AARoads Forum

Western Kentucky is prime viewing ground for the solar eclipse that will occur in August of next year.

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

I've seen a few people talking about traveling to view this.

Hopkinsville is about a five-hour drive from me. Depending on the time of day, I could make this a day trip.

Perhaps an early lunch somewhere, and then going to some remote spot near Cerulean (I can get tips on possible viewing areas) to view it? Or gather at the view spot and then head somewhere for late lunch/early dinner?

August 21? That's a definite maybe for me. It'll only be a partial eclipse where I am.

I've targeted Grand Island for viewing the eclipse.  It's another center of the path city for those further west to meet up.

Right now I am planning on viewing it near Sparta, TN. If we make an event out of it, then I would be willing to head that way. I could make the round trip to SE Illinois in one day but it would really be pushing it.

I'll see if I can't catch it at Nashville. I'm thinking it as part of a trip to the South.

Quote from: codyg1985 on October 03, 2016, 07:22:14 AM
Right now I am planning on viewing it near Sparta, TN. If we make an event out of it, then I would be willing to head that way. I could make the round trip to SE Illinois in one day but it would really be pushing it.

Sparta might actually be close to the same distance for me as the Hopkinsville area. Cookeville's an easy drive and Sparta is just right down the road via TN 111. Plus there's the added bonus of getting to see the only independently-signed segment of TN 1.

Quote from: noelbotevera on October 03, 2016, 08:06:29 AM
I'll see if I can't catch it at Nashville. I'm thinking it as part of a trip to the South.

Nashville is 30 minutes to the west of me and I am in the prime viewing area for this.

I would drive down to Hopkinsville in a heartbeat for a meet to watch the solar eclipse. That would be a pretty awesome road meet. I'm already planning on driving down there to see it.

I really want to travel to see this; I was thinking about Casper, WY since its almost dead center in the viewing path. It all depends on whether or not I can:
A) save up enough money before then to buy my own car,

B) Convince my parents to let me take our old '97 Dodge pickup, which they most likely wouldn't trust enough for their son to take on a 1,000+mile round trip

C)Find a friend with a car who wants to go.

I looked into renting a car, and found out that rental companies really don't want to rent to people <25 years old, so that's out of the question.

From Phoenix, it's most certainly a 1 1/4 day drive there and back. If I did take the trip, I was thinking I'd arrive on the 20th, view the eclipse the 21st, then early on the 22nd make the ~3 1/2 hour drive to see Mount Rushmore. When finished there, I would start heading home and stop for the night somewhere in Colorado, and on the 24th, finish the drive home. If I did take this trip, it would be a great chance to see I-70 west of Denver, as well as it being my first actual road trip on my own, or at least, without family.

Quote from: pumpkineater2 on October 04, 2016, 05:37:09 PM
I looked into renting a car, and found out that rental companies really don't want to rent to people <25 years old, so that's out of the question.

In response to that, some insurance companies work out a deal with rental companies to get the fee reduced or waived for members. I know my insurance company (USAA) has a deal with Hertz to waive fees for everyone and with Budget, Avis and Enterprise to waive for 21+ if booked through the insurance company.

I'm going to go somewhere in SW Illinois, about 4 hours away to see it.  Red Bud seems to be in the path, and that means I can get down there and back in a day easily.

Right now, my plan is to see it in Clayton, GA, where I have relatives.  Might have to spend weekend in Atlanta and then drive up on Monday.

I plan on being here in middle TN, my father may be coming down from PA to witness this too so we may road trip up towards Hopkinsville, KY since  it is a hair over an hour from my house.

My mother lives just outside of Salem, Oregon, which is also near the center of the eclipse path. Since I try to visit her out in Oregon once a year as it is, I've expressed my interest to visit at that time in order to watch the eclipse. The Willamette Valley tends to be dry and sunny that time of year anyway.

I am seriously thinking about catching the eclipse from either the Tail of the Dragon, or the Cherohala Skyway. Out in the middle of nowhere on an overlook and just watching the Smokies disappear sounds like my kinda party!

I live just south of St. Louis. My backyard is expected to get one minute fifty seconds of totality. I may drive down to De Soto which is expected to get fifty more seconds of total eclipse. If the weather forecast looks bad, I'll probably drive somewhere else with a better forecast.

After what I heard today, I'm having second thoughts about going to western Kentucky to see this.

I was in a meeting today where preparations for the eclipse were discussed. Kentucky officials are planning for a near-shutdown event with the number of visitors expected to be well into six figures. They're anticipating bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-24, which parallels the eclipse's path, and are preparing for vehicles running out of gas along the interstate and needing to have water to deliver to stranded motorists. One recreation area in Land Between the Lakes is expecting 50,000 people to view the eclipse there. Farmers in the area are planning not to plant their fields in crops this year; instead, they are going to sow them in grass and turn their fields into campgrounds for the event and make more money renting campsites for a night or two than they would for a year's worth of agricultural pursuits. As of yesterday, there was only one hotel room available in Madisonville, about an hour away from the prime viewing spot, and a war price was being asked for it. Hopkinsville and Cadiz are sold out, and Paducah is about 98 percent sold out. Since it's August, typically the hottest month of the year in Kentucky, there are concerns about medical emergencies and being able to transport patients to hospitals. There's also the opportunity for severe weather and officials don't know where they would evacuate people should a tornado warning be issued. An expansion project for the Hopkinsville airport is being accelerated so there will be plenty of parking spots for people who fly in to see the eclipse. This is expected to easily exceed crowds for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Speedway and the attraction will be in a rural area with no infrastructure to handle all the visitors.

The PowerPoint from today's meeting should be available to me tomorrow. I will post it somewhere and share the link.

Wow, didn't realize that this would be such a significant tourist event. As it currently stands, I'm probably going to head down to Columbia, SC to view it with relatives if I can get time off from my summer job.

Jesus. Guess I won't go to see it then.

Wow. I guess instead of trying to go to the one in 2017 I'll just have wait for the one on April 8, 2024 come to me (assuming I'm still alive and living in Northern Ohio)

My planned destination - Grand Island, NE - is also sold out.

(I'm already booked)

Planning a trip to see my in-laws in Sedalia, MO, which is inside the path of totality, and about an hour south from the maximum duration zone. So that's lucky!

A couple of things that make Kentucky unique. First, both the longest duration and greatest totality points are in Kentucky. Second, I-24 parallels the path of the eclipse for its entire 93-mile run through Kentucky. That's why the Hopkinsville area is considered the epicenter for viewing.

I'm planning on eastern Oregon for this.  Yes, it'll be crowded, and we'll have to camp and bring in all our drinking water, and driving out afterwards with about 10,000 other people on dirt Forest Service roads will be tedious, but it'll be worth it.

Holy crap, thanks for the heads up on this H.B. If my dad makes it down from central PA to visit with us during this time we may still try this since I do know some back ways to Hopkinsville from my house east of Nashville, plus I need to get the day off from work which I don't think will be a problem. It's obvious this is going to be a HUGE deal and yes this part of western KY is going to be maxed out in terms of infrastructure and medical staff on standby and this being middle of August it will be very hot, if we do this I will make sure to have plenty of water, I will be seeing my parents next week so I will be giving my dad the heads up on all this.

I have a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation that was given to the KYTC PIOs and Public Affairs staff up at http://www.millenniumhwy.net/TotalSolarEclipseFinal.pdf

One of the most interesting facts is that there are no port-a-potties available within 100 miles of Hoptown for the day of the eclipse.

Other state DOTs are starting to become concerned about highway impacts as well. States as far away as Mississippi are wanting to help spread the word about traffic impacts that the eclipse will cause.

As for my own attendance, if I do drive down there, my thoughts are that I would spend Sunday night in E-town or Bowling Green and then drive over. From the Elkton area (if traveling from Bowling Green on US 68) I would probably try to use back roads to get to the Cerulean area; if in E-town I would probably bail off the WK near Beaver Dam or Central City and use US 62 to find some back road to Cerulean.

Quote from: hbelkins on January 28, 2017, 04:09:55 PM
I have a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation that was given to the KYTC PIOs and Public Affairs staff up at http://www.millenniumhwy.net/TotalSolarEclipseFinal.pdf

200 million within 6 hours? The entirety of AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA, and WV is only about 110 million, and some of those states barely touch the circle shown. That picture is really misleading. (200 million within 6 hours of the eclipse path is possible, but not 200 million within the circle shown.)

200 million is roughly 2/3 of the ENTIRE US population.  I think their numbers are a bit off, though it is likely there are people from outside that circle headed there.

Your presentation seriously erred.  It says that the area has least chance of cloud cover along the entire path while the graph contradicts that.  see also http://www.solar-eclipse.de/en/eclipse/detail/2017-08-21/ (in German)

I plan to view the total solar eclipse with the path of totality crosses the Salem area, Ore. and hope to find a hotel room to stay on the weekend of Aug 19-21, and prays for no cloud cover to ruin nature's show.

edit: cancelled (sorry!) :ded:

I like how the presentation shows a picture of the field where the longest totality will happen, and it's a cloudy day.  :awesomeface:

We will be planning to go down to Pacific City, OR to see the solar eclipse. Hopefully, it won't be cloudy or, worse, raining that day.

Already have rooms and tickets to Portland, Boise, and Kansas City (will cancel about a week or so in advance to allow others to take the rooms and to determine which site has the best chance of viewing the eclipse - my choice has been Portland due to my familiarity with the area, I could use the back roads from Gladstone to Salem). Plan on waking up early that day, though.

Oregon Star Party, in the national forest east of Prineville.

Quote from: fungus on May 30, 2017, 12:05:53 AM
Already have rooms and tickets to Portland, Boise, and Kansas City (will cancel about a week or so in advance to allow others to take the rooms and to determine which site has the best chance of viewing the eclipse - my choice has been Portland due to my familiarity with the area, I could use the back roads from Gladstone to Salem). Plan on waking up early that day, though.

I have rooms reserved near Knoxville, TN and Columbia, SC, and will decide on which when the weather forecast solidifies.

Both are about the same distance, and I favor Knoxville because some fellow members of the Richmond Astronomical Society will be there, actually about 30 miles south of Knoxville.

There are a whole range of road-related things I want to see on the trip, including the Knoxville area and I-81 from there to Roanoke, and maybe the US-58 construction east of Hillsville.

Still undecided as to my plans. I may actually get drafted to work as part of the Kentucky Emergency Management communications team, and if so, I hope that's on the ground instead of at the EOC in Frankfort.

Guess I really should check lodging options in Bowling Green.

Quote from: hbelkins on May 31, 2017, 10:20:27 PM
Still undecided as to my plans. I may actually get drafted to work as part of the Kentucky Emergency Management communications team, and if so, I hope that's on the ground instead of at the EOC in Frankfort.

Guess I really should check lodging options in Bowling Green.

Definitely want to be in the path of totality if possible.  It is 100 times the experience of a partial eclipse.

Quote from: hbelkins on May 31, 2017, 10:20:27 PM
Still undecided as to my plans. I may actually get drafted to work as part of the Kentucky Emergency Management communications team, and if so, I hope that's on the ground instead of at the EOC in Frankfort.

Guess I really should check lodging options in Bowling Green.

What, do people get scared that the sun is dying? Is there some Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court business going on? If so where can I get in as Lord Ruler of the Commonwealth?

Living in Southern IL near Carbondale, I don't have to go very far to check this puppy out. Already right up my alley!

I don't know about Kentucky, but eastern Oregon will have more people than it knows what to do with.  Tens of thousands of people along the line of totality, while the desert usually has in the low two digits.  Worry about fire danger, drinking water, the two lane roads being completely jammed both in and out.  But it will all be worth while.

Quote from: kkt on June 01, 2017, 12:55:53 AM
I don't know about Kentucky, but eastern Oregon will have more people than it knows what to do with.  Tens of thousands of people along the line of totality, while the desert usually has in the low two digits.  Worry about fire danger, drinking water, the two lane roads being completely jammed both in and out.  But it will all be worth while.

I'm not so sure about the crowding estimates.  I drove from Alexandria to Virginia Beach to see the 1970 total eclipse, and traffic wasn't bad.  Traffic was slow on the 2-lane HRBT and in Ocean View where I-64 was incomplete, but probably no worse than normal.  I watched it from Virginia Beach near the boardwalk.

The track was from the panhandle of Florida to Virginia Beach, southwest to northeast, and did not hit land again until Nova Scotia.  So SE Virginia was the closest place for VA, MD, DC and PA, and still no real crowding problems.

Major astronomical events don't generate as much public interest as you would think.

I am an astronomy hobbyist. I and two of my friends had been just planning to drive up I-35 and find some rural spot between Omaha and Kansas City. . . .

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 05:55:59 AM

Quote from: kkt on June 01, 2017, 12:55:53 AM
I don't know about Kentucky, but eastern Oregon will have more people than it knows what to do with.  Tens of thousands of people along the line of totality, while the desert usually has in the low two digits.  Worry about fire danger, drinking water, the two lane roads being completely jammed both in and out.  But it will all be worth while.

I'm not so sure about the crowding estimates.  I drove from Alexandria to Virginia Beach to see the 1970 total eclipse, and traffic wasn't bad.  Traffic was slow on the 2-lane HRBT and in Ocean View where I-64 was incomplete, but probably no worse than normal.  I watched it from Virginia Beach near the boardwalk.

The track was from the panhandle of Florida to Virginia Beach, southwest to northeast, and did not hit land again until Nova Scotia.  So SE Virginia was the closest place for VA, MD, DC and PA, and still no real crowding problems.

Major astronomical events don't generate as much public interest as you would think.

That was in 1970. With the rise of social media and interest in NASA missions on Mars and around Jupiter, I could see there being a lot more interest in it.

Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2016, 08:09:44 PM
Western Kentucky is prime viewing ground for the solar eclipse that will occur in August of next year.

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

I've seen a few people talking about traveling to view this.

Hopkinsville is about a five-hour drive from me. Depending on the time of day, I could make this a day trip.

Perhaps an early lunch somewhere, and then going to some remote spot near Cerulean (I can get tips on possible viewing areas) to view it? Or gather at the view spot and then head somewhere for late lunch/early dinner?

If I am understanding the path correctly, the rest areas on I-65 at the KY/TN border are going to be in the path and that's the closest to me (by time if not distance) and am considering going there. 

We already have plans to visit and stay with friends in the Omaha area and then drive into the path of totality, maybe somewhere like Beatrice, on Eclipse day.  If there's any chance of weather being an issue, we'll drive where we need to drive to get to a spot with the best chance of clear skies.  Given that every hotel I checked (thinking it would be nice to have even though it's not strictly necessary) that's close to the path in Nebraska is sold out, I'd say there's some solid interest out there.  From what I have been reading, this is not your run-of-the-mill astronomical event, but the best solar eclipse in the U.S. in 100 years.  But really, I have no idea how much the average person who normally has no day-to-day interest in this kind of thing and lives more than an hour or two from the path will be aware of the event, or if they're likely to travel some distance to get into the path on Eclipse day to see it.

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 05:55:59 AM
Major astronomical events don't generate as much public interest as you would think.

Quote from: Jim on June 01, 2017, 08:34:41 AM
Given that every hotel I checked (thinking it would be nice to have even though it's not strictly necessary) that's close to the path in Nebraska is sold out, I'd say there's some solid interest out there.  From what I have been reading, this is not your run-of-the-mill astronomical event, but the best solar eclipse in the U.S. in 100 years.  But really, I have no idea how much the average person who normally has no day-to-day interest in this kind of thing and lives more than an hour or two from the path will be aware of the event, or if they're likely to travel some distance to get into the path on Eclipse day to see it.

Yeah, I mean, most astronomical events aren't very impressive without either good seeing conditions (meteor showers) or equipment (binoculars or telescopes), so of course they're not going to draw much attention. But when the sun gets blocked out by the moon for a few minutes during the middle of the day? Of course tons of people are going to want to see that. I remember reading somewhere that most hotels within or near the path of longest duration of totality were completely booked over a year in advance. This isn't going to be a small public event.

As for me, I live nearly in the bulls eye of the path, I plan on taking the day off of work, I may still venture up toward Hopkinsville\ I-24 corridor from Nashville to check it out.

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 01, 2017, 07:05:43 AM

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 05:55:59 AM
I'm not so sure about the crowding estimates.  I drove from Alexandria to Virginia Beach to see the 1970 total eclipse, and traffic wasn't bad.  Traffic was slow on the 2-lane HRBT and in Ocean View where I-64 was incomplete, but probably no worse than normal.  I watched it from Virginia Beach near the boardwalk.

The track was from the panhandle of Florida to Virginia Beach, southwest to northeast, and did not hit land again until Nova Scotia.  So SE Virginia was the closest place for VA, MD, DC and PA, and still no real crowding problems.

Major astronomical events don't generate as much public interest as you would think.

That was in 1970. With the rise of social media and interest in NASA missions on Mars and around Jupiter, I could see there being a lot more interest in it.

There was lots of interest in astronomy in 1970, probably more than today given all the technological doo dads that people have today.  Much less light pollution as well, much better skies at night.  By then there had been three lunar landings and a variety of unmanned probes to Mars and Venus, the Space Age had been underway since 1957.  Newspapers and magazines gave plenty of press to such things.

TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 1970 MAR 07
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle1951/SE1970Mar07Tgoogle.html

Far be it for me to downplay the need to be well-positioned for the 2017 eclipse and to not take anything for granted in your travels.

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on June 01, 2017, 09:19:39 AM

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 05:55:59 AM
Major astronomical events don't generate as much public interest as you would think.

Quote from: Jim on June 01, 2017, 08:34:41 AM
Given that every hotel I checked (thinking it would be nice to have even though it's not strictly necessary) that's close to the path in Nebraska is sold out, I'd say there's some solid interest out there.  From what I have been reading, this is not your run-of-the-mill astronomical event, but the best solar eclipse in the U.S. in 100 years.  But really, I have no idea how much the average person who normally has no day-to-day interest in this kind of thing and lives more than an hour or two from the path will be aware of the event, or if they're likely to travel some distance to get into the path on Eclipse day to see it.

