David Murr

The 2017 Eclipse

I had originally planned to travel to Dayton, Tennessee, to view the eclipse from within the path of totality, but plans fell through, so I ended up watching the event from home near Charlottesville, VA. Although it was only an 85%-obscured partial eclipse, it was still a pretty magnificent event to see.

Near maximum eclipse, my surroundings were tinted in a grey, dusky light that was unlike anything I’ve seen before. It was subtle, but very noticeable. Crickets started chirping and the temperature noticeably dipped. Hard to imagine exactly what totality must’ve looked and felt like.

With any luck, though, I’ll find out on April 8, 2024—the next total eclipse that will fall across North America. My goal is to fly my own plane cross-country to Texas to witness totality. I’ve got just shy of seven years to finish my private pilot license, buy an airplane, and (preferably) get my instrument rating. I need to get busy, but it’s absolutely possible.