CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — Cheers, screams and even some tears: Cape Girardeau viewers had a range of reactions when the solar eclipse peaked and darkened the skies on Monday.
One tourist especially was overcome by a sense of awe after he captured a potentially rare solar event on camera: a possible solar flare.
"It felt like nearly a religious experience," said Chicago resident Sartaj Chowdhury. "I try to be a logical person, but all logic left my body and it was just a pure emotion-driven experience."
With their naked eyes, numerous viewers in Cape Girardeau could see a reddish-orange light near the Sun's southern tip during the total eclipse's peak. Chowdhury hurried to his camera to grab a shot of the flash of light.
Chowdhury shared a glimpse of the image with 5 On Your Side. The below image has been brightened to enhance its detail:
"What a time to be alive," Chowdhury said. "I know that this has happened for millions of years, but for us to have the privilege to leave Chicago and come here and check it out ... I know people in other parts of the country that may not have been able to get as good as a view as we did. Sorry, rest of the country, but we had an amazing view here. It was incredible."
Before the eclipse, Space.com reported there may be numerous "massive explosions" happening on the Sun's surface during the eclipse, including:
- A solar flare: Giant explosions on the Sun's surface that send energy, light and high-speed particles into space.
- A solar eruptive prominence: When a solar prominence, or a large, bright plasma extending outward from the Sun’s surface, becomes unstable and bursts outward sending plasma into space.
- A coronal mass ejection (CME): A fast-moving explosion of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's corona that looks stationary to onlookers.
"We'll have to check later to see what the scientists say, but it was a cool, cool experience," Chowdhury said.
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