Yeah, I mean, most astronomical events aren't very impressive without either good seeing conditions (meteor showers) or equipment (binoculars or telescopes), so of course they're not going to draw much attention. But when the sun gets blocked out by the moon for a few minutes during the middle of the day? Of course tons of people are going to want to see that. I remember reading somewhere that most hotels within or near the path of longest duration of totality were completely booked over a year in advance. This isn't going to be a small public event.

A total eclipse of the Sun is obviously a very big deal.  But it can get clouded out like anything else.  That is why I missed the 1984 annular solar eclipse in central Virginia, the sky was 100% overcast.   ::blow lunch::

That is why I have a room reserved near Knoxville, TN and Columbia, SC, to provide flexibility for weather.

I was surprised at the number of people on the beach in Virginia Beach on March 7, 1970 that weren't really paying much attention to the eclipse which was total for about 2min 20sec, some were playing football, some doing other things.  We got about 30 seconds of shadow bands, which only happens occasionally in a total eclipse.

Quote from: codyg1985 on June 01, 2017, 07:05:43 AM

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 05:55:59 AM

Quote from: kkt on June 01, 2017, 12:55:53 AM
I don't know about Kentucky, but eastern Oregon will have more people than it knows what to do with.  Tens of thousands of people along the line of totality, while the desert usually has in the low two digits.  Worry about fire danger, drinking water, the two lane roads being completely jammed both in and out.  But it will all be worth while.

I'm not so sure about the crowding estimates.  I drove from Alexandria to Virginia Beach to see the 1970 total eclipse, and traffic wasn't bad.  Traffic was slow on the 2-lane HRBT and in Ocean View where I-64 was incomplete, but probably no worse than normal.  I watched it from Virginia Beach near the boardwalk.

The track was from the panhandle of Florida to Virginia Beach, southwest to northeast, and did not hit land again until Nova Scotia.  So SE Virginia was the closest place for VA, MD, DC and PA, and still no real crowding problems.

Major astronomical events don't generate as much public interest as you would think.

That was in 1970. With the rise of social media and interest in NASA missions on Mars and around Jupiter, I could see there being a lot more interest in it.

1970 was at the height of the Apollo program, publicity and interest in space was probably higher than now.

The east coast and midwest states will probably be fine because they have infrastructure built out to support more population year-round.  It's the intermountain west I'm worried about.  They're a good choice from the weather point of view, low chance of clouds.  But a dirt road fine for a couple of ranches all of a sudden getting 30,000 people in a day.

Oregon Star Party in national forest east of Prineville has 900.  Another event nearby on private ranch land is getting 30,000.  That's just two big events.  Many individuals have booked their own spots on private land or in towns or are hoping to find something just coming with no reservations.

Quote from: Alps on June 01, 2017, 12:01:10 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on May 31, 2017, 10:20:27 PM
Still undecided as to my plans. I may actually get drafted to work as part of the Kentucky Emergency Management communications team, and if so, I hope that's on the ground instead of at the EOC in Frankfort.

Guess I really should check lodging options in Bowling Green.

What, do people get scared that the sun is dying? Is there some Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court business going on? If so where can I get in as Lord Ruler of the Commonwealth?

They are expecting huge crowds; probably more so than the existing infrastructure can handle. There are concerns about standstill traffic on I-24, the ability or inability to get emergency vehicles to possible emergency situations due to the traffic jams, boating accidents on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, food and water shortages due to tourist demand, and so forth and so on. Remember, there are farmers who declined to grow crops this year and plan to rent their fields out as campsites and expect to bring in more revenue doing that than in farming this year. That's how big they expect this to be.

The issues are wide-ranging. I've only been in one meeting where the eclipse was discussed, but it's something that nearly every public agency in the western part of Kentucky is preparing for.

Quote from: hbelkins on June 01, 2017, 03:18:59 PM

Quote from: Alps on June 01, 2017, 12:01:10 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on May 31, 2017, 10:20:27 PM
Still undecided as to my plans. I may actually get drafted to work as part of the Kentucky Emergency Management communications team, and if so, I hope that's on the ground instead of at the EOC in Frankfort.

Guess I really should check lodging options in Bowling Green.

What, do people get scared that the sun is dying? Is there some Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court business going on? If so where can I get in as Lord Ruler of the Commonwealth?

They are expecting huge crowds; probably more so than the existing infrastructure can handle. There are concerns about standstill traffic on I-24, the ability or inability to get emergency vehicles to possible emergency situations due to the traffic jams, boating accidents on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, food and water shortages due to tourist demand, and so forth and so on. Remember, there are farmers who declined to grow crops this year and plan to rent their fields out as campsites and expect to bring in more revenue doing that than in farming this year. That's how big they expect this to be.

The issues are wide-ranging. I've only been in one meeting where the eclipse was discussed, but it's something that nearly every public agency in the western part of Kentucky is preparing for.

Again, based on my experience with the 1970 total eclipse in Virginia Beach, I don't foresee massive crowds anywhere.  That one passed just inside of the East Coast from Jacksonville to Virginia Beach, which concentrated the feasible viewing locations considerably.  The 2017 one passes across the whole country, greatly multiplying the number of feasible viewing locations.

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 04:14:40 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on June 01, 2017, 03:18:59 PM

Quote from: Alps on June 01, 2017, 12:01:10 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on May 31, 2017, 10:20:27 PM
Still undecided as to my plans. I may actually get drafted to work as part of the Kentucky Emergency Management communications team, and if so, I hope that's on the ground instead of at the EOC in Frankfort.

Guess I really should check lodging options in Bowling Green.

What, do people get scared that the sun is dying? Is there some Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court business going on? If so where can I get in as Lord Ruler of the Commonwealth?

They are expecting huge crowds; probably more so than the existing infrastructure can handle. There are concerns about standstill traffic on I-24, the ability or inability to get emergency vehicles to possible emergency situations due to the traffic jams, boating accidents on Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, food and water shortages due to tourist demand, and so forth and so on. Remember, there are farmers who declined to grow crops this year and plan to rent their fields out as campsites and expect to bring in more revenue doing that than in farming this year. That's how big they expect this to be.

The issues are wide-ranging. I've only been in one meeting where the eclipse was discussed, but it's something that nearly every public agency in the western part of Kentucky is preparing for.

Again, based on my experience with the 1970 total eclipse in Virginia Beach, I don't foresee massive crowds anywhere.  That one passed just inside of the East Coast from Jacksonville to Virginia Beach, which concentrated the feasible viewing locations considerably.  The 2017 one passes across the whole country, greatly multiplying the number of feasible viewing locations.

There were total solar eclipses that entered the United States in 1954, 1963, 1970, and 1979. It's been a while since there's been one, so more people will be seeing one for the first time.

Quote from: 1 on June 01, 2017, 04:23:56 PM

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 04:14:40 PM
Again, based on my experience with the 1970 total eclipse in Virginia Beach, I don't foresee massive crowds anywhere.  That one passed just inside of the East Coast from Jacksonville to Virginia Beach, which concentrated the feasible viewing locations considerably.  The 2017 one passes across the whole country, greatly multiplying the number of feasible viewing locations.

There were total solar eclipses that entered the United States in 1954, 1963, 1970, and 1979. It's been a while since there's been one, so more people will be seeing one for the first time.

Very few people have ever seen a total eclipse of the sun.  Seeing one makes most people want to see another one if it is somewhere in their general area.

If there is anything that makes a difference, it's that 2017 had the internet spreading hype about the coming eclipse well over a year before its arrival.

Still, I can see where concerns about crowds might be exaggerated. No one in my office or in my family who I've talked to about this has been aware of it prior to me saying something. None of them have expressed any active desire to travel to see it after I've informed them, either.

It's probably a fair bet that there are certain groups among which this is the totally must see event of the decade (the roadgeek community being one of them), but that said groups add up to a small percentage of the total population and your average ordinary individual either outright does not care, or thinks it's way too much effort to travel hundreds of miles to see in person an event which lasts only a few minutes and which there will surely be tons of videos of on YouTube shortly after the fact.

The number of people who say they have booked multiple hotel rooms with the intent of cancelling all but one of them a few days before based on the weather forecast also seems to suggest you may even be able to find a room relatively near the path of totality on the night of. Hotels may be booked solid but there will be no-shows.

Quote from: Duke87 on June 02, 2017, 07:48:08 PM
It's probably a fair bet that there are certain groups among which this is the totally must see event of the decade (the roadgeek community being one of them)

One of the things I want to do is get a sign picture of a highway junction, taken in the darkness of the eclipse. So yeah, you're totally right. :biggrin:

Quote from: Duke87 on June 02, 2017, 07:48:08 PM
If there is anything that makes a difference, it's that 2017 had the internet spreading hype about the coming eclipse well over a year before its arrival.

Still, I can see where concerns about crowds might be exaggerated. No one in my office or in my family who I've talked to about this has been aware of it prior to me saying something. None of them have expressed any active desire to travel to see it after I've informed them, either.

It's probably a fair bet that there are certain groups among which this is the totally must see event of the decade (the roadgeek community being one of them), but that said groups add up to a small percentage of the total population and your average ordinary individual either outright does not care, or thinks it's way too much effort to travel hundreds of miles to see in person an event which lasts only a few minutes and which there will surely be tons of videos of on YouTube shortly after the fact.

The number of people who say they have booked multiple hotel rooms with the intent of cancelling all but one of them a few days before based on the weather forecast also seems to suggest you may even be able to find a room relatively near the path of totality on the night of. Hotels may be booked solid but there will be no-shows.

Astronomy is an interest and hobby that I have had since about 8 years old.  I am a member of a local astronomy group, the Richmond Astronomical Society.  I have a 8-inch astronomical telescope, and for example it is powerful enough to see the bands and red spot on Jupiter, and of course many deep sky objects.

Even so there are limits on how far I will travel for the eclipse, about 400 miles to one of the places that I have a reservation.  Nebraska would be much better from a weather standpoint as on that date there is only about 20% chance of cloud cover, while in the East it is over 60%.  Nevertheless, at 19 hours driving time I have no plan to go to Nebraska or anywhere westward.

Quote from: Beltway on June 02, 2017, 09:25:43 PM

Quote from: Duke87 on June 02, 2017, 07:48:08 PM
If there is anything that makes a difference, it's that 2017 had the internet spreading hype about the coming eclipse well over a year before its arrival.

Still, I can see where concerns about crowds might be exaggerated. No one in my office or in my family who I've talked to about this has been aware of it prior to me saying something. None of them have expressed any active desire to travel to see it after I've informed them, either.

It's probably a fair bet that there are certain groups among which this is the totally must see event of the decade (the roadgeek community being one of them), but that said groups add up to a small percentage of the total population and your average ordinary individual either outright does not care, or thinks it's way too much effort to travel hundreds of miles to see in person an event which lasts only a few minutes and which there will surely be tons of videos of on YouTube shortly after the fact.

The number of people who say they have booked multiple hotel rooms with the intent of cancelling all but one of them a few days before based on the weather forecast also seems to suggest you may even be able to find a room relatively near the path of totality on the night of. Hotels may be booked solid but there will be no-shows.

Astronomy is an interest and hobby that I have had since about 8 years old.  I am a member of a local astronomy group, the Richmond Astronomical Society.  I have a 8-inch astronomical telescope, and for example it is powerful enough to see the bands and red spot on Jupiter, and of course many deep sky objects.

Even so there are limits on how far I will travel for the eclipse, about 400 miles to one of the places that I have a reservation.  Nebraska would be much better from a weather standpoint as on that date there is only about 20% chance of cloud cover, while in the East it is over 60%.  Nevertheless, at 19 hours driving time I have no plan to go to Nebraska or anywhere westward.

There is a complete bullshit percent chance of cloud cover. I'm waiting until that day to decide if it's NC, TN, KY, or stay home.

Quote from: Alps on June 03, 2017, 01:14:16 AM

Quote from: Beltway on June 02, 2017, 09:25:43 PM
Astronomy is an interest and hobby that I have had since about 8 years old.  I am a member of a local astronomy group, the Richmond Astronomical Society.  I have a 8-inch astronomical telescope, and for example it is powerful enough to see the bands and red spot on Jupiter, and of course many deep sky objects.

Even so there are limits on how far I will travel for the eclipse, about 400 miles to one of the places that I have a reservation.  Nebraska would be much better from a weather standpoint as on that date there is only about 20% chance of cloud cover, while in the East it is over 60%.  Nevertheless, at 19 hours driving time I have no plan to go to Nebraska or anywhere westward.

There is a complete bullshit percent chance of cloud cover. I'm waiting until that day to decide if it's NC, TN, KY, or stay home.

A mathematical term might be "undefined" until you actually get near the date, like within 3 days, to have a short term forecast of what might happen.  Discussions at RAS have stressed the importance of making plans for specific sites, but also to be mobile depending on the weather.  For me it is somewhere between central TN and the SC coast.

The statistics about probably weather on a date are not as good as short-term forecasts, but they aren't worthless.  If you are considering something where you won't have the option of driving to a different weather system the day of an event, you can be guided by the statistics.  For instance, I wanted to see the transit of Venus in June of 2012.  June is a very cloudy month in the Pacific Northwest, and indeed a lot of the western U.S.  Yellowknife on the other hand is usually clear.  I could have stayed put in Seattle, but instead went to Yellowknife, had a fantastic view of the transit and a great road trip.  If I'd stayed in Seattle the best I could have hoped for would be a brief glimpse in between clouds, and it wouldn't have been much better anywhere I could drive to if I'd started the day before based on forecasts.

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 12:13:11 PM
A total eclipse of the Sun is obviously a very big deal.  But it can get clouded out like anything else.  That is why I missed the 1984 annular solar eclipse in central Virginia, the sky was 100% overcast.   ::blow lunch::

Conclusion of one of my favorite Peanuts storylines:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FwtFQ4On.jpg&hash=164b614636b2d1a5e1719c949cc261cea6cafaa7)

Quote from: kkt on June 03, 2017, 01:17:36 PM
The statistics about probably weather on a date are not as good as short-term forecasts, but they aren't worthless.  If you are considering something where you won't have the option of driving to a different weather system the day of an event, you can be guided by the statistics.  For instance, I wanted to see the transit of Venus in June of 2012.  June is a very cloudy month in the Pacific Northwest, and indeed a lot of the western U.S.  Yellowknife on the other hand is usually clear.  I could have stayed put in Seattle, but instead went to Yellowknife, had a fantastic view of the transit and a great road trip.  If I'd stayed in Seattle the best I could have hoped for would be a brief glimpse in between clouds, and it wouldn't have been much better anywhere I could drive to if I'd started the day before based on forecasts.

I was fortunate to see enough of the 2004 and 2012 Venus transits in Richmond to make it very worthwhile.

The combined population of the agency I work for is a little over 100 people (dispatch/jail/patrol/admin), and my wife and I are the only 2 who have openly discussed plans to view the eclipse. Everyone we have talked to has thoughts that range from "I have to work that day/night (or night before)" to "I'd like to but I have something important I have to do that day". There have been several "IDGAF's" too.

Most of dispatch/jail/patrol works the same rotating shift shedule so approximately 50% of us will be off from work that day (and 25% will have been off more than 12 hours before the eclipse-my wife and I fit in this 25%).

Quote from: slorydn1 on June 09, 2017, 08:26:08 PM
The combined population of the agency I work for is a little over 100 people (dispatch/jail/patrol/admin), and my wife and I are the only 2 who have openly discussed plans to view the eclipse. Everyone we have talked to has thoughts that range from "I have to work that day/night (or night before)" to "I'd like to but I have something important I have to do that day". There have been several "IDGAF's" too.

Most of dispatch/jail/patrol works the same rotating shift shedule so approximately 50% of us will be off from work that day (and 25% will have been off more than 12 hours before the eclipse-my wife and I fit in this 25%).

Back before the 1970 solar eclipse, I talked to a lot of people about it, and was surprised at how few understood why you need to get to the path of totality, and not just see a partial eclipse.  They didn't understand why I was going to travel 200+ miles when "you can see the eclipse right here".

Even today I don't think many people have even a basic understanding of astronomy.

The American education system is laughably inadequate in a lot of areas, but most importantly, the areas of logic and critical thinking. Don't expect that to change soon.

Quote from: Beltway on June 09, 2017, 09:27:31 PM

Quote from: slorydn1 on June 09, 2017, 08:26:08 PM
The combined population of the agency I work for is a little over 100 people (dispatch/jail/patrol/admin), and my wife and I are the only 2 who have openly discussed plans to view the eclipse. Everyone we have talked to has thoughts that range from "I have to work that day/night (or night before)" to "I'd like to but I have something important I have to do that day". There have been several "IDGAF's" too.

Most of dispatch/jail/patrol works the same rotating shift shedule so approximately 50% of us will be off from work that day (and 25% will have been off more than 12 hours before the eclipse-my wife and I fit in this 25%).

Back before the 1970 solar eclipse, I talked to a lot of people about it, and was surprised at how few understood why you need to get to the path of totality, and not just see a partial eclipse.  They didn't understand why I was going to travel 200+ miles when "you can see the eclipse right here".

Even today I don't think many people have even a basic understanding of astronomy.

Agreed. I remember the 1979 eclipse, I was in 3rd grade and they had us make these "eclipse viewers". Basiclly they were a cardboard box set on its side with a hole cut in it and a white piece of paper glued to the side that would be the bottom. As the moon moved across the sun that bright white spot on the paper took on a crescent shape and then was covered. It got really dark outside, I do remember that too.

I remember getting home after school and being all excited about it and my parents were both pretty much not impressed. Getting my homework done was more important, LOL.

