Al Roker’s reaction to the total solar eclipse is so pure


Did you guys get to see the solar eclipse where you are? We had a partial eclipse in my area but it was still over 80%! Unfortunately it was overcast, but due to the almost two and a half hour window of viewing time I saw it several times. I was at a local park and I think the best part was when the kids were exclaiming “I see it!” as that clouds parted. I swear I said that a few times too because it’s truly awe-inspiring to experience. At one point a man was trying to talk to me about my dog and I hope I was polite enough because all I wanted to do was watch for the eclipse. In my lifetime I have seen at least two other solar eclipses, in 2017 and 1981. They’re always memorable and even though we didn’t get the full eclipse yesterday I will remember this one!

America’s favorite weatherman Al Roker was in the zone of totality, in Dallas Texas, for The Today Show. His reaction was so enthusiastic that people are talking about it. Seeing Al getting excited, and hearing the crowd screaming, this video gives me goosebumps. I didn’t know you could take your glasses off when the sun was covered, but they did that. Here’s that video.

Al took me out when he said “we’re going to be eclipse junkies.” I also love the scientist interviewed at minute two saying that she studies the corona and never gets to see it! She explains at minute 3:15 that you can see the plasma of the sun peaking out. That’s so cool.

My boyfriend went to Indiana to see the eclipse. He said that it seemed unreal because geese were flying around in circles, frogs started croaking and it got cold and dark. He also loved it and said he couldn’t stop smiling on the drive home.

Also, we had an earthquake on Friday and an eclipse on Monday. Woah.

photos via Instagram and credit my boyfriend

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31 Responses to “Al Roker’s reaction to the total solar eclipse is so pure”

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  1. Aimee says:

    I absolutely loved it! We didn’t get totality where we are (NC) but it was good enough for me!! I jumped up and down in my work parking lot. So happy to forget all my troubles for a few moments and just LOOK UP.

  2. Concern Fae says:

    I was at 94% and it made me supremely aware of how bright the sun is because it didn’t get that dark. Went to the local park by a pond and the geese all started flying around and fighting with each other when the light dimmed.

    • NotSoSocialB says:

      This was what I marveled about, as well. We were at about 84% and it was still so bright. The power of the sun is just about incomprehensible.

    • DeltaJuliet says:

      Same! We were at 96.5% totality and it was still quite bright outside. Amazing how bright 4% of the sun is.

  3. Delphine says:

    The pure joy of everyone there has me a bit emotional.

  4. Lorelei says:

    I love when someone like Al— who has a specialty that usually flies under the radar (no pun intended)— really has his moment to shine, lol! That was so cute. We all needed it.

  5. Dazed and Confused says:

    My brother and I specifically drove to an area with the totality in Arkansas. We were on a scenic overlook and it was almost 4 minutes. It was magical. Leading up to it is so interesting, but during the totality — it’s just a whole different level of awe inspiring. The light is so unique, the corona is simply beautiful. The horizon is colored like a sunrise or sunset in every direction. Several of us (there were lots of people there, but not too many) actually cried at the sheer beauty and magic of it all.

    If you have the opportunity in your lifetime, you need to get to 100% obscurity.

  6. Jill says:

    Al was in my area and seeing it in totality really was unbelievable. A lot of businesses were having eclipse viewing parties. The temperature did drop (not bad because we were already in the 80s) and it did get dark–like late evening dark but it was a weird kind of dark. It’s hard to explain it. I didn’t witness any odd behavior from the local wildlife but I was told that my dogs starting acting a little bit weird and looking helter skelter out the eyes lol

  7. Jais says:

    I was at 85% and it was clear! Very cool. The sun looked like a crescent at some points as it was being eclipsed by the moon. Before the eclipse, I was kind of laughing at all those people who traveled so far for the full eclipse and wow was I ever the fool! I’m so jealous. Am now considering Spain…😂

  8. PunkyMomma says:

    We were 99.5 totality, watching it on our deck—it was amazing! Not only did the birds sing out their evening songs, but the frogs started their “ribbit, ribbit” and the air temperature dropped.

