On Monday, millions in North America turned their eyes to the heavens, peering through special glasses and telescopes to catch a glimpse of what had been dubbed the “Great North American Eclipse”.
Trinbagonian Sherwin Cashie was among the crowds in Dallas, Texas, but his eyes were focused on something else—the display screen of his camera.
An astrophotographer by choice, Cashie went specifically to the United States to capture his first solar eclipse. He’d spent months planning the trip—meticulously choosing his viewing location. With the path of totality, where onlookers can witness the moon fully blocking the sun, stretching from central Mexico, across 15 US states, and southern Canada, Cashie was spoilt for choice. He chose Dallas based on predicted weather conditions—anything but clear skies would ruin the big event.
Cashie is no stranger to photographing the stars. An afternoon lecture at NIHERST some 20-odd years ago piqued his interest in astronomy. His first time seeing a lunar eclipse through a telescope out in a field and photographing it with a mobile phone, cemented his love for space.
The COVID-19 pandemic proved a turning point for Cashie. Like many, he used the time to explore the world of astrophotography, training his camera lens and telescope towards some of the biggest and brightest objects in the night sky. Since then, he’s photographed both the known and the not so well-known celestial bodies and formations ... think Mars, Jupiter and Rosette Nebula.
Total solar eclipses are not an everyday occurrence and when Guardian Media spoke to him hours before his flight to Texas, Cashie jokingly said he’ll decide after the event if he would become an eclipse chaser. Eclipse chasers travel specifically to see astronomical events.
At 2.40 pm local time, Cashie’s mind was made up. Darkness enveloped the area as the moon passed between the sun and the Earth and Cashie and his fellow eclipse watchers were treated to views of the sun’s corona and Baily’s beads. Four minutes later, totality was over, but Cashie would later tell Guardian Media that the goosebumps lasted for more than 30 minutes—and just like that, an eclipse chaser was born.
What’s next for him? Besides running his AstroIsland YouTube channel, where he teaches astrophotography, the planning begins as there are a few total solar eclipses in the next few years at far-flung locations across the globe. As for the rest of us in T&T, we’ll have to wait until 2045 to see a total solar eclipse in our own backyards.