This will be my first opportunity since 1979 to get into the path, I'm not missing it for anything.

One good thing about this year's eclipse -- there's been none of the "You'll go blind if you look at it!" hysteria that usually accompanies an eclipse.

Quote from: hbelkins on June 10, 2017, 10:20:37 PM
One good thing about this year's eclipse -- there's been none of the "You'll go blind if you look at it!" hysteria that usually accompanies an eclipse.

That being said, it's still unwise to look directly at it without eye protection. Even during totality, the corona of the sun, which extends far beyond the "surface" of the sun, still emits lots of light in the UV range which can damage your eyes.

I'm planning on going to Columbia, SC to see it, as it's only about an hour and thirty minutes away from me. I'm hoping it's not cloudy.. This'll be my first eclipse, and I'm hoping someone can get me to Columbia.

My choices range from going to St. Louis all the way down to the SC coast (Charleston, SC area). That way, I can just go somewhere else if one place is really cloudy, or if it happens to rain. Since I obviously wasn't here to see the 1970 or 1979 eclipse, this too is my first eclipse.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to go to the path of totality. I guess I'll have to wait for 2024.

I did go to the central path for the 2012 Annular eclipse. My family and I drove south from SLC to Cedar City, but instead of following the masses going to the town of Kanaraville (where the central path crossed I-15) we went west on UT-56 for 10-20 miles to the top of a hill, where we pulled over, parked, and watched the eclipse.
Driving home afterwards was the busiest I've ever seen a rural Interstate. The local media covered the eclipse for months before it actually happened, which probably was a big factor in the high turnout. The amount of people that went to Kanaraville that day was probably more than twice the town's population.

FYI - the path of totality on Google maps shows up on the below link.

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

My travels will cross over the totality path late next month. Since I hate crowds, and don't have any interest in viewing the eclipse, I'll have to arrange things to be away from the path that day.

Apropos of nothing in particular, but this all reminds me of Isaac Asimov's short story "Nighfall". The inhabited planet there was in a six-sun system, so with one or more suns in the sky almost all the time it never gets dark ... except once every few thousand years, when five of the suns are below the horizon, and then the sixth sun is totally eclipsed. Basically, most everybody goes bat-shit crazy for that total eclipse.

Barring screwed up cloudy, stormy weather my plans are to drive directly North to Fairmont, NB to see the eclipse. Casey's General Store just South of town along US-81 is right in the bull's eye of the eclipse path. Totality will begin at almost straight up 1:00pm CDT.

This is a fairly remote location. I would be surprised if a lot of people congregated there to watch the eclipse. Certainly there should be some astronomy enthusiasts and photographers set up there or nearby. As for casual viewers most average people are not going to bother. They either don't care enough about the celestial phenomenon to see it in person or don't have a grasp of the geometry. The Sun may be 93 million miles away, but it is 864,000 miles in diameter while the moon is only 2159 miles in diameter and 238,900 miles from Earth. The shadow it casts on the Earth is pretty small, only about 70 miles or so. Most people I've talked to about this eclipse think much of the planet will be covered up in moon shadow (despite our planet's 7900 mile diameter). Ugh.

I'm currently planning to view the eclipse from the area of Bonneau, SC. Bunch of parks in the area I can hang out at and the area is distant enough from I-95 that I don't foresee major congestion. A plus is the presence of a convenience store right next to a large parking area, so I can get food/drinks without losing my spot.

Quote from: Bobby5280 on July 11, 2017, 10:33:06 AM
Barring screwed up cloudy, stormy weather my plans are to drive directly North to Fairmont, NB to see the eclipse. Casey's General Store just South of town along US-81 is right in the bull's eye of the eclipse path. Totality will begin at almost straight up 1:00pm CDT.

This is a fairly remote location. I would be surprised if a lot of people congregated there to watch the eclipse. Certainly there should be some astronomy enthusiasts and photographers set up there or nearby. As for casual viewers most average people are not going to bother. They either don't care enough about the celestial phenomenon to see it in person or don't have a grasp of the geometry. The Sun may be 93 million miles away, but it is 864,000 miles in diameter while the moon is only 2159 miles in diameter and 238,900 miles from Earth. The shadow it casts on the Earth is pretty small, only about 70 miles or so. Most people I've talked to about this eclipse think much of the planet will be covered up in moon shadow (despite our planet's 7900 mile diameter). Ugh.

Back before the 1970 solar eclipse, I talked to a lot of people about it, and was surprised at how few understood why you need to get to the path of totality, and not just see a partial eclipse.  They didn't understand why I was going to travel 200+ miles when "you can see the eclipse right here".

Even today I don't think many people have even a basic understanding of astronomy.

My first viewing site will be near Knoxville, TN.  If the forecast is bad then my second is near Columbia, SC.

Update: the eclipse trip plan is cancelled. I might have to wait for the 2024 total solar eclipse which crosses SE Oklahoma, I have relatives in Tulsa. There were so many problems: I'm using my Mom's new van which is actually old and has need for repairs. All the hotel and campground reservations are taken. Gas money is an issue since we're driving to Oregon instead of flying (my Mom has COPD), and the risk of cloud cover, even in the summer, since western Oregon is where it's likely going to rain.

I still haven't booked a hotel room. I probably should soon, anyways. I've been contemplating going to 4 places:

- Cape Girardeau/Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, and drive out to IL 3 to see the eclipse
- Russellville, Kentucky, and drive to either Bowling Green or Hopkinsville, depending on traffic
- Nashville, Tennessee, and stay there, since the eclipse path goes right through the city
- Irmo, South Carolina, most likely choice, since it is the closest location from home

But I'm not sure which to pick. Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky have longer totality durations, at the tradeoff of less hotel rooms and probably more traffic in the case of Kentucky. Tennessee and South Carolina are near/at metro areas, which means more hotel rooms, but there's more traffic.

Quote from: noelbotevera on July 23, 2017, 07:04:26 PM
I still haven't booked a hotel room. I probably should soon, anyways. I've been contemplating going to 4 places:
- Cape Girardeau/Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, and drive out to IL 3 to see the eclipse
- Russellville, Kentucky, and drive to either Bowling Green or Hopkinsville, depending on traffic
- Nashville, Tennessee, and stay there, since the eclipse path goes right through the city
- Irmo, South Carolina, most likely choice, since it is the closest location from home
But I'm not sure which to pick. Missouri, Illinois, and Kentucky have longer totality durations, at the tradeoff of less hotel rooms and probably more traffic in the case of Kentucky. Tennessee and South Carolina are near/at metro areas, which means more hotel rooms, but there's more traffic.

Not that much difference in those as far as totality duration or general probability of cloudy weather.

Looks like Tennessee and South Carolina are the closest to where you live.

I would suggest picking two and being mobile based on weather forecast the day before, to find a site that will have clear skies.

I'm having mild (and probably futile) second thoughts about trying to avoid the eclipse path, which happens to pass through a hot spring-rich part of western Oregon. I soaked in a hot spring east of Eugene, and the concessionaire there mentioned the upcoming total eclipse (but not that his spring is outside the totality path, plus the surrounding trees might obstruct the view of the eclipse), suggesting the possibility that I could watch the eclipse while soaking in hot water, combining the two interests.

I hiked out of that spring with a woman who lives in the totality path (which I didn't realize at the time), and has a hot tub. I should've worked harder to kiss up to her!

I stayed twice at a hotel in Albany OR, along I-5 and well within the totality path. That city is going nuts about the upcoming eclipse, with lots of events for that day, including a viewing party with breakfast sponsored by the local American Legion post, as well as an eclipse festival at the local community college.

With Charleston being in the path of totality, I won't have to go far (if anywhere at all!) to watch the solar eclipse. Something I might do is go to one of the many viewing parties around the Charleston area, since our house (on James Island), is on the southern part of the eclipse.

We are only supposed to get 1 minute 15 seconds of totality at our house, while areas of Mt. Pleasant (15 miles away) are getting over 2 minutes. Most of the populated part of the Charleston metro area is part of the totality.

Schools already closed for that day here, and there will probably be a ton of people calling out of work as well. Hundreds of thousands of tourists are supposedly coming that weekend.

I will be in Smith's Ferry, Idaho with a buddy of mine for the eclipse.

Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 03, 2017, 01:50:28 PM

Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 12:13:11 PM
A total eclipse of the Sun is obviously a very big deal.  But it can get clouded out like anything else.  That is why I missed the 1984 annular solar eclipse in central Virginia, the sky was 100% overcast.   ::blow lunch::

Conclusion of one of my favorite Peanuts storylines:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FwtFQ4On.jpg&hash=164b614636b2d1a5e1719c949cc261cea6cafaa7)

I remember that storyline!

I'm planning on renting a car and driving up to Missouri to see the eclipse. An old friend of mine from years back offered me to stay at his house in Branson, where I can use it as a base of operations.

Quote from: 1 on June 01, 2017, 04:23:56 PM
There were total solar eclipses that entered the United States in 1954, 1963, 1970, and 1979. It's been a while since there's been one, so more people will be seeing one for the first time.

Unfortunately, I won't be one of them. The closest the eclipse will come to me is South Carolina, and I have no plans to barge my way up I-95 until late-fall.

Have a plan that depending on the weather, I could be anywhere between Ninety Six NHS, SC and Fort Donelson NB, TN.  Going to be a heckuva marathon trip due to extreme time constraints, but should be doable.

Naturally, Eclipse Day would turn out to be in one of three weeks since June that I have to be at work at 2 instead of 4, and I didn't think to ask for the day off. Ah well.

I am off that day, got lots of options in case the weather is blah here in middle TN, I can go 3 hours one way or 3 hours another way.

Quote from: Jeff Morrison on August 02, 2017, 02:35:05 AM
Naturally, Eclipse Day would turn out to be in one of three weeks since June that I have to be at work at 2 instead of 4, and I didn't think to ask for the day off. Ah well.

I am wondering how many people will be stuck at work who would give anything just to witness this event, compared to how many will have the day off but not even be the slightest bit aware that it's happening!

And then I wonder how many will find out the morning they show up to work, and decide to spontaneously take a lunch break at just the right time. Certainly, if I were an employer in a non-critical industry located in the zone of totality, I'd pretty much just plan to be closed during the actual eclipse.

The people who would give anything to see this event probably asked for the day off a year ago...

Quote from: kkt on August 02, 2017, 06:53:32 PM
The people who would give anything to see this event probably asked for the day off a year ago...

Actually, I booked the hotel in McCall, ID first last August. Then, I booked the time off with my manager. This is back-to-back with a cruise a few days later.

Quote from: kkt on August 02, 2017, 06:53:32 PM
The people who would give anything to see this event probably asked for the day off a year ago...

True, but we all know there's a big difference between asking for the day off, and actually getting it.

(Although, by definition, I suppose if you'd give anything to see the event, that would include your job.) ;-)

I'm at a 86% coverage area, and I am working.  That will be my best eclipse I will have seen.  Makes up for the 15-20% coverage we had a few years ago. Even with less than 1/4th of the sun obscured, the look of the area with darker-blue skies was still pretty cool to see, so this one will be better.

Working in San Antonio* that day, so I'll see an annular bit of it if I'm lucky.

Back home, the wife and kids should have a pretty good view during the last hour of the school day. Nice timing!


* always subject to change on someone else's whim

Quote from: thenetwork on August 03, 2017, 12:58:17 PM
I'm at a 86% coverage area, and I am working.  That will be my best eclipse I will have seen.  Makes up for the 15-20% coverage we had a few years ago. Even with less than 1/4th of the sun obscured, the look of the area with darker-blue skies was still pretty cool to see, so this one will be better.

If I needed to get a day off from work, I might even consider -paying- my employer something if that is what it took to get the day off.  Or negotiate some special overtime, gift of time, etc.

I have seen a total solar eclipse -- March 7, 1970, at Virginia Beach.
https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle1951/SE1970Mar07Tgoogle.html

NASA Remembers 1970 Solar 'Eclipse of the Century'
By Samantha Mathewson, Space.com Contributor | March 12, 2017 08:00am ET
https://www.space.com/35998-remembering-1970-solar-eclipse.html
'The eclipse, also known as the "eclipse of the century," ran along nearly the entire East Coast and passed directly over NASA's Wallops Station (now Wallops Flight Facility), where researchers launched 32 sounding rockets, also known as suborbital rockets, to "conduct meteorology, ionospheric and solar physics experiments surrounding the solar eclipse event," NASA officials said in a statement.'

Absolutely not something that you want to miss, if you are interested in it and want to see it.

I'm gonna be viewing it at the shopping plaza near Route A and Interstate 55 in Festus.

Quote from: formulanone on August 03, 2017, 03:10:33 PM
Working in San Antonio* that day, so I'll see an annular bit of it if I'm lucky.

Back home, the wife and kids should have a pretty good view during the last hour of the school day. Nice timing!


* always subject to change on someone else's whim

You won't see anything annular, you'll just see a partial eclipse (but a pretty good one though).

Just out of curiosity, is anyone hosting a Solar Eclipse road meet? I imagine it would be difficult to pull off, but it would sure be interesting to hear about.

I've currently got 4 locations on the books:

Sweetwater, TN (hotel in Knoxville)
Red Bank, SC (hotel in Charlotte, NC)
Hopkinsville OR Princeton, KY (hotel in Shepardsville, which is near Louisville)

I was considering SW Illinois or Eastern Missouri and pick some random town along the Mississippi (and no, I'm not picking Cairo).

Quote from: noelbotevera on August 08, 2017, 11:43:42 AM
I've currently got 4 locations on the books:

Sweetwater, TN (hotel in Knoxville)
Red Bank, SC (hotel in Charlotte, NC)
Hopkinsville OR Princeton, KY (hotel in Shepardsville, which is near Louisville)

I was considering SW Illinois or Eastern Missouri and pick some random town along the Mississippi (and no, I'm not picking Cairo).

You better make up your mind and get booking fast. Hopefully, you can book it as soon as yesterday, or maybe last year.

Quote from: TravelingBethelite on August 08, 2017, 12:13:13 PM

Quote from: noelbotevera on August 08, 2017, 11:43:42 AM
I've currently got 4 locations on the books:

Sweetwater, TN (hotel in Knoxville)
Red Bank, SC (hotel in Charlotte, NC)
Hopkinsville OR Princeton, KY (hotel in Shepardsville, which is near Louisville)

I was considering SW Illinois or Eastern Missouri and pick some random town along the Mississippi (and no, I'm not picking Cairo).

You better make up your mind and get booking fast. Hopefully, you can book it as soon as yesterday, or maybe last year.

I booked them a week ago. Honestly, I'm surprised we got a hotel in Kentucky, considering how scarce hotel rooms are getting in there.

My going plan is to stay with friends in NC before and after the eclipse. The only wrench in that plan would be if I have to head to Kentucky or farther west to escape clouds. That's the trouble with having a meet, is the variability of it.

I've booked a parking pass at the Saline Co. Fairgrounds in Marshall, MO. It looks like a good, flat, open area (unlike nearby Boonville), and the climatology is favorable for that time of year. (And heck, by the end of the week we'll be able to see actual forecasts anyhow.) And for $5 extra, there's a beer garden! What's not to love? :-D

I would not worry about a meet at this time. It is more important that we get a base, then fend for self to try to avoid clouds - the traffic along the path will get nasty - especially on the freeways.

Quote from: SSOWorld on August 08, 2017, 10:55:39 PM
I would not worry about a meet at this time. It is more important that we get a base, then fend for self to try to avoid clouds - the traffic along the path will get nasty - especially on the freeways.

Precisely. I'm basing myself in Fayetteville. That basically gives me from the Atlantic to Knoxville to work with, hopefully somewhere in SC. If the forecast looks bad, I'll rebook further west.

Quotethe traffic along the path will get nasty - especially on the freeways.

Plenty of backroads, last I checked...

Quote from: froggie on August 09, 2017, 06:31:26 AM

Quotethe traffic along the path will get nasty - especially on the freeways.

Plenty of backroads, last I checked...

Kentucky is anticipating gridlock on I-24 and KY 91, and very heavy traffic on the routes leading to the path of totality, including the WK Parkway, I-69/Pennyrile, US 68/KY 80 and I-65.

I could easily see this from my back yard but I may take the back roads I know towards the Elkton, KY area, I have the day off so I am good there, Noel, you guys are probably going to be paying through the roof on lodging and be prepaired for a crap load of tourist traffic like H.B. said, I am amazed your parents have no problem with this. When I was your age it was all about Ocean City, MD ever summer

How are people finding the hotel prices near the eclipse (both in location and in time)? Particularly the weekend before, when many people may be doing their traveling?

Quote from: empirestate on August 10, 2017, 01:21:52 AM
How are people finding the hotel prices near the eclipse (both in location and in time)? Particularly the weekend before, when many people may be doing their traveling?

Price gouging at its finest in western Kentucky. Several months ago, there was one room left in Madisonville, and it was $450 a night for a three-night minimum.

I recently checked when it appeared as if I might be called on to work the eclipse, and there were a couple of smoking rooms available at a Days Inn in Madisonville -- I suppose due to cancellations -- at $250 per night.

Quote from: jpi on August 09, 2017, 11:17:20 PM
I could easily see this from my back yard but I may take the back roads I know towards the Elkton, KY area, I have the day off so I am good there, Noel, you guys are probably going to be paying through the roof on lodging and be prepaired for a crap load of tourist traffic like H.B. said, I am amazed your parents have no problem with this. When I was your age it was all about Ocean City, MD ever summer

Heh. All of the hotel rooms we have booked are no more than $100 a night. Somehow I managed to find one in the St. Louis area (St. Charles to be exact), which is right the very edge of totality. My parents have no problem with this, probably because it's been 15 years since the last total eclipse they saw (AFAIK, last total eclipse that my parents might've saw before leaving for the US was in July 2002, about a year before they left). I've also never seen one, and I don't want to mess this up.