    What a glorious universe we live in. 💫

  9. Jenn says:

    We were so fortunate to have 100% totality at our house and it was the coolest experience of my life, no joke!

    Nothing compares to 100%, it’s an entirely different experience. We were looking through our eclipse glasses at a tiny sliver of the sun, pretty cool OK, it’s sort of dark, then suddenly….bam!

    Took off my glasses and it was genuinely awe-inspiring. A glowing mass, the temps dropped, people started hooting and hollering! Seeing that glowing corona with your naked eye is nothing short of magical. I never wanted it to end…turned to my husband and said I absolutely must experience this again

    • Erin says:

      Yes! We drove 2 hours to totality with the kids because when is the next time we will be this close? Totally worth it! I’ve seen eclipses before but not at totality and it was just such a different experience. It got so dark and cold and then being able to take off the glasses and just see the corona for a few minutes was like nothing else I’ve experienced.

      • Ciotog says:

        We had totality in 2017, but there were some clouds. This totality was crystal clear, absolutely amazing.

  10. mellie says:

    We are in Indiana and we had absolutely perfect weather, 100% totality. It was amazing. We planted ourselves in our driveway and watched it all unfold, the wind picked up, it cooled down a bit and all the people are in our neighborhood oohed and ahhed. My husband and I both said, no wonder people come from all over to see this, it was so cool!

    • Erin says:

      Oh I didn’t see your comment before my above comment but we are in IN and drove a couple hours south to get to totality and it was amazing and yes the weather was absolutely perfect.

  11. Beth says:

    We had 98% totality where I am and it was amazing, I couldn’t get over how odd the light looked and how the temperature dropped! There’s a flowering tree right next to our deck and it’s always a bee buffet, the buzzing is SO loud when you sit near it. I realized during the eclipse that it had gotten weirdly quiet because all the bees just disappeared at once.

  12. bisynaptic says:

    An astronomer is born… 😄

  13. Mina_Esq says:

    We were in the path of totality and watched it from back yard on Lake Erie without any crowds. It was truly amazing. The temperature dropped suddenly, darkness came, and it was super quiet! Almost eerie calm. No wind. The street lights came on. Schools gave the kids day off. The kids were losing their minds with excitement and fun facts about eclipses. Super cute and surprisingly exciting all around. It was such a cool, community-wide sense of awe and excitement.

  14. goofpuff says:

    I was in Dallas-Forth Worth area and we were afraid at first because it got cloudy right before totality, but it we saw it! And I got to see the 360 horizon, the shadow bands, the Purkinje effect – I had experiments set up for everything. I am a total eclipse junkie now for sure.

  15. Becks1 says:

    I think we were supposed to be at 85%? there was only a sliver left, I can’t imagine having more of an eclipse without being at totality. It was amazing. We hung out with friends in the middle of their court and watched it for the full two hours it was moving.

    In 2017 I said I would be in the path of totality for 2024…..well life and kids got in the way, but its my goal for 2045. Maybe I’ll kick off my retirement that way, LOL.

    • lucy2 says:

      That’s what I had too 85% but only a sliver was visible. It started clouding up but I did get to see the peak, sounds like the areas in the path were pretty cool.

  16. Fig says:

    Yes if you’re in the path of totality you can take your glasses off when the sun is completely covered. It’s so cool! We only got like 40% here so just crescent sun shadows on the ground. I should have gone to Mexico with my friend for the eclipse

  17. DaveW says:

    I’m southern New England and we got 90+%. Same as others noted, the temp dropped, sky got dim and really strange tone, birds were all going wild. My neighborhood was all out watching.

    Seemed a fitting way to end a weird few days since we too had the earthquake Friday, Saturday had just about every possible weather system (wind, rain, cold, sunny, warm, got cold and dark, hailstorm, then sun and warmth again), Sunday had an odd vibe.

  18. M says:

    98% where I was. We had a lot of cloud cover but it cleared enough to see. Some of my pics ended up looking like the Eye of Sauron which was cool too. The weird sky colors kinda reminded us of tornado weather.

  19. GP says:

    I traveled with some friends from California to Texas to see totality. We saw it in 2017 in Idaho and got addicted! Totality really is amazing. Spain or Iceland next?