Penalty shots: The eclipse, and then some

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that Monday was the day of the total solar eclipse.

The first such event in the United States since 1979 and the first to traverse the continental U.S. since 1918.

In covering the eclipse, I had planned to be at the Cohen Complex all day. If attendance estimates were accurate (they weren't), that would mean getting stuck there due to traffic.

I had never covered a solar eclipse before, but I figured I would tackle it in the same manner I do all large events - Facebook live sessions sprinkled with hand-held video of the scene.

The photos, of course, come later.

Part of the appeal of a solar eclipse is the attraction it has to people from far-off places. And this one did not disappoint, with people from Spain, France, England, Japan and even Sweden making the trip across the pond.

But the first person I talked to was from a little closer to home.

I grew up in the Detroit suburb of Novi, about a half-hour northwest of the city. There's a lot of urban legends about Novi, including that it was stop No. 6 (No. VI) on the local train schedule.

And Eric Merrill, whose video interview is on the Herald Tribune's Facebook page, is from Novi. Imagine the odds of two people, who did not know each other personally, from the same hometown meeting during the eclipse?

I may have to play the Powerball today.

Chester's event was well-run. There were a lot of people at the Cohen Complex, but it didn't feel crowded. With the oppressive heat and humidity in place, people sought shade wherever they could find it, which meant groups of people in all corners of the facility.

The anticipation of totality is definitely a thing. Sunlight started getting hazy as the moon gradually took more bites out of the sun, but time seemed to accelerate as the light faded.

The crowd cheered the darkness, with someone yelling out "totality!" They cheered again when the light returned.

It's a shame that we will have to wait seven years to experience that again, but now we have an idea of what to expect. The weather was in flux until the morning forecast models came in on Monday and, thankfully, some clouds around the noon hour dissipated enough to give viewers a crystal-clear shot at the sun.

The city of Chester did well this weekend. I would certainly expect the same in 2024.