After experiencing the total solar eclipse on April 8th, the Miami Valley had a variety of reactions. Most thought that it was a surreal experience as they watched all the daylight disappear and saw the darkness overtake as the moon’s totality finally happened. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many and for some, it could have been their second. People were very anxious since it was their first eclipse in the direct path of the total eclipse. Some believed that the eclipse and the events leading up to the eclipse were signs of the rapture. Some people were concerned about a theorist group named CERN. Conspiracy theorists pushed a rumor that mentioned how CERN had made a machine and they would try to recreate the Big Bang. Within this rumor, people said that during the experiment, a black hole would have opened and it was going to let in demons and bad things into our universe. Others were saying the black hole was going to suck up our planet. 

The eclipse was something not everyone has the chance to experience in their lifetime, but this natural phenomenon caused a lot of anxiety for those who are not too familiar with it. I interviewed one person in the local area asking their thoughts on the eclipse and they responded, “I never thought that I would have had an opportunity to witness something so fascinating. It was something so simple but I was amazed at how quickly it all happened. I was amazed that the moon and sun could do something so interesting” Another person stated that “it was awesome seeing the world go dark for a few minutes when it’s supposed to be broad daylight out.”