COLUMBIA, S.C. — Nestled in northeastern South Carolina lies the observatory of renowned astrophotographer Hap Griffin, a backdrop for awe-inspiring cosmic imagery.
Having captured numerous glimpses of the cosmos, Griffin recalls with equal passion his experiences with the 2017 solar eclipse, marking his second personal encounter with the phenomenon.
"I was just as excited about the one in 2017 as I was in 1970. We did see totality and I have really good images that I shot up in Greenville," shared Griffin.
Griffin's photographs from the 2017 eclipse found their way into several prominent publications, including the esteemed Sky and Telescope magazine.
This year, Griffin eagerly anticipates his third eclipse, poised to witness the beautiful spectacle from the comfort of his observatory.
"This year we are at near the solar maximum so we expect the corona to be more spectacular than we've seen in decades. So, once totality occurs it will be really active this time and you should be able to see huge red flares coming out from the sun that we saw back in 2017, but not that large," explained Griffin.
Although South Carolina will only witness a partial eclipse, Griffin assures that those fortunate enough to observe the complete phenomenon will experience a spectacle surpassing that of 2017.
"In this case, the numbers work out where the moon is a little closer to us than normal. So the period of blockage and totality is going to be a little longer than normal."
Initially planning to venture to Texas for the total eclipse, Griffin's plans changed due to weather forecasts predicting overcast conditions. Undeterred, he enthusiastically looks forward to staying put in South Carolina.
"I am happy to stay here at the observatory. We are going to grill some steaks on the grill and watch the partial eclipse. It will be about 75% here and I will photograph it with one of my telescopes here," Griffin said with excitement.
Griffin extends an invitation to astronomy enthusiasts, urging them to explore the Midlands Astronomy Club. "We actually have star parties out here where everybody brings their telescopes to this site, and we have an open house with the observatories. Anybody who is interested, it would be a great way to look through some telescopes and see what's involved," added Griffin.