Tourist traffic is what I'm preparing for. The way to the hotel shouldn't be too bad, since we plan on doing it at night/early morning.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 10, 2017, 05:35:56 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 10, 2017, 01:21:52 AM
How are people finding the hotel prices near the eclipse (both in location and in time)? Particularly the weekend before, when many people may be doing their traveling?

Price gouging at its finest in western Kentucky. Several months ago, there was one room left in Madisonville, and it was $450 a night for a three-night minimum.

I recently checked when it appeared as if I might be called on to work the eclipse, and there were a couple of smoking rooms available at a Days Inn in Madisonville -- I suppose due to cancellations -- at $250 per night.

How far are you from the center of totality?  Two hours?  If so just leave early that morning and you should be fine.

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 09:08:29 PM
How far are you from the center of totality?  Two hours?  If so just leave early that morning and you should be fine.

More like five hours, and that's in normal traffic, not the gridlock that's anticipated for that day.

But, I mentioned the possibility of working the eclipse (which is now off the table for me). That would require reporting to the EOC in Hopkinsville at 6 a.m. and staying until post-eclipse traffic has cleared. Which would have necessitated an overnight stay for me of at least one night's duration; most likely two nights.

I wonder how many rooms will open up the night before when people decide what direction they are going to see the Eclipse?  I'm sure they are charging so much in advance to compensate for all the reservations that will be cancelled the day before and the day of.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 10, 2017, 09:11:46 PM

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 09:08:29 PM
How far are you from the center of totality?  Two hours?  If so just leave early that morning and you should be fine.

More like five hours, and that's in normal traffic, not the gridlock that's anticipated for that day.

But, I mentioned the possibility of working the eclipse (which is now off the table for me). That would require reporting to the EOC in Hopkinsville at 6 a.m. and staying until post-eclipse traffic has cleared. Which would have necessitated an overnight stay for me of at least one night's duration; most likely two nights.

I feel like you won't find horribly choked traffic on the myriad backroads of Kentucky, but that would certainly impact your travel time regardless.

Just glad I can navigate those backroads fine, lots of open fields in that area, also just found Steph will have the day off too so she can now enjoy this, now lets hope the weather holds out.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 10, 2017, 09:11:46 PM

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 09:08:29 PM
How far are you from the center of totality?  Two hours?  If so just leave early that morning and you should be fine.

More like five hours, and that's in normal traffic, not the gridlock that's anticipated for that day.

But, I mentioned the possibility of working the eclipse (which is now off the table for me). That would require reporting to the EOC in Hopkinsville at 6 a.m. and staying until post-eclipse traffic has cleared. Which would have necessitated an overnight stay for me of at least one night's duration; most likely two nights.

How about Madisonville, TN ... how far is that from where you live?

How about hotels outside the zone of totality, but near it? For example, Indianapolis prices on Saturday the 19th are off the charts; but the following Friday, I've booked a 4-star room in a downtown hotel there for $70. :-D

However, the weekend after the eclipse seems to be a big weekend for hotel deals: end-of-summer/back to school and so forth. And on the 19th, Terre Haute prices were no higher than typical, so maybe there's some other event in Indy that evening?

Quote from: empirestate on August 10, 2017, 11:51:59 PM
How about hotels outside the zone of totality, but near it? For example, Indianapolis prices on Saturday the 19th are off the charts; but the following Friday, I've booked a 4-star room in a downtown hotel there for $70. :-D

However, the weekend after the eclipse seems to be a big weekend for hotel deals: end-of-summer/back to school and so forth. And on the 19th, Terre Haute prices were no higher than typical, so maybe there's some other event in Indy that evening?

Try getting a room about an hour from the center of totality, that is what I did.  Then first thing next morning drive to the center of totality.

Quote from: empirestate on August 10, 2017, 11:51:59 PM
How about hotels outside the zone of totality, but near it? For example, Indianapolis prices on Saturday the 19th are off the charts; but the following Friday, I've booked a 4-star room in a downtown hotel there for $70. :-D

However, the weekend after the eclipse seems to be a big weekend for hotel deals: end-of-summer/back to school and so forth. And on the 19th, Terre Haute prices were no higher than typical, so maybe there's some other event in Indy that evening?

GenCon, a gaming convention that is Indy's biggest event after the 500. Yeah, prices will be high for that weekend.

tdindy beat me to it.  GenCon is the nation's largest gaming convention and it's been hosted in Indianapolis for years....no surprise that hotel prices are through the roof that weekend.

Quote from: Beltway on August 11, 2017, 12:43:42 AM

Quote from: empirestate on August 10, 2017, 11:51:59 PM
How about hotels outside the zone of totality, but near it? For example, Indianapolis prices on Saturday the 19th are off the charts; but the following Friday, I've booked a 4-star room in a downtown hotel there for $70. :-D

However, the weekend after the eclipse seems to be a big weekend for hotel deals: end-of-summer/back to school and so forth. And on the 19th, Terre Haute prices were no higher than typical, so maybe there's some other event in Indy that evening?

Try getting a room about an hour from the center of totality, that is what I did.  Then first thing next morning drive to the center of totality.

Oh, I ended up going with Terre Haute, not appreciably farther from the eclipse zone than Indy. Lots of options there for crappy motels at $50-60, but I ended up taking a Hotwire deal for the Holiday Inn at $72. (Side note: I've found it surprisingly easy to guess what hotel a Hotwire deal is going to be for. I think they're purposely making it easier than it used to be, without technically violating their business model–rather like how credit unions make it possible for almost anybody to be a member.)

Quote from: tdindy88 on August 11, 2017, 01:23:01 AM
GenCon, a gaming convention that is Indy's biggest event after the 500. Yeah, prices will be high for that weekend.

Ah ha, that definitely explains it. Now, can you imagine if Indianapolis were in the zone of totality!

The Fayetteville, NC area is still pretty cheap last I checked. About an hour and a half from the center of totality. Most normal people won't be willing to drive more than a few minutes to see the thing, they'll want to see it from their hotel or campground.

My house is inside the totality, probably 30 minutes from the center just N of Charleston. There are almost no hotel rooms available in metro Charleston, other than a couple Motel 6s and a Homewood Suites charging $469. Walterboro and Beaufort do have rooms, probably an hour or less away from totality.

Quote from: Alps on August 10, 2017, 09:44:00 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 10, 2017, 09:11:46 PM

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 09:08:29 PM
How far are you from the center of totality?  Two hours?  If so just leave early that morning and you should be fine.

More like five hours, and that's in normal traffic, not the gridlock that's anticipated for that day.

But, I mentioned the possibility of working the eclipse (which is now off the table for me). That would require reporting to the EOC in Hopkinsville at 6 a.m. and staying until post-eclipse traffic has cleared. Which would have necessitated an overnight stay for me of at least one night's duration; most likely two nights.

I feel like you won't find horribly choked traffic on the myriad backroads of Kentucky, but that would certainly impact your travel time regardless.

True. Lots of folks won't know how to process a four-digit route in the 2000- or 3000-series.

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 11:48:12 PM
How about Madisonville, TN ... how far is that from where you live?

Also about five hours. And unfortunately, there's no "68 TENN" triangle marker there anymore to photograph during the eclipse.

Quote from: empirestate on August 11, 2017, 12:18:31 PM
Oh, I ended up going with Terre Haute, not appreciably farther from the eclipse zone than Indy.

Where are you going to try to travel to from Terre Haute? There's a large group of people who are planning to drive down to Hopkinsville from Evansville. They're leaving around 5 or 6 in the morning and they have concerns they may not make it in time. There are some estimates that what is normally a 90-minute drive could take 4 or more hours, they're expecting THAT much traffic.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 11, 2017, 09:19:49 PM

Quote from: Alps on August 10, 2017, 09:44:00 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 10, 2017, 09:11:46 PM

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 09:08:29 PM
How far are you from the center of totality?  Two hours?  If so just leave early that morning and you should be fine.

More like five hours, and that's in normal traffic, not the gridlock that's anticipated for that day.

But, I mentioned the possibility of working the eclipse (which is now off the table for me). That would require reporting to the EOC in Hopkinsville at 6 a.m. and staying until post-eclipse traffic has cleared. Which would have necessitated an overnight stay for me of at least one night's duration; most likely two nights.

I feel like you won't find horribly choked traffic on the myriad backroads of Kentucky, but that would certainly impact your travel time regardless.

True. Lots of folks won't know how to process a four-digit route in the 2000- or 3000-series.

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 11:48:12 PM
How about Madisonville, TN ... how far is that from where you live?

Also about five hours. And unfortunately, there's no "68 TENN" triangle marker there anymore to photograph during the eclipse.

Quote from: empirestate on August 11, 2017, 12:18:31 PM
Oh, I ended up going with Terre Haute, not appreciably farther from the eclipse zone than Indy.

Where are you going to try to travel to from Terre Haute? There's a large group of people who are planning to drive down to Hopkinsville from Evansville. They're leaving around 5 or 6 in the morning and they have concerns they may not make it in time. There are some estimates that what is normally a 90-minute drive could take 4 or more hours, they're expecting THAT much traffic.

Oh, no no no. No one wakes up around 5 or 6 AM. I've learned that no matter how dire travel predictions are, as long as you're at your destination by 8 you're fine.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 11, 2017, 09:19:49 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 11, 2017, 12:18:31 PM
Oh, I ended up going with Terre Haute, not appreciably farther from the eclipse zone than Indy.

Where are you going to try to travel to from Terre Haute? There's a large group of people who are planning to drive down to Hopkinsville from Evansville. They're leaving around 5 or 6 in the morning and they have concerns they may not make it in time. There are some estimates that what is normally a 90-minute drive could take 4 or more hours, they're expecting THAT much traffic.

Marshall, MO (but staying near Sedalia). And I'll have all of Sunday to make that leg, so I'm not concerned. :-)

I think I am going to go to Goreville, IL to see the eclipse.

I've booked a room for two nights in Somerset, KY for next  Sunday and Monday for less than fifty dollars per night.  I am going to leave early in the morning with intention to arrive in Spring City, TN in time for the eclipse.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 11, 2017, 09:19:49 PM

Quote from: Beltway on August 10, 2017, 11:48:12 PM
How about Madisonville, TN ... how far is that from where you live?

Also about five hours. And unfortunately, there's no "68 TENN" triangle marker there anymore to photograph during the eclipse.

That is where I will be, assuming a good weather forecast.  Along with a couple other amateur astronomers from Richmond, and some specialized observing gear.  At a secluded but publically accessible site.  You can contact me via e-mail if you are interested and want to know the details.

My brother has expressed a desire to go to somewhere in Tennessee to view it. I may ride down with him.

Here is the first weather forecast from the Washington Post (http://markholtz.info/1od).

Quote from: ZLoth on August 13, 2017, 10:21:34 AM
Here is the first weather forecast from the Washington Post (http://markholtz.info/1od).

Yeah, my area doesn't look so good according to that. However, historical averages are quite favorable, and specific forecasts for that city and date are showing clear skies. The simple truth is, it's still too early to know.

Quote from: empirestate on August 13, 2017, 01:42:54 PM

Quote from: ZLoth on August 13, 2017, 10:21:34 AM
Here is the first weather forecast from the Washington Post (http://markholtz.info/1od).

Yeah, my area doesn't look so good according to that. However, historical averages are quite favorable, and specific forecasts for that city and date are showing clear skies. The simple truth is, it's still too early to know.

Yeah, both the spot I'm going and where I live (the latter being outside the path of totality) are both in that red-shaded blob. But yes, it's a week from tomorrow, which is still too far out to know for certain.

forecasts that far out are never reliable - ever.

Quote from: SSOWorld on August 13, 2017, 06:57:57 PM
forecasts that far out are never reliable - ever.

Some friends are flying out from D.C. to central Oregon, for a pricey photographer-club campout near Bend. That's in the rain shadow of a mountain range, and has more dependable clear weather than western Oregon.

I'm still planning on avoiding the totality path by a wide margin, though still working out how to get from northern California to far northern Idaho by eclipse day.

I'm just going to stay near home.  It's 90% totality anyway, & I'll see another close by in a few years.

Headed out tomorrow for a 5-6 day leisurely ride to get to Omaha by Saturday.  We'll use a friend's house there as a base to get into good position somewhere within several hours drive that has the best shot at good weather.  Ideally looking at Beatrice.  Hoping we'll be far enough from most population centers that traffic won't be horrible.

Quote from: Jim on August 13, 2017, 10:13:34 PM
Headed out tomorrow for a 5-6 day leisurely ride to get to Omaha by Saturday.  We'll use a friend's house there as a base to get into good position somewhere within several hours drive that has the best shot at good weather.  Ideally looking at Beatrice.  Hoping we'll be far enough from most population centers that traffic won't be horrible.

You might meet a couple of folk from the road world there (maybe three?). I'm basing in Grand Island.

Quote from: SSOWorld on August 13, 2017, 06:57:57 PM
forecasts that far out are never reliable - ever.

We're inside of 10 days now.  Which means, statistically, forecasts will generally be better than relying on climatology.  So I'd say we're inside a general forecast window, though I wouldn't place any "hard bets" until we get to the weekend.

Quote from: SSOWorld on August 13, 2017, 11:02:42 PM

Quote from: Jim on August 13, 2017, 10:13:34 PM
Headed out tomorrow for a 5-6 day leisurely ride to get to Omaha by Saturday.  We'll use a friend's house there as a base to get into good position somewhere within several hours drive that has the best shot at good weather.  Ideally looking at Beatrice.  Hoping we'll be far enough from most population centers that traffic won't be horrible.

You might meet a couple of folk from the road world there (maybe three?). I'm basing in Grand Island.

Yeah, Beatrice is my early choice for a backup location. Seems to be the best-organized community within a morning's drive of Missouri.

I'm staying at home for this one (unfortunately) but I can't complain too much because we're in 60-70% totality...

Beatrice and Grand Island are on my short list, too.

Although with the latest weather reports, I'm wondering if it isn't better to head east rather than west?

Quote from: empirestate on August 14, 2017, 03:05:54 PM
Although with the latest weather reports, I'm wondering if it isn't better to head east rather than west?

I'm moving west of my original location in SC to central TN. Better weather out that way, even if it means we have to fight for a spot.

Quote from: cl94 on August 14, 2017, 10:08:47 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 14, 2017, 03:05:54 PM
Although with the latest weather reports, I'm wondering if it isn't better to head east rather than west?

I'm moving west of my original location in SC to central TN. Better weather out that way, even if it means we have to fight for a spot.

Oh, I meant from my planned location of Marshall, MO. It looks as if the systems that may produce clouds there are also in play over Nebraska, whereas the Paducah forecast office already has good confidence of clear skies.

Lucky yours. I sit at the very end of the eclipse. However (and assuming I don't move out in the next 9 years) I'll be just outside the totality path of the August 12, 2026 eclipse.

Those of you who are changing locations based on the forecast, it is in my professional meteorological opinion that you should wait until at least Friday to do so (if not the weekend).  While forecasts are now in the range where they're better than climatology (as I mentioned earlier), best accuracy will be within 72 hours.

Quote from: froggie on August 15, 2017, 07:28:57 AM
Those of you who are changing locations based on the forecast, it is in my professional meteorological opinion that you should wait until at least Friday to do so (if not the weekend).  While forecasts are now in the range where they're better than climatology (as I mentioned earlier), best accuracy will be within 72 hours.

Yes, at this point I'm just considering alternate locations should a change become necessary. An actual decision won't be made until Saturday, at the earliest.

Looks like my plans are made. If things go as expected, I'll be meeting my brother in London, Ky. and riding down with him to Watts Bar Dam in Tennessee. His second option is a Walmart parking lot somewhere, and his third option is a church parking lot somewhere. We're going to spend the night somewhere near Oak Ridge Monday night and the next day he (we, if my knee is still cooperating) will tour the Oak Ridge nuclear facility.

I'm going to take a video camera and record the eclipse. Any tips on how best to accomplish this?

Quote from: hbelkins on August 15, 2017, 02:54:49 PM
Looks like my plans are made. If things go as expected, I'll be meeting my brother in London, Ky. and riding down with him to Watts Bar Dam in Tennessee. His second option is a Walmart parking lot somewhere, and his third option is a church parking lot somewhere. We're going to spend the night somewhere near Oak Ridge Monday night and the next day he (we, if my knee is still cooperating) will tour the Oak Ridge nuclear facility.

I'm going to take a video camera and record the eclipse. Any tips on how best to accomplish this?

I think it would be difficult with the average video camera, but there are some articles online --

https://eclipse.aas.org/imaging-video/images-videos
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-to-take-video-of-a-solar-eclipse-advice-from-the-experts/

I would do research on my camera before pointing it at the sun, as to what filter might be needed to prevent damage to the camera.  During totality the filter would not be needed.

Quote from: cl94 on August 14, 2017, 10:08:47 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 14, 2017, 03:05:54 PM
Although with the latest weather reports, I'm wondering if it isn't better to head east rather than west?

I'm moving west of my original location in SC to central TN. Better weather out that way, even if it means we have to fight for a spot.

Where in middle TN? MY wife and I are both off that day and plan to venture up to south central KY (at our own risk) but are open with our plans.

Quote from: jpi on August 15, 2017, 07:09:05 PM

Quote from: cl94 on August 14, 2017, 10:08:47 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 14, 2017, 03:05:54 PM
Although with the latest weather reports, I'm wondering if it isn't better to head east rather than west?

I'm moving west of my original location in SC to central TN. Better weather out that way, even if it means we have to fight for a spot.

Where in middle TN? MY wife and I are both off that day and plan to venture up to south central KY (at our own risk) but are open with our plans.

I'm also planning to head down to central TN (specifically somewhere along TN 25, maybe Gallatin). I'll be traveling up from Louisville that day.

