Excellent Eerie Erie Eclipse

An Amateur Astronomer Abroad

That Eclipse was Eerily Erie in many regards. I remember the disbelief when I said Erie looked like a good place to see the 2024 Total Eclipse of the Sun. But Eerily Erie proved me right. It was an uncanny Excellent Eclipse on the southern shore of Lake Erie in Erie Pennsylvania. The good city and the good Eclipse seemed like it would not make it until it did.

First the storms and floods of the week before. Then a Sunday of hopeful bright sunshine, but weather men reporting dour clouding and morning rain for Monday.

Then it happened, and over a thousand people with many pleasant pet dogs at the Marriot Courtyard Bayshore rejoiced. For the three or so hours of the actual Eclipse the murky clouds departed and the sun shown brightly until Jupiter came out roaring out of hiding with the night. Then the Eclipse wained from totality as the clouds set back again. Eerie. Just plain Erie.

I had booked two rooms for two nights at the Courtyard because of its view and access to civilized living and the nearly perfect straight shot from Pittsburgh with I-79 ending abruptly into the motel. I, too, had brought my dog who got her own Marriott Bandana.

I asked, and got, a speaking engagement comped by the Hotel Manager in a conference room where I gave my talk…