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American History
Related: About this forumOn this day, March 7, 1970, people flocked to the Atlantic coast of the United States to view a total solar eclipse.
I hitchhiked from Charlottesville to Virginia Beach to see it. I well recall the day. It ended on a sour note for me, but not for anything related to the eclipse.
Solar eclipse of March 7, 1970

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A total solar eclipse occurred on Saturday, March 7, 1970, visible across most of North America and Central America.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
Totality was visible across southern Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, the southeast Atlantic coast of the United States, northeast to the Maritimes of eastern Canada, and northern Miquelon-Langlade in the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
Greatest eclipse occurred over Mexico at 11:38 am CST, with totality lasting 3 minutes and 28 seconds. Totality over the U.S. lasted up to 3 minutes and 10 seconds. The media declared Perry as the first municipality in Florida to be in the eclipse direct path.
Inclement weather obstructed the viewing from that location and most of the eclipse path through the remainder of the southern states. There will not be an eclipse with a greater duration of totality over the contiguous U.S. until April 8, 2024, a period of 54 years.

Map
A total solar eclipse occurred on Saturday, March 7, 1970, visible across most of North America and Central America.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide.
Totality was visible across southern Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, the southeast Atlantic coast of the United States, northeast to the Maritimes of eastern Canada, and northern Miquelon-Langlade in the French overseas collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
Greatest eclipse occurred over Mexico at 11:38 am CST, with totality lasting 3 minutes and 28 seconds. Totality over the U.S. lasted up to 3 minutes and 10 seconds. The media declared Perry as the first municipality in Florida to be in the eclipse direct path.
Inclement weather obstructed the viewing from that location and most of the eclipse path through the remainder of the southern states. There will not be an eclipse with a greater duration of totality over the contiguous U.S. until April 8, 2024, a period of 54 years.
Thu Mar 7, 2024: On this day, March 7, 1970, people flocked to the Atlantic coast of the United States to view a total solar eclipse.
Sat Mar 7, 2020: On this day, March 7, 1970, residents of the Atlantic coast were treated to a total solar eclipse.
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On this day, March 7, 1970, people flocked to the Atlantic coast of the United States to view a total solar eclipse. (Original Post)
mahatmakanejeeves
Mar 7
OP
Sequoia
(12,631 posts)1. I remember this.
Our science teacher set up telescopes for viewing and the adults said, "Don't look directly at the sun or you'll go blind."
I was in New England at the time. The only thing I could find with a round hole was my cllander so I had many images going at once. Was pretty cool.
twodogsbarking
(13,126 posts)3. And Republicans blame Obama for it.