I'll probably be hanging out at a Walmart parking lot somewhere between Franklin, KY and Gallatin, TN. Can't really scout a place out ahead of time and that's somewhere that will have bathrooms.

Well here is some advise guys  :nod:, Franklin, KY and Gallatin, TN both have Wal-marts, Gallatin is bigger then Franklin, on a road geek side you will see the TN 109\ I-65 interchange construction and the 6 lane widening of 65 is coming along very nicely, also Franklin has a nice Flying J truck stop, again my wife and I plan on driving up 109 roughly mid morning, if you guys want, we could all meet up  :bigass:

Quote from: hbelkins on August 15, 2017, 02:54:49 PM
I'm going to take a video camera and record the eclipse. Any tips on how best to accomplish this?

My photographer friends remind that staring at the sun (except when totally eclipsed) will fry unprotected camera sensors as well as retinas, and so your camera should get similar protection as your eyes.

Does aiming at the sun affect cameras using film or just digitals?

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on August 15, 2017, 11:29:21 PM
Does aiming at the sun affect cameras using film or just digitals?

Depends on the camera, and the size of the lens, as to how much heating would take place.

Unless I was sure about the potential impacts, I would not point any camera at the sun.

Quote from: froggie on August 15, 2017, 07:28:57 AM
Those of you who are changing locations based on the forecast, it is in my professional meteorological opinion that you should wait until at least Friday to do so (if not the weekend).  While forecasts are now in the range where they're better than climatology (as I mentioned earlier), best accuracy will be within 72 hours.

It is not in my power to question a professional meteorologist's reasoning, but here is an alternate weather update some of you might want to check out... https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/where-will-clouds-foil-big-eclipse (https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/where-will-clouds-foil-big-eclipse)

Right now I am planning to overnight in Atlanta Sunday and drive up to Clayton, GA early Monday morning to visit family.

Quote from: jpi on August 15, 2017, 09:04:03 PM
Well here is some advise guys  :nod:, Franklin, KY and Gallatin, TN both have Wal-marts, Gallatin is bigger then Franklin, on a road geek side you will see the TN 109\ I-65 interchange construction and the 6 lane widening of 65 is coming along very nicely, also Franklin has a nice Flying J truck stop, again my wife and I plan on driving up 109 roughly mid morning, if you guys want, we could all meet up  :bigass:

Fine with that. It depends on where I'm going though, since I have four hotels booked.

Quote from: oscar on August 15, 2017, 11:07:48 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 15, 2017, 02:54:49 PM
I'm going to take a video camera and record the eclipse. Any tips on how best to accomplish this?

My photographer friends remind that staring at the sun (except when totally eclipsed) will fry unprotected camera sensors as well as retinas, and so your camera should get similar protection as your eyes.

Not quite sure how to do that, and also, wouldn't that ruin the look of the video? Whatever shading the protection offers would also affect the appearance of the video to be not exactly what one would see with the naked eye.

Have there actually been reports of people being blinded while looking at an eclipse? I remember one many, many years ago (only partial in this area) and I actually looked at the sun with no ill effects.

It's been said that you can actually look at the sun without glasses while it's at totality.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 16, 2017, 05:49:39 PM

Quote from: oscar on August 15, 2017, 11:07:48 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 15, 2017, 02:54:49 PM
I'm going to take a video camera and record the eclipse. Any tips on how best to accomplish this?

My photographer friends remind that staring at the sun (except when totally eclipsed) will fry unprotected camera sensors as well as retinas, and so your camera should get similar protection as your eyes.

Not quite sure how to do that, and also, wouldn't that ruin the look of the video? Whatever shading the protection offers would also affect the appearance of the video to be not exactly what one would see with the naked eye.

Have there actually been reports of people being blinded while looking at an eclipse? I remember one many, many years ago (only partial in this area) and I actually looked at the sun with no ill effects.

It's been said that you can actually look at the sun without glasses while it's at totality.

Blindness is overstated, but it can cause temporary and sometimes permanent damage to the retina.  It's dangerous because your retinas don't have pain receptors.  You don't know you're doing any damage until it's too late.  My understanding is that during a partial eclipse it's a lot easier to look directly at the sun; you won't need to blink much and your pupils won't constrict as much.  It won't bother you like it normally does to look directly at the sun, but it's still just as damaging.  For a lot of people vision will go back to normal after a few minutes/hours, but it can be a permanent thing.
Looking at it while at totality is fine, but that's only a couple minutes.

Quote from: oscar on August 15, 2017, 11:07:48 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 15, 2017, 02:54:49 PM
I'm going to take a video camera and record the eclipse. Any tips on how best to accomplish this?

My photographer friends remind that staring at the sun (except when totally eclipsed) will fry unprotected camera sensors as well as retinas, and so your camera should get similar protection as your eyes.

There's some ways around it.

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-photograph-solar-eclipse/
https://photographylife.com/how-to-photograph-a-solar-eclipse
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/how-photograph-solar-eclipse

1) Take the camera off automatic ISO, so it doesn't overexpose the image (and the sensor). Go with the absolutely lowest number possible, although you will probably have to increase it the moment the sky gets dark.

2) Even the nicest equipment will need a tripod to keep the camera steady in low light, and because you might be zooming in, you'll probably want a tripod or very steady surface. Perhaps an auto shutter setting?

3) Use a very narrow aperture. They're suggesting f/8 to f/11. I'm no expert, but I think I'd even go smaller than that to prevent the risk...f/13, 16 would be a better guarantee. But since you're pointing the camera essentially at the infinity scale of the focusing range, it might not be necessary.

4) Filter the heck out of the lens opening. I've seen numbers as low as -7.0 to even -15.0 exposure stops. I think combining every filter that I own might net me a -3 or -4, and the camera will drop down another 5 stops. Too many filters will probably blur the image, I'm guessing.

5) Don't use the rangefinder eyepiece, if it's not an SLR. This probably covers most point-and-shoots, unless they're digital viewfinders.

6) I think in a jiffy, a pinhole (literally, a pin-made hole) covering might do the trick, as would just putting the eclipse lens covering.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ssoworld.org%2Fpics%2Feclipses.png&hash=d8b785e62f09572f01beac47611433e065eb29fd)

Quote from: SSOWorld on August 16, 2017, 06:56:48 PM
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ssoworld.org%2Fpics%2Feclipses.png&hash=d8b785e62f09572f01beac47611433e065eb29fd)

That last one...

I just found out that I could take this Monday off and was interested in seeing the total eclipse and maybe do a little travel on the roads. I want leave from Indianapolis in the morning, take SR 37 and I-69 down to Evansville and take I-69 all the way through Kentucky toward Paducah. I then want to take US 60 to the northeast back toward Henderson and along the way stop in a smaller community to see the eclipse before finishing along US 60 at Henderson and heading back home via I-69. I'm assuming that Paducah might be busy so I'm thinking of maybe going as far as US 68 before heading north to US 60. Any thoughts on this plan?

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on August 15, 2017, 11:29:21 PM
Does aiming at the sun affect cameras using film or just digitals?

It would affect both equally. Intense sunlight can damage both digital camera sensors and film, and either one will damage your eyes if you look through the viewfinder directly at the sun without a solar filter.

Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on August 17, 2017, 11:02:34 AM

Quote from: 02 Park Ave on August 15, 2017, 11:29:21 PM
Does aiming at the sun affect cameras using film or just digitals?

It would affect both equally. Intense sunlight can damage both digital camera sensors and film, and either one will damage your eyes if you look through the viewfinder directly at the sun without a solar filter.

Yup, you are right, during a public viewing of the Transit of Venus back in 2012, there was someone who foolishly attempted to point a camera at the sun to get a shot, it did damage to the lenses needless to day.


The way I see it with this eclipse, there's a big one passing over my area in 2024, and well, I'd be better off just waiting for that one, the totality will also be longer for the upcoming 2024 eclipse.

^ My thought as well.  Logistics just don't work for me to rush south for this one (I have commitments this weekend), so I'll just wait for the 2024 eclipse that'll be much closer to New England.

Quote from: froggie on August 17, 2017, 12:49:26 PM
^ My thought as well.  Logistics just don't work for me to rush south for this one (I have commitments this weekend), so I'll just wait for the 2024 eclipse that'll be much closer to New England.

One of my sites currently has a forecast of "Sunny", and the other "PM Thunderstorms".

If I get a marginal forecast the day before, I will have to decide whether a 400+ mile trip is worth the risk of the eclipse being clouded out; that would be a huge disappointment, as astronomy is one of the major interests that I have had since about 8 years old.

Maybe I should look at it for the road trip value, which would be considerable by itself, as justification to make the trip if the forecast is marginal. 

Actually all you need is about 10 minutes on either side of totality, of clear sky around the sun, to achieve about 90% of the overall spectacle.

My digital camera has a LCD viewfinder, not an optical one. I'd think that would be safe to view it through. The little video camera I'm planning to use has one as well. It's also selling on eBay for about $15-20 now, and in fact I bought one a few weeks ago after the old model I had quit working. If the video camera bites the dust, it should be easy to replace.

Quote from: Beltway on August 17, 2017, 01:21:50 PM

Quote from: froggie on August 17, 2017, 12:49:26 PM
^ My thought as well.  Logistics just don't work for me to rush south for this one (I have commitments this weekend), so I'll just wait for the 2024 eclipse that'll be much closer to New England.

One of my sites currently has a forecast of "Sunny", and the other "PM Thunderstorms".

If I get a marginal forecast the day before, I will have to decide whether a 400+ mile trip is worth the risk of the eclipse being clouded out; that would be a huge disappointment, as astronomy is one of the major interests that I have had since about 8 years old.

Maybe I should look at it for the road trip value, which would be considerable by itself, as justification to make the trip if the forecast is marginal. 

Actually all you need is about 10 minutes on either side of totality, of clear sky around the sun, to achieve about 90% of the overall spectacle.

So out of curiosity, did you see the 2012 Venus Transit? Well of course you'd need to have access to a telescope, but did you do anything for that event?

Well, it says we'll be having a clear day in Southern New England...of a course we're only getting 70% of the eclipse at 2:45 pm.

Quote from: JJBers on August 17, 2017, 07:12:18 PM
Well, it says we'll be having a clear day in Southern New England...of a course we're only getting 70% of the eclipse at 2:45 pm.

Well you should look forward to the one in 2024 then. These are a big deal, because this is the first major eclipse I remember at all since the May 1994 eclipse where Toronto was under an annular eclipse.

Quote from: MisterSG1 on August 17, 2017, 07:23:01 PM

Quote from: JJBers on August 17, 2017, 07:12:18 PM
Well, it says we'll be having a clear day in Southern New England...of a course we're only getting 70% of the eclipse at 2:45 pm.

Well you should look forward to the one in 2024 then. These are a big deal, because this is the first major eclipse I remember at all since the May 1994 eclipse where Toronto was under an annular eclipse.

We don't have a another total eclipse until 2074...I'll be 71 years old by this point.
Also...cool...I'll be in college by that point.

The next one is in 2024 and comes near your area.  https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8 (https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8)

Quote from: HazMatt on August 17, 2017, 08:37:58 PM
The next one is in 2024 and comes near your area.  https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8 (https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8)

That's an incredible list of cities in the path of that one. Austin, DFW, Little Rock, Indy, Columbus, Cleveland, Buffalo in the path of totality with San Antonio right on the edge.

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 17, 2017, 08:47:54 PM

Quote from: HazMatt on August 17, 2017, 08:37:58 PM
The next one is in 2024 and comes near your area.  https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8 (https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8)

That's an incredible list of cities in the path of that one. Austin, DFW, Little Rock, Indy, Columbus, Cleveland, Buffalo in the path of totality with San Antonio right on the edge.

And Toronto just misses totality by a hair, but Hamilton is in totality, that's just the way things go. Especially with this coming out of winter season, there could be potential for some epic photos during this eclipse.

Quote from: HazMatt on August 17, 2017, 08:37:58 PM
The next one is in 2024 and comes near your area.  https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8 (https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8)

Still misses me, but is 90% instead of 70%...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FypKoP9H.png&hash=82eb3cf0a258dcd4e3ab149998d7addcef4a3507)

Keep in mind, the 2024 eclipse takes place in early April, when weather conditions will be much less reliable for most of its area.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 17, 2017, 05:49:15 PM
My digital camera has a LCD viewfinder, not an optical one. I'd think that would be safe to view it through. The little video camera I'm planning to use has one as well. It's also selling on eBay for about $15-20 now, and in fact I bought one a few weeks ago after the old model I had quit working. If the video camera bites the dust, it should be easy to replace.

You could try it on the sun tomorrow as a test, but without a very dense filter I suspect that the sun will be super-over-exposed, like glare filling the whole frame.

Only 76% here in Winnipeg, good enough for me. I've never seen even a partial eclipse. I don't have though special glasses though  :-/

Quote from: MisterSG1 on August 17, 2017, 07:02:36 PM

Quote from: Beltway on August 17, 2017, 01:21:50 PM
One of my sites currently has a forecast of "Sunny", and the other "PM Thunderstorms".
If I get a marginal forecast the day before, I will have to decide whether a 400+ mile trip is worth the risk of the eclipse being clouded out; that would be a huge disappointment, as astronomy is one of the major interests that I have had since about 8 years old.
Maybe I should look at it for the road trip value, which would be considerable by itself, as justification to make the trip if the forecast is marginal. 
Actually all you need is about 10 minutes on either side of totality, of clear sky around the sun, to achieve about 90% of the overall spectacle.

So out of curiosity, did you see the 2012 Venus Transit? Well of course you'd need to have access to a telescope, but did you do anything for that event?

Yes, I saw the Venus transits of 2004 and 2012.  I was with a group of amateur astronomers at the Virginia Science Museum in Richmond.  A few had fancy setups whereby a telescope caught the solar image and it was fed into a video screen, a very nice effect!

I had my own 4.5 inch reflector telescope with a sun projection screen, and that worked well.  I set it up yesterday and noticed that several sunspots are visible.

The transit in 2004 ended about 2 hours after sunrise, and the sun was in and out of clouds.  Actually the disk of Venus is resolvable with the naked eye at that distance, there were times when the sun was a dim disk as seen thru a cloud layer, and you could see the black dot on the sun with the naked eye.

I have no trouble taking photos directly into the sun during sunrise and sunset - and I mean an hour or more away from the actual rise/set time. Never had a camera quit on me.

So I guess that solves my delmia with my camera potentially breaking if I try to take a photo of the eclipse.
I'm going camping from Aug. 19-21, so I might be at home, or a campground when it happens.

Quote from: Alps on August 18, 2017, 12:28:38 AM
I have no trouble taking photos directly into the sun during sunrise and sunset - and I mean an hour or more away from the actual rise/set time. Never had a camera quit on me.

I will try mine out tomorrow.

This is the only photo I can think of that I have that has the sun in it --
http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Bay_Bridge_Win5.jpg
Taken with a Minolta film-based SLR

Quote from: JJBers on August 17, 2017, 09:35:33 PM

Quote from: HazMatt on August 17, 2017, 08:37:58 PM
The next one is in 2024 and comes near your area.  https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8 (https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8)

Still misses me, but is 90% instead of 70%...
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FypKoP9H.png&hash=82eb3cf0a258dcd4e3ab149998d7addcef4a3507)

2045 will be the ultimate eclipse for me...Provided I'm still around.   Pretty much the same track as Monday's, except a few hundred miles further south.

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2045-august-12#

As long as I am still in the mid south, looks like I can take advantage of the 2024 eclipse, just a mere 4 hour drive west and can experience the full effect of this one too.

Quote from: Beltway on August 18, 2017, 01:12:36 AM

Quote from: Alps on August 18, 2017, 12:28:38 AM
I have no trouble taking photos directly into the sun during sunrise and sunset - and I mean an hour or more away from the actual rise/set time. Never had a camera quit on me.

I will try mine out tomorrow.
This is the only photo I can think of that I have that has the sun in it --
http://www.roadstothefuture.com/Bay_Bridge_Win5.jpg
Taken with a Minolta film-based SLR

Here is what I get from my 2005 vintage digital Nikon point-and-shoot.
It is aged but takes fine photos as you can see here --
http://www.roadstothefuture.com/US29-LMH-Bypass-102005-12.jpg

Here are my sun shots from today, one wide angle and one about 2.5x telephoto --
http://www.pennways.com/DEVL/Sun-wide.JPG
http://www.pennways.com/DEVL/Sun-telephoto.JPG

Very overexposed and I would need a very dense filter.

Quote from: kkt on January 27, 2017, 01:28:38 PM
I'm planning on eastern Oregon for this.  Yes, it'll be crowded, and we'll have to camp and bring in all our drinking water, and driving out afterwards with about 10,000 other people on dirt Forest Service roads will be tedious, but it'll be worth it.

The Oregon media are projecting a huge mess, with severe traffic tie-ups already occurring from people heading to preferred viewing spots (like a 15-mile backup on the main highway to Prineville, plus additional delays on back roads to viewing sites), and disaster declarations from overwhelmed small towns.

I listened to these reports in Medford. They reinforced my plan to keep driving south, and hang out in northern California until the eclipse is over and people are on their way home.

One pointer in the Oregon media, that might apply to other states (though eastern Oregon's generally sparse population might be a special case) -- try to arrive at your viewing site with as full a tank of gas as possible, expect fuel shortages that may impede your arrival and/or departure.

The fiancee and I will be watching it here in KC. Wish we could make it up to St. Joseph, but the car's not doing great right now and gas money is an issue on top of that. Should still get a good view here.

Quote from: oscar on August 19, 2017, 12:15:45 AM

Quote from: kkt on January 27, 2017, 01:28:38 PM
I'm planning on eastern Oregon for this.  Yes, it'll be crowded, and we'll have to camp and bring in all our drinking water, and driving out afterwards with about 10,000 other people on dirt Forest Service roads will be tedious, but it'll be worth it.

