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FERNDALE — A rare instance of a total solar eclipse engulfed a large part of the United States on April 8, capturing widespread attention.
According to NASA, a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking out the face of the sun.
Traveling to get the best sight of the eclipse is not uncommon. Ferndale residents Greg and Shelly Stempfle took a trip to Emory Adams Park in Findlay, Ohio, to view the totality.
“The path of maximum totality ended up being in the middle of Ohio, a little bit farther south of Findlay,” Greg Stempfle said. “We wanted to get the most amount of time in the shadow as possible, but we just found such a good spot in Findlay that I didn’t want to risk … not getting a good spot.”
Greg Stempfle is a big fan of both astronomy and photography, and he took the opportunity to capture photos of the total eclipse.
“I’ve always been interested in astronomy and science fiction, and it’s such a surreal, unusual event that it’s worth experiencing,” he said. “I do a lot of photography, too, and a lot of people like and look forward to my photography, so I feel a little bit obligated sometimes to document things for my friends and family.”
Though the eclipse went for a couple of hours, the totality lasted around four minutes, which meant Greg Stempfle had to act fast in order to get the best photos he could.
“I spent a good 30 seconds making sure I got a good and focused picture and snapped a couple shots and then just sat back, and then … I took in my surroundings, and then I spent the rest of the time just looking around and experiencing it,” he said.
“There’ll probably be only a couple more in my lifetime that I’ll be able to get to, and I’m only in my 40s. That’s how infrequent they are,” he continued.
The last time there was a total eclipse was on Aug. 21, 2017. The Stempfles also traveled then in order to get a great view of the eclipse, that time to the St. Louis, Missouri, area.
Shelly Stempfle said the eclipses are incredible experiences, especially with how the environment changes around her, as she feels the air get cooler, the lighting changes and even the sounds that birds make are different.
“It’s not like it just goes dark all of a sudden and then light again. It’s almost like the sun is on a dimmer switch, and that’s just so interesting to me,” she said.
“All of those sights and sensations that happen and then they’re gone — I just think that that’s a really neat experience,” she said.
