipse, at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Empry Rogers, 6, of Syracuse, Ut, watch the early stages of the solar eclipse with a welding helmet, at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School students watch The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School students use a pinhole projector as they draw the outline of the sun as the watch The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School students watch The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School students watch The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School first-grader Dowley Super smiles as he watches The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School first-grader Rukia Aden smiles as she watches The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School first-graders Maukakala Taufu'i and Fartun Musa watch The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School first-grader Fartun Musa watches The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School first-graders watch The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School students watch The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune) Meadowlark Elementary School first-grader Ali Eftin smiles as he watches The Great Eclipse during the Salt Lake School District's first day of the 2017-2018 school year. STEAM teacher-coordinator Wendi Laurence who formerly worked at NASA has been planning an event around the eclipse. All students had glasses to view the event and many had lunch outside at the Salt Lake City school Monday August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The sun's corona is revealed as the moon completely covers the sun during the eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City resident Brad Mager poses for a timed exposure of the Milky Way while camping out in the path of the August 21, 2017 eclipse at Palisades Reservoir, Idaho.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Salt Lake City resident Brad Mager poses for a timed exposure of the Milky Way while camping out in the path of the August 21, 2017 eclipse at Palisades Reservoir, Idaho.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Small highlights between crossed fingers reveal the crescent shape of the sun as the moon begins to completely eclipse the sun on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gavin Wechsler, 6, and his sister Sarina, 9, of Huntington Beach, CA, take in the total eclipse of the sun from a floating dock at Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Calamity campground hosts Mike and Cheryl Kennedy sit on the spare floating docks at Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, to take in the total eclipse of the sun on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Astronomy enthusiasts from South Korea show off their photography skills following the total eclipse of the sun as seen from Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) People gather at the edge of Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, to experience the total eclipse of the sun on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The moon completely obscures the sun for nearly a minute and a half above Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jung Sub Shim, 14, of South Korea uses a hand crafted viewer as the moon begins to take a bite of the sun while gathered at Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, for the total eclipse of the sun on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jun Hwee Shim, 10, of South Korea takes in the total eclipse of the sun from Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tree foliage highlights reveal the crescent shape of the sun as the moon begins to completely eclipse the sun on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sarina Wechsler, 8, and her brother Gavin, 6, of Huntington Beach, CA, use special glasses to take in the transition of the total solar eclipse from a floating dock at Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Astronomy enthusiasts from South Korea show off their photography skills following the total eclipse of the sun as seen from Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jong Ran Kim of South Korea uses a hand crafted viewer to take in the total eclipse of the sun from the edge of Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) McKeal Borresen, and Tamie Luchetta, alongside her son Chris, 12, from left, enjoy the total eclipse of the sun from the comfort of their truck bed at Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Jin Young Yoon of South Korea readies his equipment to capture the total eclipse of the sun from the edge of Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Kristi Wechsler of Huntington Beach, CA, is joined by her children, Jude, 3, Gavin, 6, and Sarina, 8, as they watch the moon take in the total eclipse of the sun from the edge of Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Cheryl Kennedy specially filtered binoculars to take in the total eclipse of the sun from the edge of Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) An instant rice cup is used as a makeshift filter holder for Jung Sub Shim, 14, of South Korea as he watches the total eclipse of the sun from Palisades Reservoir, Idaho, on Monday, August 21, 2017.
(Jeremy Harmon | The Salt Lake Tribune) The sun over before the solar eclipse starts as seen from Salt Lake City on August 21, 2017.
(Jeremy Harmon | The Salt Lake Tribune) The moon starts to move in front of the sun as solar eclipse starts as seen from Salt Lake City on August 21, 2017.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Photo composite of the Solar eclipse, at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
Idaho Falls • Students from Dixie State University gasped, screamed and yelled on the banks of the Snake River as day turned into night at the peak of Monday’s Great American Eclipse.
The totality that drew hundreds to Idaho Falls lasted less than two minutes, but it was an amazing 120 seconds.
It seemed as if there was a 360-degree sunset. Birds flying overhead looked disoriented. A few folks shot off fireworks, clearly visible in the near darkness. Stars suddenly appeared.
“I could not contain my excitement,” said Samuel Tobler, a physics professor at the St. George college who planned his trip for years and brought a number of students with him. “Shock and amazement. It is hard to put into words the feeling of overawe.”
The students had similar reactions.
“To see birds confused, stars and fireworks...” said Maddi Geilmann of Ogden, letting her voice trail off.
The students set up special cameras and binoculars. They examined moon shadows. They journaled and drew what they were seeing on posters.
And then it was over.
“It’s like Christmas,” said Dixie State environmental science professor Kelly Bringhurst. “You put a lot of planning into it and then it’s over.”
The busload of students from Dixie State had needed special permission to miss their first day of fall semester. Tobler said the university booked rooms in Idaho Falls in May 2016.
(Tom Wharton | The Salt Lake Tribune) Dixie State University student Dolly Ames watches the Great American Eclipse through special binoculars in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on Aug. 21. 2017.
In the Salt Lake Valley, watchers saw 91 percent of the eclipse. The day grew cooler but not significantly darker, as spectators at Wheeler Historic Farm in Murray had hoped.
In Weiser, Idaho, also in the path of totality, the peak of the eclipse was like a scene from a science fiction movie.
A 360-degree soft pink sunset ringed the horizon as the moon covered the entirety of the sun. In place of the sun, a perfectly black circle hung appeared, looking like someone had taken a paper hole punch out of the sky. Surrounding the black disc was the corona of the sun, soft, gauzy wisps of white light emanating from the sun.
The temperature dropped about 20 degrees, leaving many with goosebumps.
The crowd of several thousand cheered and a brass band heralded totality. Amy Bullock, who drove from Salt Lake City with her family and several of her parents’ friends, said Monday was her first total eclipse.
“It was spectacular. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced,” she said. “It was absolutely worth coming to Weiser and the band of totality.”
Her parents saw the total eclipse in Australia in 2012 and booked a rental house in Boise nearly two years ago. “It really is a transformative event,” said Roger Bullock, Amy Bullock’s father. “It gives us a hint of where our place is in the universe, and it’s not big.”
He and his wife, Cathy Bullock, traveled with several of their longtime friends, who included a high school biology teacher, a retired physicist and an astronomer. She was happy to hear parents explaining the science of the eclipse to their children.
“It’s fun to hang out with scientists and friends, and it’s wonderful to see people learning about science on elemental levels,” Cathy Bullock said. “We need people believing in science and understanding the world.”
Amy Bullock says after watching the total solar eclipse, she’ll follow in her parents’ footsteps. “I want to follow suit and start traveling to see eclipses,” she said.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Darkness surrounds the ball park during the totality phase of the solar eclipse, at Melaleuca Baseball Park, in Idaho Falls, Monday, August 21, 2017.
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