The Oregon media are projecting a huge mess, with severe traffic tie-ups already occurring from people heading to preferred viewing spots (like a 15-mile backup on the main highway to Prineville, plus additional delays on back roads to viewing sites), and disaster declarations from overwhelmed small towns.

Hmmm, I have to wonder if this is Fake News, so many people driving to viewing sites at least 54 hours before the eclipse, that there are major backups on major highways?

The part about people already driving to viewing sites is not fake news.  I know of several who are already doing so (including 2 groups of my students).

Quote from: froggie on August 19, 2017, 09:30:25 AM
The part about people already driving to viewing sites is not fake news.  I know of several who are already doing so (including 2 groups of my students).

But how many?  My group which includes amateur astronomers will arrive in the vicinity on Sunday afternoon and drive an hour to the site first thing Monday.

Based on my eclipse experience in Virginia Beach in 1970 we should be fine.

Not there or heading there so I couldn't say.  But this video from KOMO (https://www.facebook.com/KOMONews/videos/10154973687206448/?fref=mentions) (ABC affiliate in Seattle) suggests that the Oregon backups are real and not fake news.

Quote from: froggie on August 19, 2017, 09:43:33 AM
Not there or heading there so I couldn't say.  But this video from KOMO (https://www.facebook.com/KOMONews/videos/10154973687206448/?fref=mentions) (ABC affiliate in Seattle) suggests that the Oregon backups are real and not fake news.

I've already seen photos of Oregon backups in the media, but how do we know whether they have anything to do with the eclipse which even now is 48 hours into the future?

Perhaps because it's not normal traffic for this time of year?

Quote from: froggie on August 19, 2017, 12:34:28 PM
Perhaps because it's not normal traffic for this time of year?

Why Oregon?  Other states don't seem to be reporting traffic problems yet.  Oregon is a big state with potentially thousands of good viewing sites all over the state.

Believe me, one you get away from the US 97 and Columbia River corridors, there's a whole lot of nothing in  eastern Oregon. I'm sure there's some weekend getaway traffic into eastern Oregon from people who like the forests and parks out there, but not so long before the weekend.

Eastern Oregon might be a special case, with a huge influx of eclipse watchers for its being the first place to view the eclipse in the U.S. with reliable cloud-free weather, combined with small permanent populations and limited road networks. So my comments were mainly for kkt. For other parts of the country, YMMV.

From Marshall to St. Joseph in Missouri today (via US 65 and US 36), every town is like a little eclipse central.  Saw the start of Marshall's eclipse festival on their town square.  And the Chick-fil-A where we just had lunch in St. Joseph has a sign on the door saying they're closing for a half hour on Monday so their crew can get out and watch.  Every VMS is warning of heavy traffic on Monday.

We'll make a call late tomorrow on whether Beatrice still looks good or if we'll have a better chance at a clear sky somewhere else within a manageable drive from our base outside Omaha.

Quote from: oscar on August 19, 2017, 01:32:50 PM
Believe me, one you get away from the US 97 and Columbia River corridors, there's a whole lot of nothing in  eastern Oregon. I'm sure there's some weekend getaway traffic into eastern Oregon from people who like the forests and parks out there, but not so long before the weekend.
Eastern Oregon might be a special case, with a huge influx of eclipse watchers for its being the first place to view the eclipse in the U.S. with reliable cloud-free weather, combined with small permanent populations and limited road networks. So my comments were mainly for kkt. For other parts of the country, YMMV.

Oh ok, I originally thought you were referring to the Oregon coast, now I see where Prineville is.  I have not been to eastern Oregon, but I noticed years ago that in most of it there are very few roads and very few towns.  If I lived in the West I might have wanted to go there, but there are other places with historically low percentages of cloud cover at that time, such as Wyoming and Nebraska.

Someone posted to the Freewayjim Facebook group a fourth-person account of massive fuel shortages in Oregon already. This has since been debunked by AASHTO, which reports that only a couple of stations were out of fuel and they were expecting deliveries today.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 19, 2017, 03:09:40 PM
Someone posted to the Freewayjim Facebook group a fourth-person account of massive fuel shortages in Oregon already. This has since been debunked by AASHTO, which reports that only a couple of stations were out of fuel and they were expecting deliveries today.

Corco mentioned that a few stations in rural Idaho ran out of fuel yesterday. I could definitely see that area having shortages, as there is limited infrastructure in that area and a lot of visitors.

As far as me seeing the thing myself, current plan is to watch from the Walmart parking lot in White House, TN and leave the hotel in Louisville around 5 AM that morning in case of traffic.

Colorado CDOT has stated that all oversize/wide loads are banned from traveling anywhere in the state north of US-50 on Monday,  as well as all construction projects in same area(s) will all be shut down around the same times.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 19, 2017, 03:09:40 PM
Someone posted to the Freewayjim Facebook group a fourth-person account of massive fuel shortages in Oregon already. This has since been debunked by AASHTO, which reports that only a couple of stations were out of fuel and they were expecting deliveries today.

Others posted to the Freewayjim Facebook group photos of traffic jams on I-84, supposedly taken today, that someone else said were taken weeks ago.  :hmmm:

Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2016, 08:09:44 PM
Western Kentucky is prime viewing ground for the solar eclipse that will occur in August of next year.

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

I've seen a few people talking about traveling to view this.

Hopkinsville is about a five-hour drive from me. Depending on the time of day, I could make this a day trip.

Perhaps an early lunch somewhere, and then going to some remote spot near Cerulean (I can get tips on possible viewing areas) to view it? Or gather at the view spot and then head somewhere for late lunch/early dinner?

Here's a complete map of which states will get the complete eclipse.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-maps

Carbondale is big event ready this weekend. Come on up to the Intersection of IL 13 and US 51

The longest duration of Total Eclipse is just south of Carbondale, in Makanda, IL, so I hear

I-95 south of DC was jammed before 7 AM this morning. I know there's summer traffic, but this is another level. It's been all NJ plates from Maryland on down.

I-81 in VA was exceptionally crowded from what Mike Tantillo posted on Facebook. I am sure many factors were involved.

I am in Dayton, OH for a toy show in the morning, traffic was about average going south bound this morning on 65 and 71 in KY, I plan on running 75 south to Cumberland Parkway then 31E south for my trip home after the show tomorrow evening, I have a feeling southbound 65 and 71 will be running heavy so I am avoiding them.

Do not go to Charleston, SC as all flights booked, all hotel rooms have no vacancies, and no rental cars available.  This is a one in a lifetime event for many so lots of folks traveling thousands of miles to catch this.

Quote from: Beltway on August 19, 2017, 05:01:49 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 19, 2017, 03:09:40 PM
Someone posted to the Freewayjim Facebook group a fourth-person account of massive fuel shortages in Oregon already. This has since been debunked by AASHTO, which reports that only a couple of stations were out of fuel and they were expecting deliveries today.

Others posted to the Freewayjim Facebook group photos of traffic jams on I-84, supposedly taken today, that someone else said were taken weeks ago.  :hmmm:

I did a brief return trip this afternoon to far southern Oregon, in Merrill along OR 39 (probably a minor route for eclipse-watchers, shortcutting between the US 395 and US 97 corridors). No problem filling up there.

All you can really do is to fill up before you approach the totality path, and refuel every chance you get before you arrive at your chosen spot.  My plan for eclipse-avoidance involves arriving in Bend OR the evening of the 21st (the hotel reservation just south of the totality path was pricey but I was able to get a room), setting me up for some route-clinching between there and southwestern Wyoming. I'll cross into Oregon as eclipse watchers are leaving. I expect to be able to fill up in Weed CA and/or points south along the Interstate like Redding, so I won't be completely SOL if gas stations between Weed and Bend run dry.

Quote from: Jim on August 19, 2017, 02:06:15 PM
From Marshall to St. Joseph in Missouri today (via US 65 and US 36), every town is like a little eclipse central.  Saw the start of Marshall's eclipse festival on their town square.  And the Chick-fil-A where we just had lunch in St. Joseph has a sign on the door saying they're closing for a half hour on Monday so their crew can get out and watch.  Every VMS is warning of heavy traffic on Monday.

We'll make a call late tomorrow on whether Beatrice still looks good or if we'll have a better chance at a clear sky somewhere else within a manageable drive from our base outside Omaha.

I've already pulled the plug on Marshall, as well as Beatrice, since the weather forecasts have steadily worsened there, and the cloud line seems to be pushing steadily eastward with each update.

So, we've reached our planned Saturday stop in Terre Haute, and we're going to hole up here for Sunday night as well, then run down towards Hopkinsville Monday morning. Might venture as far west as Carbondale, if skies look reasonably clear. Giant City State Park is offering free, first-come-first-served viewing spots. There also seem to be a number of privately owned sites around Hopkinsville offering day-of, cash payment.

Headed out today.  Had planned to end up south of Crossville, TN.  The updated cloud cover forecast may change that.  Feel sorry for those headed to SC.  The forecast is a whole lot of blech that way, cloud-wise.

Pretty well settled on Cerulean, KY–which just so happens to be the astronomical epicenter, as it were. But weather and my location were the real deciding factors.

I'm in Portland, TN. City has free parking for people at the city park, along with food for sale and restrooms. Helps that it's clear and I'm near the center of totality.

Taking our chances in Gilbert, SC.

Got a big cloud in front of the eclipse where I am in Carbobdale...:(

60% eclipse....and a big ass cloud...more or less disappointing for three years of hype...gonna have to gamble now for 2024.

Two of our student groups wound up in Kentucky today....from what I gather from Facebook, both were successful.

We did pretty good here in Vermont, despite not having a "total eclipse".  Very noticeable meteorological effects during the peak of the eclipse, and finagled some decent partial photos that I've posted to my Facebook page.

https://twitter.com/dicktoblerone/status/899714921000312833

Well, here's what 50-60% of a solar eclipse looks like:

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4438/35885102174_64462cb8b6_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WF3wEb)

...the sky isn't that dark at 1:15pm during partial eclipse conditions, I just had to use a lot of filters, which turned a blue sky into nearly black.

It was two minutes of AWESOME! My buddy and I lucked out as Smith's Ferry was cloudless. There was plates from Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Montana, Minnesota, and West Virginia that we saw, and we ran into a couple from England who missed the eclipse in France because of cloud cover, and vowed to make this one. Nothing can quite describe the final minute of darkness followed by two minutes of the ring of fire.

You can bet I will be there for the 2024 eclipse.

Quote from: ilpt4u on August 21, 2017, 02:13:38 PM
Got a big cloud in front of the eclipse where I am in Carbobdale...:(

Follow up, the Totality did appear in a gap in the clouds for a good 60-90 seconds where I was in Carbondale. My phone's camera didn't do in justice. Straight up awesome.

Got Twilight level dark, and the crickets started chirping as if it were truly twilight. And then stopped when it was back to Sunny

Here's what it looked like fore me. (I have no filters, so I cranked the EV down to -2 and flash on)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4363/35910805903_629bba652e_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/WHjgtV)
I got about 60-65%

In Grand Island, Nebraska, the weather cooperated and we got an absolutely spectacular show.  No luck really getting my own pictures of the eclipse itself, but I can now confirm that a total eclipse is thousands of times more impressive than any partial.  Get in the shadow in 2024.

Quote from: Jim on August 21, 2017, 08:12:21 PM
In Grand Island, Nebraska, the weather cooperated and we got an absolutely spectacular show.  No luck really getting my own pictures of the eclipse itself, but I can now confirm that a total eclipse is thousands of times more impressive than any partial.  Get in the shadow in 2024.

Excellent show indeed.  You probably found a spot remotely away from the established sites I assume.  I as at the Mainstay suites in same said city and I just camped right there.  An astronomy group set up 4 filtered telescopes (2 visible and 1 red color - to see the prominence storms off the solar surface) -  I caught sunspots (or was that the International Space Station?) and a couple others had huge ones with filters of their own.  Cirrus clouds plagued the partial phase going in and caused sun dogs and a halo as the sunlight failed to burn them off once the moon covered enough of the sun.  However, they drifted off in time for a good show when the moon covered the sun completely and the corona flared up.  There were a couple city lights that went on but they did not defeat the twilight the small shadow had produced.  That will be different in 2024.

Quote from: SSOWorld on August 21, 2017, 08:28:53 PM

Quote from: Jim on August 21, 2017, 08:12:21 PM
In Grand Island, Nebraska, the weather cooperated and we got an absolutely spectacular show.  No luck really getting my own pictures of the eclipse itself, but I can now confirm that a total eclipse is thousands of times more impressive than any partial.  Get in the shadow in 2024.

Excellent show indeed.  You probably found a spot remotely away from the established sites I assume.  I as at the Mainstay suites in same said city and I just camped right there.  An astronomy group set up 4 filtered telescopes (2 visible and 1 red color - to see the prominence storms off the solar surface) -  I caught sunspots (or was that the International Space Station?) and a couple others had huge ones with filters of their own.  Cirrus clouds plagued the partial phase going in and caused sun dogs and a halo as the sunlight failed to burn them off once the moon covered enough of the sun.  However, they drifted off in time for a good show when the moon covered the sun completely and the corona flared up.  There were a couple city lights that went on but they did not defeat the twilight the small shadow had produced.  That will be different in 2024.

We found a great spot in L.E. Ray Park on the south end of town.  Can't complain a bit.

Here in SLC, we had 92%, which is actually much less than you would think it is (that 8% is pretty bright!). It stayed light, although a couple of weird things did happen. We got the crescent shadow thing, the light got dimmer, the temperature actually dropped slightly, and a breeze started which wasn't blowing an hour earlier. I really want to go to the 2024 total eclipse, and I hear that there will be an Annular (ring of fire) eclipse in UT in 2023.

Quote from: Jim on August 21, 2017, 08:33:08 PM

Quote from: SSOWorld on August 21, 2017, 08:28:53 PM

Quote from: Jim on August 21, 2017, 08:12:21 PM
In Grand Island, Nebraska, the weather cooperated and we got an absolutely spectacular show.  No luck really getting my own pictures of the eclipse itself, but I can now confirm that a total eclipse is thousands of times more impressive than any partial.  Get in the shadow in 2024.

Excellent show indeed.  You probably found a spot remotely away from the established sites I assume.  I as at the Mainstay suites in same said city and I just camped right there.  An astronomy group set up 4 filtered telescopes (2 visible and 1 red color - to see the prominence storms off the solar surface) -  I caught sunspots (or was that the International Space Station?) and a couple others had huge ones with filters of their own.  Cirrus clouds plagued the partial phase going in and caused sun dogs and a halo as the sunlight failed to burn them off once the moon covered enough of the sun.  However, they drifted off in time for a good show when the moon covered the sun completely and the corona flared up.  There were a couple city lights that went on but they did not defeat the twilight the small shadow had produced.  That will be different in 2024.

We found a great spot in L.E. Ray Park on the south end of town.  Can't complain a bit.

Yep, you were 4 minutes away from me then. (east then north on Locust)  :sombrero:

Beatrice had a filtered eclipse but it did show.

Met my brother in London, Ky., this morning and we headed to Tennessee. This was the first time I'd been on I-75 south of London in years, and traffic was remarkably light crossing into Tennessee, across Pine Mountain at Jellico, and down the other side and into Knoxville. Even the one-lane ramp at I-640 was not jammed up.

We ran into nearly standstill traffic on I-40/I-75 in the Westgate/Farragut area, for no apparent reason. We bailed onto US 70 and stayed on it even though Google showed traffic on the interstate clearing up well before the 40/75 Nashville/Chattanooga split.

We took TN 58 south out of Kingston and traffic was beginning to get heavy as people were going into a city park on Watts Bar Lake. My brother had decided on a spot at a boat ramp just upstream of Watts Bar Dam, across from the nuclear power plant. There were already several people set up there when we arrived.

The weather was hot and humid, but the sky conditions were perfect. It didn't get as dark as I thought it would during totality. Even when the sun is 99 percent covered, it puts out a lot of light.

We left shortly after totality ended, and saw that a tremendous crowd had gathered at Watts Bar Dam. We took TN 68 north to US 27, and the Spring City/Rhea County authorities did a TERRIBLE job of directing traffic. They had some lanes blocked on four-lane US 27 which caused the traffic jams to be worse than they needed to. North of Spring City, things opened up until we got to US 70, where it choked back down at a couple of traffic lights. We stayed on US 70 east back to Kingston, where traffic knotted up again at the TN 58 traffic light. I noticed Google showing I-40 eastbound as a solid red mass, and the places where we could see the interstate, eastbound traffic appeared to be crawling. It opened up at the TN 58 north exit, which is where we're staying tonight at a Motel 6.

For dinner, we went back into Kingston to a Buddy's BBQ, and noticed that traffic was opening up about the Lawnville Road exit. West of that, it was stacked up. East of there, it was free-flowing.

Tomorrow we're going to do a tour at Oak Ridge before he drops me off at London and he heads north on I-75 toward his home.

I posted my photos on Facebook and made them public, so hopefully anyone here is able to see them. If you know my name.

I got some good photos of totality. Will post. Madisonville, TN. Clear sky. Saw shadow bands right before totality. Clearly saw Jupiter and Venus from about 10% Sun and down.

Eastern TN traffic was a disaster this afternoon, 4 hours to drive 56 miles on mostly I-75 and I-40.  I-75 and I-40 from Loudon to East Knoxville were a rolling backup nearly the whole way.

The trip down from Richmond on Sunday was a piece of cake, I-64 to I-81 to I-40, two accidents that caused about 15 minutes delay each, no other major problems, trip computer said average speed was 61 mph.

I went to Princeton, KY and went northwest a little bit out to the middle of no where on a dead end road (Craig Cemetery Road). This was my first solar eclipse and it was definitely one the neatest things I've ever witnessed.

