Seeing a partial eclipse of the sun is about one percent as exciting as witnessing totality. It is awesome. It is inspirational. As the moment of totality approaches, the sky grows darker and darker. The stars begin to appear.
Animals become quiet and an uneasy anticipation wells up in the observers.
It is incredible that the apparent diameter of the moon in our sky is identical to that of the sun. Anyway, this causes the moon to completely block the direct light from the sun and permits us to see the corona, the ring of fire around the sun. Moments before totality, the shadow of the moon rushes across the land, momentarily plunging us into darkness, and then light, and dark, and light. This is due to the valleys of the moon allowing sunlight to pass intermittantly as the moon moves into position. Then we are plunged into the darkness of midnight.