Kathy Barrett, 59, of Salt Lake City, wasnt an eclipse believer.
Then she joined him on a total-solar-eclipse trip to Wyoming in 2017.
Excitement builds before it happens, Barrett says, remembering that day.
She describes an eerie, calm feeling as the Earth gradually turned to dusk.
When the eclipse hit its peak, she says, people gasped, then cheered, clapped and screamed.
Its like being in a whole new world.
Tips to make the most of the total solar eclipse
1.
Decide what experience you want.
What is most important to you?
Do you want to be in a big celebratory crowd?
Would you prefer an isolated, peaceful setting?
Check climate records and find a wide panorama.
Aim for a place with the sunniest weather on April 8.
Check cloud-cover maps at theAmerican Astronomical Societyswebsite orEclipsophile.com.
Make a car reservation now, then be aware and pay attention.
Watch for heavy traffic, closed roads and reduced speed limits.
Carry food and water.
You only have a couple of minutes in totality, so stay in the moment and absorb the experience.
Check out the sunset-like lighting all around the horizon.
Soak up the ambience.
Youll find plenty of eclipse pictures online afterward, but photos dont capture the experience.
Eclipse information resources
She told her brother, Now I know why you do this.
She adds, I was totally blown away…. You turn immediately into a fan.
With the moon entirely covering the sun, the suns glowing outer gases are visible.
That shadow track is called the path of totality.
Totality is the brief time when the moon totally covers the sun, exposing the solar corona.
The delicate-looking corona is outer solar gases that we can never otherwise see because the sun is so bright.
Eclipse chasers want to be within that path of totality.
Being at the shadows centerline, where the eclipse lasts longest, is best.
Hotels fill up fast.
Keep these pointers in mind before you go.
Detailed maps of the path of totality are available atGreatAmericanEclipse.com,NASAandXavier Jubiers Interactive Google Map.