I got on the interactive NASA map and it turns out I was only 2 miles from the greatest point of totality. It says it lasted 2 minutes and 39.8 seconds. For anyone that's curious the line of greatest totality only lasted 0.3 seconds longer than where I was at.

Luckily I didn't have to deal with any traffic at all except for at the US 41 Ohio River bridges where there was a huge backup due to the construction. After the eclipse I went to the Ohio / Mississippi confluence and visited an Indian mound near by. On the way back to Terre Haute there was some traffic in Marion, IL due to a wreck probably, but I did an illegal U turn. I wasn't going to just sit on the interstate.

I was right at the point of greatest eclipse (Cerulean, KY). It was astounding.


iPhone

Made it to Guernsey, WY yesterday ... 5 hours up from Denver and 6 hours back to Denver when it was all said and done.  Amazing and beyond worth the drive for those 2:20 of totality.

It took me 11 hours to return to Seattle from Salem. Traffic from Salem to Portland was insane, as predicted. Also back ups from Castle Rock to Centralia.

Here's my totality pictures, taken in Buena Vista, Oregon.

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/36736116525_a7e07208c3_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XYfczp)
Total solar eclipse from Buena Vista, OR (https://flic.kr/p/XYfczp) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4418/36736119225_d9d16006d2_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XYfdnX)
Buena Vista Park during totality (https://flic.kr/p/XYfdnX) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4367/36689048566_43d2b9560a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XU5XUS)
Buena Vista Park after totality (https://flic.kr/p/XU5XUS) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

Quote from: hbelkins on August 21, 2017, 09:20:58 PM
We took TN 58 south out of Kingston and traffic was beginning to get heavy as people were going into a city park on Watts Bar Lake. My brother had decided on a spot at a boat ramp just upstream of Watts Bar Dam, across from the nuclear power plant. There were already several people set up there when we arrived.

Quote from: Beltway on August 21, 2017, 11:59:08 PM
I got some good photos of totality. Will post. Madisonville, TN. Clear sky. Saw shadow bands right before totality. Clearly saw Jupiter and Venus from about 10% Sun and down.

I wasn't too far from you two.

My original plan was to head west on I-40 to Knoxville and then south on I-75 to the rest area at mile marker 45. I had feared that traffic would be horrendous, but it really wasn't that bad. It was pretty much just morning rush-hour Knoxville traffic. So, I got to the rest area at about 10:30, but it was already full. There were no spots available, so I parallel parked on the edge, behind the diagonal stalls, along with a dozen or so other cars. This is apparently a big no-no, however, since the state police made us all move.

I scrambled to find some other park-like area from which to view the eclipse, since I thought the parking lot a of a Walmart wasn't going to do it for me aesthetically. I stumbled upon a city park in Athens, which turned out pretty nice. There was a wall of trees, right in the direction of where the sun was, which ended up framing things nicely.

As for the eclipse itself, it didn't get as dark as I had expected, and it took a lot longer into the eclipse for the darkness to be noticeable at all. During totality, I only noticed 1 star, but the street lights did come on for a moment. One of the highlights for me was watching the ground get darker and darker (over the course of only 30 seconds or so) until it matched the darkness of the shadows cast by the trees. It was almost like a regular sunset, in that the light got yellower and dimmer, except that the sun was in the wrong spot, the shadows didn't get hazy toward the end, and it went very, very quickly. I didn't notice it getting cooler, but I did notice the dew that appeared on the grass. 

The sun/moon combo was weird at totality. It was like there was a dark sun in the sky, giving off light, but only enough light to light the ground to, say, 20 minutes or so after sunset. The corona at this point looked a bit like the old Pontiac logo, except wispier, and with the top oriented to the right. I thought the corona would move around more, but it didn't.

Then everything ended, and things went back to normal pretty quickly, although according to the scientific data I looked at, it took about the same amount of time. I stayed until the end of the end, and then, I went to McDonald's for ice cream, food, and water, and to see what traffic was going to be like. It turns out, as most of you know, that it was a big red line on I-75 away from the center of totality, and I decided to wait it out to avoid getting frustrated and annoyed so soon after such an interesting event.

So, I went back to the park for a while and looked at some other local things (and then went back to McDonald's) and left at about 9:30. By then, all the congestion on I-75, I-70/40, and I-40 and in Knoxville was gone. But there was still a slowdown on I-81 between miles 11 and 25, which at midnight, annoyed the hell out me. Unfortunately, even with this slowdown, it was the fastest way home, and so I just dealt with it.

On the roadgeek side of things I found a picture of the traffic after totality, which I think would be interesting to post here:

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi67.tinypic.com%2F28vq6x3.png&hash=b1cacf67d1b1d9bd34f0334b99a2e0ed2f54daa5)

Looks like there were several impromptu eclipse-viewing road meets, though ours in McMinnville, TN probably had the largest turnout of them with 7 people (9 if you include the 2 in utero).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPTzoLxi.jpg&hash=2cf3db962bccc8b8678b312ed2940b0da1bbdb97)

Left to right: Anthony Costanzo (NY), Alyssa Torres (NY), Brian Rawson-Ketchum (MI), Cody Goodman (AL), Katie Goodman (AL), Steph Illyes (TN), Jason Illyes (TN).

Quote from: Beltway on August 21, 2017, 11:59:08 PM
I got some good photos of totality. Will post. Madisonville, TN. Clear sky. Saw shadow bands right before totality. Clearly saw Jupiter and Venus from about 10% Sun and down.

Eastern TN traffic was a disaster this afternoon, 4 hours to drive 56 miles on mostly I-75 and I-40.  I-75 and I-40 from Loudon to East Knoxville were a rolling backup nearly the whole way.

US 411 would have been your friend. I wouldn't have even attempted the interstate. I would have taken US 411 all the way to Newport, where there were several options. I know I-81 in Virginia had issues, but I'd have been very tempted to then follow US 321 to Johnson City. Depending on the condition of I-81 at that time, I'd have followed 321 all the way to Boone, then 421 to Greensboro and then 29 and 360 to Richmond.

I took US 31E up to Cumberland Parkway from my location in Portland, TN to avoid I-65 traffic after the eclipse. Bad idea, as two major accidents between the KY/TN line and the parkway reduced it to a crawl. Took roughly 3 hours to get 50 miles from Portland to Cumberland Parkway. East of there, it was pretty fast, as the Cumberland and Hal Rogers Parkways were empty.

Quote from: Bruce on August 22, 2017, 01:58:16 PM
Total solar eclipse from Buena Vista, OR (https://flic.kr/p/XYfczp) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr

Excellent photo, nicely done!

From McMinnville we left by taking US 70S to US 70 to I-40 at Crossville, all with no problem. We made it to about MM 335 on I-40 before traffic started getting particularly slow.

Then we attempted a ditch via US 27/TN 61/TN 62, but then that route was packed all the way to Oak Ridge so we doubt it saved us any time (may have cost us some). After Oak Ridge it opened up, we took TN 162 to US 11 before then getting back on I-40 at exit 380, which I discovered was actually near free-flow here and therefore my side trip on US 11 also probably saved nothing.

At this point I concluded that the parallel roads to the interstate were of equal or greater shittiness and gave up on trying to be clever.

I-40 moved OK most of the way through and past Knoxville with only a few short slowdowns... but then it stopped near dead a few miles before the 40/80 split. Shortly, that sorted itself into the left two lanes being stopped dead while the right lane was wide open. So, I of course pulled the shameless New Yorker maneuver of zooming past all that traffic in the right lane and darting back in at the last minute, which given how far I was zooming past traffic for must have saved us at least 20 minutes.

I-81 was moving at 20-30 MPH for the first 15 miles or so, then ~50 MPH to Kingsport, at which point some construction (no lane closures, but lane shift) slowed things down again.

It was 9 PM by the time we got to Bristol and, at this point, I was assuming it must be smooth sailing from there on since surely people would be getting off the road by this time and getting ready for bed or whatever. Haha. Haha. Yea no right after Bristol it got sluggish again. Ended up ditching to side roads for a few miles in the vicinity of Radford, VA since VDOT had a lane closed that night (of all the nights to close a lane...) which of course brought traffic to a near standstill. Then there was ANOTHER lane closure just past I-581.

By the time we got to our hotel (which we had reserved in advance, thank god) off exit 146 it was 12:45. A solid 10 hours after we left McMinnville, which would have been 6 hours in normal traffic.


If Alyssa and I chase the 2024 eclipse we're spending the night afterwards near the path. No attempting to cover ground that evening.

I left Nashville right after the eclipse and took I-24 to Chattanooga, which was busy, but was still moving well. I actually had worse luck with traffic this morning. It took me 3.5 hours to get from Chattanooga to downtown Atlanta (Google predicted 1.75 hours). They had two out of three lanes closed in northwest GA for repaving (with almost no signage of what was going on!), and then three lanes were closed near I-285 from an accident. Not a fun drive...

Despite viewing the eclipse at its exact epicenter, I encountered no significant traffic hassles. I could see on the map where they existed, north of Hopkinsville and  around Carbondale, but either they weren't on my route, or I simply chose a route that avoided them. And that's after the event–in the morning, I'm not aware that any major tie-ups even occurred. The worst I experienced was the line entering my viewing site (and another one leaving it, but that was only due to a car needing to be towed off of the narrow back road), and a few spots where traffic slowed on the freeways because people couldn't/wouldn't maintain speed on changing grades.


iPhone

I heard from several friends that it took around 7-8 hours to drive from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City, usually a 3 hour drive.

As usual, Randall is right on.

https://xkcd.com/1880/ (https://xkcd.com/1880/)

Here's what it looked like near Princeton, KY. It got too dark for my camera to take a good picture, but you can see how dark it really got.

(https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21032504_297385850670281_8015101249674615770_n.jpg?oh=01576f20ddc54c84912c6242ddb6d917&oe=5A2DCB3B)

My camera isn't the best as it picked up a lot of glow, but you can tell there is something in the middle of the glow.

(https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20993065_297385790670287_3105913270021139904_n.jpg?oh=f8b8b10495cdf910662fd4b36ff8b3cf&oe=5A60CEA6)

In the day time (or when the sun is not hiding behind the moon in this case) the area looked more like this.

(https://scontent-dft4-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21034254_297387134003486_6244579034144803566_n.jpg?oh=297a3a45df66c4aaf8f4ea2f38cbe7e8&oe=5A2D5192)

Quote from: Duke87 on August 22, 2017, 10:01:41 PM
Looks like there were several impromptu eclipse-viewing road meets, though ours in McMinnville, TN probably had the largest turnout of them with 7 people (9 if you include the 2 in utero).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPTzoLxi.jpg&hash=2cf3db962bccc8b8678b312ed2940b0da1bbdb97)

Left to right: Anthony Costanzo (NY), Alyssa Torres (NY), Brian Rawson-Ketchum (MI), Cody Goodman (AL), Katie Goodman (AL), Steph Illyes (TN), Jason Illyes (TN).

Nice!  Though neither the Sun or the Moon will provide much help.

Quote from: empirestate on August 22, 2017, 01:40:45 AM
I was right at the point of greatest eclipse (Cerulean, KY). It was astounding.


iPhone

My parents were in an Amish farmer's field there.  Paid $25 for the privilege.

I settled for a few seconds less in Tennessee...without the traffic (took them 9 hours to get to Winchester!).

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 23, 2017, 12:18:58 AM
I heard from several friends that it took around 7-8 hours to drive from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City, usually a 3 hour drive.

Yeah, my brother-in-law was catching a flight in Salt Lake after the eclipse, after 8pm, and missed it.
I traveled to Rexburg for the eclipse, but no time for a road trip - booked flights in and out of Idaho Falls Regional Airport. And it still took 1:15 to drive from Rexburg down to Idaho Falls.

Seriously, I had all my photos taken after about 90 seconds. The rest was just gravy.

The Jul 22, 2009 TSE over Iwo Jima island (Japan), site of a historic battle during WW2 (my maternal grandpa, a Marine, was in the battle, but based in on a ship on the beach), this eclipse had the longest totality in the 21st century so far (every 18 years, the moon in apogee/perigee-not sure, can be the longest like 5-7 minutes in greatest duration).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l78Y_WeTLY0

Quote from: Desert Man on August 25, 2017, 10:36:06 AM
The Jul 22, 2009 TSE over Iwo Jima island (Japan), site of a historic battle during WW2 (my maternal grandpa, a Marine, was in the battle, but based in on a ship on the beach), this eclipse had the longest totality in the 21st century so far (every 18 years, the moon in apogee/perigee-not sure, can be the longest like 5-7 minutes in greatest duration).

The orbits of the Moon around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun, are not completely circular, so the apparent size of the Moon and Sun can vary considerably as viewed from the Earth.  About 56% of eclipses are annular, meaning that the apparent size of the Moon is less than that of Sun.

The longest historical total eclipse lasted 7 minutes 28 seconds on June 15, 744BC. The longest eclipse theoretically possible for the 3rd millennium is 7 minutes and 32 seconds.

Quote from: Beltway on August 25, 2017, 01:28:01 PM
The longest historical total eclipse lasted 7 minutes 28 seconds on June 15, 744BC.

Within history as defined by the years homo sapiens has walked the Earth, sure, but in all of history?

The average distance between the earth and the moon increases by about an 1.5" a year. The sun slowly, gradually expands as it ages as well. So this would imply that eclipses a few hundred million years ago may have lasted longer.

On the other hand, the closer moon would also have moved faster relative to Earth, so...

I'm finally back after parked at a Walmart and battling the Southern heat for 6 hours at White House, TN. Had 2:40 of totality, which I have captured with a cell phone camera (unfortunately). They didn't turn out great, because I forgot to adjust exposure, but they're good. I'll post these if I can get a Flickr account up and running.

Quote from: Beltway on August 25, 2017, 01:28:01 PM

Quote from: Desert Man on August 25, 2017, 10:36:06 AM
The Jul 22, 2009 TSE over Iwo Jima island (Japan), site of a historic battle during WW2 (my maternal grandpa, a Marine, was in the battle, but based in on a ship on the beach), this eclipse had the longest totality in the 21st century so far (every 18 years, the moon in apogee/perigee-not sure, can be the longest like 5-7 minutes in greatest duration).

The orbits of the Moon around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun, are not completely circular, so the apparent size of the Moon and Sun can vary considerably as viewed from the Earth.  About 56% of eclipses are annular, meaning that the apparent size of the Moon is less than that of Sun.

The longest historical total eclipse lasted 7 minutes 28 seconds on June 15, 744BC. The longest eclipse theoretically possible for the 3rd millennium is 7 minutes and 32 seconds.

There will be a total eclipse lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds on July 16, 2186, which will be the longest total eclipse between 4000 BC and 8000 AD.

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 26, 2017, 01:44:52 AM
There will be a total eclipse lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds on July 16, 2186, which will be the longest total eclipse between 4000 BC and 8000 AD.

Can't wait! I hope to live to the ripe old age of 194 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_July_16,_2186).

(I'm currently 12.89% of the way there!) :D

Quote from: noelbotevera on August 25, 2017, 07:29:20 PM
I'm finally back after parked at a Walmart and battling the Southern heat for 6 hours at White House, TN. Had 2:40 of totality, which I have captured with a cell phone camera (unfortunately). They didn't turn out great, because I forgot to adjust exposure, but they're good. I'll post these if I can get a Flickr account up and running.

Glad you and your family made it ok, I live 40 minutes south east of White House but some of us ended up at McMinnville to watch the eclipse

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on August 26, 2017, 01:58:37 AM

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 26, 2017, 01:44:52 AM
There will be a total eclipse lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds on July 16, 2186, which will be the longest total eclipse between 4000 BC and 8000 AD.

Can't wait! I hope to live to the ripe old age of 194 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_July_16,_2186).

(I'm currently 12.89% of the way there!) :D

I'll be 183 then....ouch.

Quote from: jpi on August 26, 2017, 09:25:07 AM

Quote from: noelbotevera on August 25, 2017, 07:29:20 PM
I'm finally back after parked at a Walmart and battling the Southern heat for 6 hours at White House, TN. Had 2:40 of totality, which I have captured with a cell phone camera (unfortunately). They didn't turn out great, because I forgot to adjust exposure, but they're good. I'll post these if I can get a Flickr account up and running.

Glad you and your family made it ok, I live 40 minutes south east of White House but some of us ended up at McMinnville to watch the eclipse

I was very close to going to White House, but was worried about parking. Was the lot full of RVs, or were there plenty of spots?

Quote from: cl94 on August 26, 2017, 01:13:01 PM

Quote from: jpi on August 26, 2017, 09:25:07 AM

Quote from: noelbotevera on August 25, 2017, 07:29:20 PM
I'm finally back after parked at a Walmart and battling the Southern heat for 6 hours at White House, TN. Had 2:40 of totality, which I have captured with a cell phone camera (unfortunately). They didn't turn out great, because I forgot to adjust exposure, but they're good. I'll post these if I can get a Flickr account up and running.

Glad you and your family made it ok, I live 40 minutes south east of White House but some of us ended up at McMinnville to watch the eclipse

I was very close to going to White House, but was worried about parking. Was the lot full of RVs, or were there plenty of spots?

The left half (rows 9-13 or so) were full of RVs, but there were still spots where we parked (row 8), and probably a few more if I decided to explore a bit more. The lot never came to full capacity anyways.

Had we not been able to park at that Walmart, there were restaurants and a park in the vicinity with a decent number of spaces.

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 26, 2017, 01:44:52 AM

Quote from: Beltway on August 25, 2017, 01:28:01 PM

Quote from: Desert Man on August 25, 2017, 10:36:06 AM
The Jul 22, 2009 TSE over Iwo Jima island (Japan), site of a historic battle during WW2 (my maternal grandpa, a Marine, was in the battle, but based in on a ship on the beach), this eclipse had the longest totality in the 21st century so far (every 18 years, the moon in apogee/perigee-not sure, can be the longest like 5-7 minutes in greatest duration).

