Awe-inspiring eclipse stories, from those who’ve seen them

The first total eclipse Matthew Whitehouse saw was in Australia in 2012. The experience left him with two thoughts:

1. That was amazing.

2. That was really, really freaky.

“It’s so far beyond our normal experience,” the South Carolina State Museum observatory manager said.

The sun disappearing, even for a few minutes – as it will on Aug. 21 in Columbia – is not normal.

Historically, eclipses were harbingers of terror in many cultures. The ancient Greeks believed that a solar eclipse was a sign of angry gods. In ancient China, an eclipse was thought to be a dragon eating the sun.

Today we know exactly what’s going to happen during a total eclipse.

At 2:41 p.m. on Aug. 21, there will be a coast-to-coast total eclipse beginning in Oregon and ending in South Carolina. Columbia will get 2 minutes and 36 seconds of darkness – more than another other S.C. city, and the longest total eclipse for a metro area on the East Coast.

But even when we know exactly what’s going to happen, there’s still an animal part of our brain that kicks in, making the experience seem awesome, powerful, and yes, even a little frightening.

“Unless you’ve seen it, there’s really no way you can understand what the experience is like,” Whitehouse said.

According to astronomy experts and those who have witnessed eclipses, the difference between a partial and total eclipse is huge.

Only during a total eclipse do you get a 360-degree sunset, sudden temperature drop and a clear view of the sun’s corona. Witnesses have reported feeling goosebumps and euphoria at the spectacle.

Clemson University scientist Donald Liebenberg has an expert understanding of solar eclipses, having witnessed and researched 26 of them over the past 60-plus years. He is what enthusiasts call an eclipse chaser.

His first total eclipse was in 1954 on a hilltop in Mellen, Wisconsin. His passion for studying eclipses has taken him as far as China, Libya and the Antarctic. He’s seen eclipses from ships, planes and – as will be the case on Aug. 21 – his driveway in Salem in South Carolina’s Upstate.

“It’s a unique show that mother nature puts on. It’s one to be admired and witnessed,” he said.

Both Liebenberg and Whitehouse said that there is no comparison between a partial and total eclipse.

“Even if you’re a mile from totality, the experience will not be the same. You need to get yourself into the path of totality,” Liebenberg said.

The last total solar eclipse over the continental United States was in February 1979, when it was visible only from five Northwestern states. The last coast-to-coast eclipse in the U.S. was in 1918.

The next time a total solar eclipse will be visible from the greater Columbia area will be the year 2078.

This story was originally published May 21, 2017 at 2:35 PM with the headline "Awe-inspiring eclipse stories, from those who’ve seen them."