My Eclipstory

A few celestial milestones.

May 30, 1984 was a partial eclipse for my area, and I remember our teacher patiently urging us not to look directly into the sun, but to punch a hole in a piece of paper and hold it over a second piece of paper to project the eclipse effect. I remember being distinctly unimpressed by this sort of shadow puppetry and starting to think that maybe my teachers didn’t know the answers to everything, but just in case, I didn’t look at the sun.

I do remember walking out of my home to see a few lunar eclipses, both with my father and with the roommates I had in my early work history. Those were good nights.

When the 2017 eclipse rolled around, I was ready to take things more seriously. It was a chance to make a memory with my goddaughter, so her mother and I took her to Columbia, South Carolina. We set up on an elevated hill near a baseball stadium, which gave us a fantastic view in multiple directions as the light started to harden and whiten and then dim. (That’s my goddaughter urging me to take pictures on the video.)

This weekend, we’ve been staying with friends of Janice’s and enjoying Columbus. (I’m keeping Janice’s friends anonymous here for their own privacy’s sake, but we’re very grateful for their hospitality. And lunch with David Willis was rewarding yesterday too.)

But for the eclipse itself, we’re heading toward the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. I doubt we’ll make it back home this evening; we plan to just find a hotel after getting as far as we can. Hey, post-eclipse traffic is all part of the experience: I learned that after Columbia.

Congratulations to Paolo Pasco, winner of the 2024 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Last year, he lost by one second; this year he won by a larger margin. Congrats as well to second and third-placers David Plotkin and Will Nediger.

Coverage of the event is still trickling in, but here are a few key facts. Attendance approached 1,000 this year—the largest yet—and Will Shortz was there to preside, continuing his recovery from his recent stroke.

That’s all I have time to chatter about this morning: we want an early start to find a good viewing spot.

Tomorrow: Some new eclipse stories, probably!