Lewis and Clark Caverns shows the Solar Eclipse at its finest

Editor's Note: This article will also be published in the August 30 edition of the Whitehall Ledger.

Slowly dusk fell over the land and the temperature took a noticeable downward turn. To add a bit more intrigue, a slight breeze began to blow. As one, the heads of the eclipse viewers turned to the sky with their 'in' glasses or a box or a welder's mask adorning those heads.

It had been a glorious morning wending slowly through the Jefferson Canyon spotting deer crossing the river and a few floaters out early and the sun setting up a perfect reflection of the canyon walls on the river below. They came from all over Montana and even Nevada and Florida. They came to view the 'once-in-a-lifetime' eclipse of the sun. They came to a small knoll in the Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. Word of mouth, newspapers and Facebook were the instigators of this leisurely trip to a beautiful spot in Montana.

And, they were ready. Some came with glasses others obtained those stylish glasses from the Park Services personnel headed by Derrick Rathe. Some came with the special boxes to be worn over one's head that eleven years old Dakota Woodring from Manhattan demonstrated. Ely McCollum, also 11 years old, came from a ranch in Lewistown with the family's welder's mask.

Steven Hamilton, the Biology and Earth Sciences and AP teacher at Three Forks High School, admitted he skipped the first day of school to be there to share some scientific information on eclipses bringing some special glasses with him so none would miss out and to host a question and answer session: Street lights would come on in the cities and the temperature would decrease five to seven degrees. It might be possible to see Venus or Mercury at the total eclipse. Tides would be normal to, perhaps, a bit higher. In Montana the next partial eclipse – an 80% angular – would occur around 2023/2024. In N.E. Montana a total eclipse will occur around 2043 - 2047. Supposedly the Space Station would not be seen as it is above and at a different location. (Then, I wonder, what was that object they saw back East going across the sun? Perhaps not a human space station? Visitors from somewhere else? WOW! Talk about traveling a long way to see the eclipse!)

Young Sebastian Sommer from Whitehall demonstrated the scientific fact that shadows would become sharper as the eclipse

deepened.

Oohs and aahs and a few giggles were heard as the eclipse progressed along its way. The moon becoming larger while the sun slowly disappeared and then that sliver circling the sun as it headed back out. Too soon the viewers started their way down the hill from the Amphitheater enthusiastically talking about this wonder.