As you all know, on April 8th 2024 in the US, many bore witness to the solar eclipse, whether the experienced totality or just saw a portion of it through their plastic framed glasses. Most saw a partial eclipse which looked like as if someone had taken a small bite out of the sun. Some saw a total eclipse; the moon that always appears so distant in our sky completely blocks out the sun, creating an experience that feels larger than life as the day sky is rendered pitch black.

The solar eclipse is something almost fantastical; something so magnificent, it’s almost hard to comprehend. It reminds us how small we are; our city light blocked out by something larger, as if a celestial being stuck their arm out to cast a shadow. But the eclipse also reminds us of how large we are: our ability to see past other people’s backgrounds and just admire the sheer incredibility of this once in a lifetime event, evinced by the some hundred million people who moved into the path of totality to catch a glimpse.

The eclipse’s path of totality passed through the mid-west and exited the US through northern New York and the tip of Maine. The path boasts the most populous path to date, passing through many cities, towns, and suburban areas, most notably the Dallas and Fort Worth area. The path of totality was seen by already 30-40 million residents, not including those who moved towards the path to experience it for themselves.

It’s a duality, really. I have some friends who went to watch the eclipse in the Dallas area. Some of them were saying that it was rather disappointing as clouds blocked the full experience of the eclipse. But a lucky bunch witnessed something miraculous. Just as totality was approaching, the clouds split, no rather, the sky split, revealing an image photos can do no justice, something purely awe-inducing.

The eclipse reminds us both of how minuscule we are in the vastness of the universe as well as how large we are as a people. I heard up to 200 million people would be moving into the path of totality to witness the eclipse (another fascinating thing to see is a map of Airbnb occupations a couple days before the eclipse). It reminds us the possibility to stop for a second and gather to witness a once in a lifetime experience. I rate the eclipse a 3/4 as that’s how much of the sun I still saw.