Poll: Did you get to see the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse?

There was a solar eclipse back in 2017:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017#:~:text=The%20solar%20eclipse%20of%20August,Pacific%20to%20the%20Atlantic%20coasts.

Why did the April 8, 2024 one get far more attention?

I don't even remember the one from 2017.

There were a bunch of safety advisories about the April 8, 2024 eclipse online and in local newspapers. I presume there were a bunch on TV too.

I watched the changes from the interior of the house and when I went outside I didn't try to look at the eclipse. What I liked was the change of light, and the odd (but still normal) colors of all the grass, the plants and shrubs ......it was so pretty. The squirrels seemed confused, but you never really know what the squirrels are up to. My dog decided it was getting dark and jumped on my bed, she figured it would be an early evening. Surprisingly , when the lights brightened up all the insects, birds, bunnies, but squirrels,tried to reclaim their territories....Never turn your backs on the squirrels, those funny creatures are everywhere, dogs can't catch them, nut big squirrel catches everything. But come on, the squirrels keep all the community entertained. Nothing more fun than meeting and greeting the best squirrels, and we have massive amount of so lets find some spaces for our bunny's and put in a new mail box,. Then we can plant the bee plants, and don't forget to make a home for the new mailboxes, and the fancy ice cream party in the cool evening.

In Scarborough you can feed the squirrels by hand.

There's something quite touching having one searchinb your hand for thenuts it wants.

It's good you didn't look at the eclipse. Without special glasses you could have damaged your retinas.

I saw a lot of rain.

"And the rain, rain, rain, rained like rain
At rainy Rawlinson End"

When I was a kid, Halley's comet was in the news. If I remember correctly the press and the media made a big deal over its sighting but I never saw it. When was the last time any comets were in mainline news?

How come comet sightings don't get a lot of attention?

They do.

There's been a few since then.

I remember Hale Bopp in 1995, that was quite significant.

Anyway Comets get a lot more attention than Dashers, Dancers, Prancers or Vixens.

The most prominent comet I've ever seen was while I was in your country, Izzy...back in 1957. Comet Arend–Roland was spectacular...easily seen with the unaided eye...and huge.

I've been an amateur astronomer since high school...and I've seen many of them. In fact, there is one visible right now, comet Pons-Brooks...and there was speculation that it might actually be visible during the ecliple on Monday.

That was before my time.

To be honest I wasn't even aware of it.

The first I heard about comets was when we did the Battle of Hastings at school.

There's a comet on the Bayeaux Tapestry, I think it might be Halley's Comet.

To the Mediaevil mind it heralded somd portent or other.

Same nonsense used to justify invasion throughout history.

That would have been the early 70s.