Slice of History - Total Eclipse of the Heart

On 11 July 1991, JPLers eagerly clustered outside of the PhotoLab to take turns peering into handmade tubes, sextants, and solar glasses to view a picture-perfect partial solar eclipse. This solar event was seen throughout 90% of Los Angeles, with exceptions to coastal areas where fog and haze obscured the view. Excited “ohs” and “ahs” echoed across the Lab while JPLers came together to enjoy the small, greenish eclipse pictured below. A special guest appearance was made by a red-tailed hawk which glided down from the mountains and perched itself atop a tree outside of Building 180. Eclipses are known for causing confusion among birds, animals, and day-blooming flowers. The hawk settled in the tree for the duration of the eclipse - curiously keeping one eye on eclipse-viewing JPLers and one eye to the sky.  CL#24-1055

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