The orbits of the Moon around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun, are not completely circular, so the apparent size of the Moon and Sun can vary considerably as viewed from the Earth.  About 56% of eclipses are annular, meaning that the apparent size of the Moon is less than that of Sun.

The longest historical total eclipse lasted 7 minutes 28 seconds on June 15, 744BC. The longest eclipse theoretically possible for the 3rd millennium is 7 minutes and 32 seconds.

There will be a total eclipse lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds on July 16, 2186, which will be the longest total eclipse between 4000 BC and 8000 AD.

I'll put it in my calendar.

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 26, 2017, 01:44:52 AM

Quote from: Beltway on August 25, 2017, 01:28:01 PM

Quote from: Desert Man on August 25, 2017, 10:36:06 AM
The Jul 22, 2009 TSE over Iwo Jima island (Japan), site of a historic battle during WW2 (my maternal grandpa, a Marine, was in the battle, but based in on a ship on the beach), this eclipse had the longest totality in the 21st century so far (every 18 years, the moon in apogee/perigee-not sure, can be the longest like 5-7 minutes in greatest duration).

The orbits of the Moon around the Earth, and the Earth around the Sun, are not completely circular, so the apparent size of the Moon and Sun can vary considerably as viewed from the Earth.  About 56% of eclipses are annular, meaning that the apparent size of the Moon is less than that of Sun.

The longest historical total eclipse lasted 7 minutes 28 seconds on June 15, 744BC. The longest eclipse theoretically possible for the 3rd millennium is 7 minutes and 32 seconds.

There will be a total eclipse lasting 7 minutes and 29 seconds on July 16, 2186, which will be the longest total eclipse between 4000 BC and 8000 AD.

Oh damn, I'm busy that  day.  :bigass:

Quote from: Rothman on August 24, 2017, 10:52:41 AM

Quote from: empirestate on August 22, 2017, 01:40:45 AM
I was right at the point of greatest eclipse (Cerulean, KY). It was astounding.


iPhone

My parents were in an Amish farmer's field there.  Paid $25 for the privilege.

Amish field, yep, that's it. I paid $35, though–didn't want to commit to the advance sale, since I was already bailing on a pre-paid viewing spot in Missouri.

My counterpart in western Kentucky told me there were some farmers in that area who opted not to sow or plant their crops this year, thinking they could rent parking or camping spots for the eclipse and make more money doing that than in an entire growing season of farming.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 27, 2017, 09:37:38 PM
My counterpart in western Kentucky told me there were some farmers in that area who opted not to sow or plant their crops this year, thinking they could rent parking or camping spots for the eclipse and make more money doing that than in an entire growing season of farming.

I doubt that was realized.  Even with the few hundred people in the field, that is less than $10,000.  Not exactly a living.

On top of that, it wasn't like places were closed to parking, like schools and cemeteries.  My parents said free parking was quite available in Hopkinsville, despite the hype.

Farmer's probably regretting that decision.

I found this link on humorist Dave Barry's blog:

People put sunscreen on their eyeballs during the eclipse and it didn't go well. (http://www.ibtimes.com/people-put-sunscreen-eyes-during-eclipse-it-didnt-go-well-2582709)

Quote
Several people in California received medical care after they put sunscreen in their eyes during Monday's total solar eclipse, reported ABC-affiliate KRCR Tuesday.

Nurse Practitioner Trish Patterson from Prestige Urgent Care in Redding, California, said none of their patients came in with eye damage from the eclipse, but a few had pain after putting sunscreen on their eyeballs in lieu of protective glasses.

"One of my colleagues at moonlight here stated yesterday that they had patients presenting at their clinic that they put sunscreen on their eyeball, and presented that they were having pain and they were referred to an ophthalmologist,"  Patterson said.

Considering the number of people who microwaved their iPhones to recharge the batteries (https://www.cnbc.com/2014/09/24/fake-microwave-charging-ad-enrages-apple-ios8-users.html) a few years ago, I'm prepared to completely believe this.

Quote from: wanderer2575 on August 27, 2017, 10:32:58 PM
I found this link on humorist Dave Barry's blog:

People put sunscreen on their eyeballs during the eclipse and it didn't go well. (http://www.ibtimes.com/people-put-sunscreen-eyes-during-eclipse-it-didnt-go-well-2582709)

Quote
Several people in California received medical care after they put sunscreen in their eyes during Monday's total solar eclipse, reported ABC-affiliate KRCR Tuesday.

Nurse Practitioner Trish Patterson from Prestige Urgent Care in Redding, California, said none of their patients came in with eye damage from the eclipse, but a few had pain after putting sunscreen on their eyeballs in lieu of protective glasses.

"One of my colleagues at moonlight here stated yesterday that they had patients presenting at their clinic that they put sunscreen on their eyeball, and presented that they were having pain and they were referred to an ophthalmologist,"  Patterson said.

Considering the number of people who microwaved their iPhones to recharge the batteries (https://www.cnbc.com/2014/09/24/fake-microwave-charging-ad-enrages-apple-ios8-users.html) a few years ago, I'm prepared to completely believe this.

That is just stupid.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on August 27, 2017, 11:50:04 PM
That is just stupid.

"Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."  – George Carlin

Quote from: ilpt4u on August 21, 2017, 05:35:31 PM

Quote from: ilpt4u on August 21, 2017, 02:13:38 PM
Got a big cloud in front of the eclipse where I am in Carbobdale...:(

Follow up, the Totality did appear in a gap in the clouds for a good 60-90 seconds where I was in Carbondale. My phone's camera didn't do in justice. Straight up awesome.

Glad you lucked out, but also glad I eventually leaned away from Carbondale myself! I'd been considering it strongly as the forecast progressed, but that danged cloud cover just kept shifting eastward with every report!

Quote from: Jim on August 21, 2017, 08:12:21 PM
In Grand Island, Nebraska, the weather cooperated and we got an absolutely spectacular show.  No luck really getting my own pictures of the eclipse itself, but I can now confirm that a total eclipse is thousands of times more impressive than any partial.  Get in the shadow in 2024.

Absolutely agree with that sentiment. The difference is like–forgive me–night and day.

I wonder how they fared in Beatrice, after all? I ruled that one out pretty early, and I was never going to make it as far west as Grand Island.

Quote from: US 41 on August 22, 2017, 12:11:26 AM
I went to Princeton, KY and went northwest a little bit out to the middle of no where on a dead end road (Craig Cemetery Road). This was my first solar eclipse and it was definitely one the neatest things I've ever witnessed.

I got on the interactive NASA map and it turns out I was only 2 miles from the greatest point of totality. It says it lasted 2 minutes and 39.8 seconds. For anyone that's curious the line of greatest totality only lasted 0.3 seconds longer than where I was at.

Greatest totality is where I was at, in Cerulean. We got–yeah, that sounds right, 2 minutes 40.1 seconds. Note that that's not the longest anyone got, however. Greatest totality refers to the apparent size of the moon or its shadow, but greatest duration is at a slightly different spot, in Makanda IL near Carbondale. (What's weird is that, if you were west of me in Princeton, you should have gotten a longer eclipse than I did, not a shorter one!)

QuoteLuckily I didn't have to deal with any traffic at all except for at the US 41 Ohio River bridges where there was a huge backup due to the construction. After the eclipse I went to the Ohio / Mississippi confluence and visited an Indian mound near by. On the way back to Terre Haute there was some traffic in Marion, IL due to a wreck probably, but I did an illegal U turn. I wasn't going to just sit on the interstate.

That was one of my great surprises: the lack of traffic in the area. In the evening, I know I-69/Pennyrile was jammed out of Hopkinsville, but I didn't go that way. In the morning (coming down from your own hometown), Google showed all kinds of slowdowns on Princeton Pike and other minor spots. I made a point to avoid the pike, but even when I crossed it, I found that none of the displayed slowdowns actually existed. I literally hit no backups at all until halfway down the country road where my viewing site was. Maybe 500' of traffic, just as we entered the field. So I'm guessing that what Google displayed was data from just a few scattered users who happened to get slowed up, but that had vanished by the time I came along.

Quote from: Rothman on August 27, 2017, 09:53:44 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 27, 2017, 09:37:38 PM
My counterpart in western Kentucky told me there were some farmers in that area who opted not to sow or plant their crops this year, thinking they could rent parking or camping spots for the eclipse and make more money doing that than in an entire growing season of farming.

I doubt that was realized.  Even with the few hundred people in the field, that is less than $10,000.  Not exactly a living.

On top of that, it wasn't like places were closed to parking, like schools and cemeteries.  My parents said free parking was quite available in Hopkinsville, despite the hype.

Farmer's probably regretting that decision.

I'm thinking it has a lot to do with one's own business acumen. Where I went, every little place with any kind of field, or even front lawn, was offering viewing sites for between $15 and $30. But did anyone actually take them up on that? Yes, I paid for a site, but I went somewhere that had an informative website and appeared well-organized and relatively well-equipped (which bore out, for the most part). It didn't look like the morning crowd was streaming into just any available spot they happened by; maybe there was a crush near totality time?

So, a farmer doing a good business might not have benefitted by plowing under all his fields, but one who was struggling at his crops but savvy at putting up a website might have. (And really, I doubt we're talking about withholding an entire farm's crops–just a field or two that maybe weren't due to be profitable anyhow.)

Quote from: empirestate on August 28, 2017, 09:20:15 AM
I'm thinking it has a lot to do with one's own business acumen. Where I went, every little place with any kind of field, or even front lawn, was offering viewing sites for between $15 and $30. But did anyone actually take them up on that? Yes, I paid for a site, but I went somewhere that had an informative website and appeared well-organized and relatively well-equipped (which bore out, for the most part). It didn't look like the morning crowd was streaming into just any available spot they happened by; maybe there was a crush near totality time?

My brother had picked the Watts Bar boat ramp site where we viewed it, but on the way down TN 58 from Kingston, we saw two or three empty church parking lots that we planned to come back to should the boat ramp parking lot be full. Once we turned onto TN 68, we saw a couple of churches that were offering parking spots (one for $20 and was selling concessions). So some chose to try to make money while others didn't.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 28, 2017, 08:33:00 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 28, 2017, 09:20:15 AM
I'm thinking it has a lot to do with one's own business acumen. Where I went, every little place with any kind of field, or even front lawn, was offering viewing sites for between $15 and $30. But did anyone actually take them up on that? Yes, I paid for a site, but I went somewhere that had an informative website and appeared well-organized and relatively well-equipped (which bore out, for the most part). It didn't look like the morning crowd was streaming into just any available spot they happened by; maybe there was a crush near totality time?

My brother had picked the Watts Bar boat ramp site where we viewed it, but on the way down TN 58 from Kingston, we saw two or three empty church parking lots that we planned to come back to should the boat ramp parking lot be full. Once we turned onto TN 68, we saw a couple of churches that were offering parking spots (one for $20 and was selling concessions). So some chose to try to make money while others didn't.

There was no charge at the Monroe County Airport where a group of us from Richmond Astronomical Society gathered.  One of the guys contacted the manager in advance.  Excellent site to view the event.  There were several dozen observers, probably 2/3 were from planes that landed that morning for the  express purpose of seeing the total eclipse.  From the roads the airport was very hard to find, no sign on the main highways, never could find it on OnStar, had to get a paper map of the Madisonville area at a convenience store.

We of RAS collectively had the best astronomical gear and the most scientific knowledge about the event, and were glad to share it with others, and a variety of people did come over to ask questions.

Quote from: hbelkins on August 28, 2017, 08:33:00 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 28, 2017, 09:20:15 AM
I'm thinking it has a lot to do with one's own business acumen. Where I went, every little place with any kind of field, or even front lawn, was offering viewing sites for between $15 and $30. But did anyone actually take them up on that? Yes, I paid for a site, but I went somewhere that had an informative website and appeared well-organized and relatively well-equipped (which bore out, for the most part). It didn't look like the morning crowd was streaming into just any available spot they happened by; maybe there was a crush near totality time?

My brother had picked the Watts Bar boat ramp site where we viewed it, but on the way down TN 58 from Kingston, we saw two or three empty church parking lots that we planned to come back to should the boat ramp parking lot be full. Once we turned onto TN 68, we saw a couple of churches that were offering parking spots (one for $20 and was selling concessions). So some chose to try to make money while others didn't.

And among those who did, some were better at it than others, no doubt!

Quote from: empirestate on August 29, 2017, 01:32:35 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 28, 2017, 08:33:00 PM
So some chose to try to make money while others didn't.

And among those who did, some were better at it than others, no doubt!

Indeed. Someone with a normally free parking lot who charged a few bucks, made a few bucks. A farmer who decided to let a field lay fallow in order to sell plots in it to campers lost money because their income from those sales would not have been sufficient to offset the opportunity cost of not having crops to sell.

Quote from: Duke87 on August 29, 2017, 07:08:37 PM

Quote from: empirestate on August 29, 2017, 01:32:35 AM

Quote from: hbelkins on August 28, 2017, 08:33:00 PM
So some chose to try to make money while others didn't.

And among those who did, some were better at it than others, no doubt!

Indeed. Someone with a normally free parking lot who charged a few bucks, made a few bucks. A farmer who decided to let a field lay fallow in order to sell plots in it to campers lost money because their income from those sales would not have been sufficient to offset the opportunity cost of not having crops to sell.

Well, unless that field was never going to produce a viable crop anyway. Farmers have many fields, and not all of them are in use at all times. I doubt that any of these farmers, apocryphal though they may be, actually plowed under their entire land!

But even if they did, the one who got word out, put together a web site, got his field listed on the official list of viewing sites, and booked up a number of advance sales made more money than the one who just slapped up a plywood sign and hoped for passersby. That's the comparison I'm making.

From Sacramento Bee:

A 10-year-old went to Oregon to see the eclipse. His school declared him a truant.

QuoteA family trip to see the total solar eclipse in Oregon this year resulted in a letter from Breen Elementary School declaring a Rocklin 10-year-old a truant after he missed three days early in the school year.

The letter warned Richard and Lilia Wilson that they must ensure their son attends school after he accrued the unexcused absences. A list of potential ramifications included the school seeking prosecution of both parents and their son if they don't comply, which is allowed under the state's education code.

FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://markholtz.info/1pi)

Poor kid, having school start by the middle of August.

When I took my student out of school for 8 days for an astronomical event in 2012, all I had to do was tell the principal it was an educational trip, which it was.

Quote from: ZLoth on October 07, 2017, 02:11:57 AM
From Sacramento Bee:

A 10-year-old went to Oregon to see the eclipse. His school declared him a truant.

QuoteA family trip to see the total solar eclipse in Oregon this year resulted in a letter from Breen Elementary School declaring a Rocklin 10-year-old a truant after he missed three days early in the school year.

The letter warned Richard and Lilia Wilson that they must ensure their son attends school after he accrued the unexcused absences. A list of potential ramifications included the school seeking prosecution of both parents and their son if they don't comply, which is allowed under the state's education code.

FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://markholtz.info/1pi)

Some schools are big dicks. I had a classmate miss a week of school to visit family in tiwan when I was in elementry school. He blogged about it and it was really cool to see. We got to comment on his blog and he personally responded to me :D.

Quote from: empirestate on August 28, 2017, 09:20:15 AM
I wonder how they fared in Beatrice, after all? I ruled that one out pretty early, and I was never going to make it as far west as Grand Island.

Very late to this thread ----- but I happened to see the eclipse from Beatrice.  Chautauqua Park on the southern end of town.  There were more clouds than sun, and we had to dodge a quick rain shower around 10 AM CT.   But you could still see the eclipse, it was still very dramatic even despite the clouds.

I saw full totality in Spring City, Tennessee. What a wonderful little town and a great experience! I can post photos if anyone wants to see them.

I would like to see your pictures.

I never get tired of them.

Quote from: US 81 on February 12, 2018, 06:52:00 PM
I would like to see your pictures.

I never get tired of them.

How do I post photos? Can you help? :spin:

Quote from: Jordanes on February 13, 2018, 05:55:43 AM

Quote from: US 81 on February 12, 2018, 06:52:00 PM
I would like to see your pictures.

I never get tired of them.

How do I post photos? Can you help? :spin:

Upload them to Flickr or Imgur, then use the link there. (Do NOT use Photobucket, though.)

Quote from: 1 on February 13, 2018, 06:20:25 AM

Quote from: Jordanes on February 13, 2018, 05:55:43 AM

Quote from: US 81 on February 12, 2018, 06:52:00 PM
I would like to see your pictures.

I never get tired of them.

How do I post photos? Can you help? :spin:

Upload them to Flickr or Imgur, then use the link there. (Do NOT use Photobucket, though.)

I hope this works...

https://imgur.com/a/puPyH

Quote from: Jordanes on February 13, 2018, 07:05:14 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 13, 2018, 06:20:25 AM

Quote from: Jordanes on February 13, 2018, 05:55:43 AM

Quote from: US 81 on February 12, 2018, 06:52:00 PM
I would like to see your pictures.

I never get tired of them.

How do I post photos? Can you help? :spin:

Upload them to Flickr or Imgur, then use the link there. (Do NOT use Photobucket, though.)

I hope this works...

https://imgur.com/a/puPyH

You can embed photos onto this forum, too. It doesn't have to be a link.

just not photobucket (They hate that!)

Quote from: Jordanes on February 13, 2018, 07:05:14 PM

Quote from: 1 on February 13, 2018, 06:20:25 AM

Quote from: Jordanes on February 13, 2018, 05:55:43 AM

Quote from: US 81 on February 12, 2018, 06:52:00 PM
I would like to see your pictures.

I never get tired of them.

How do I post photos? Can you help? :spin:

Upload them to Flickr or Imgur, then use the link there. (Do NOT use Photobucket, though.)

I hope this works...

https://imgur.com/a/puPyH

Very cool pics - thanks for sharing.