Totality in Arkansas: The Complete Experience

The plan for the day, according to the app. 100% obscuration.

After all the planning and two long days of driving, the great eclipse day finally arrived. The first order of business was a hopeful weather check, and we were rewarded with a beautiful, clear sunrise—a perfect omen. Before settling in, we took a walk and found a vendor selling commemorative t-shirts, which of course we had to get to mark the occasion.

As the hours passed, the show began. It started subtly, with the moon taking its first "bite" out of the sun. As the eclipse progressed, the excitement grew, the daylight became strange and sharp, and the world filled with oddities like the thousands of tiny crescent suns projected in the shadows.

Then, for just over three incredible minutes, we stood in the moon's shadow. The sun's magnificent corona, a sight hidden from us every other day, blazed in the suddenly dark sky. It's a profound and humbling experience. After the brilliant "Diamond Ring" signaled the sun's return, there was only one thing left to do: celebrate a successful chase with s'mores and a good dinner with family.

The sky just before the show. A little hazy, but clear enough.

First contact.
The celestial event has officially begun.

The excitement was building as totality got closer.

The moon taking a bigger and bigger bite.

The amazing pinhole camera effect, visible everywhere.

Getting very close to totality now. The light was getting eerie.

Even the shadows started looking sharper and stranger.

Making shadow puppets with the crescent sun.

A splatter shield becomes a pinhole camera just before totality.

Totality.
An absolutely unforgettable sight.
All worth it.

Bailey's Beads, as the last rays of sun
peek through the lunar valleys.

The magnificent Diamond Ring
effect signals the sun's return.

The post-eclipse celebration begins.
S'mores were required.

Tim, cooking up a celebratory dinner
to cap off an incredible day.

Wherever you are today, I hope you get to share a moment of wonder with the people you care about.

Don Bergquist – 08 April 2024 – Mountain Home, Arkansas, USA