AARoads Forum

The countdown is on! In approximately 400 days, a swath of the US will experience a total solar eclipse for just the second time in recent history, and the first time since 2017. I figured it's time to start a thread for us to share viewing plans and, when the time comes, viewing experiences. A map of the eclipse's path can be found here: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8

The following cities/metro areas are on or near the centerline of the eclipse's path:
Waco, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Cleveland, OH
Erie, PA
Buffalo, NY
Rochester, NY
Sherbrooke, QC

The following cities/metro areas are at least partially in the path of totality, but closer to the edge(s):
San Antonio, TX
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Fort Worth, TX
Little Rock, AR
Evansville, IN
Dayton, OH
Columbus, OH
Toledo, OH
Syracuse, NY
Hamilton, ON
Montreal, QC

The US/Canada border from just south of Detroit to northern Maine is also in the path of totality.

I lucked into seeing the 2017 eclipse. I had a trip planned to drive down to Orlando, and a few weeks before leaving, I read about the eclipse online. Well it turns out our overnight stay in Nashville was timed perfectly to see it! (my Dad couldn't figure out why the hotels were so expensive that night :-D). There were some clouds in the sky that afternoon, but thankfully the eclipse weather worked out. It was a really cool experience and I've been excited for the 2024 ever since. :)

Here's a great link for a weather analysis along the 2024 eclipse path, focusing on the probability of overcast skies:
https://eclipsophile.com/2024tse/ (https://eclipsophile.com/2024tse/)

I'm still undecided on what I'll do for 2024. The eclipse path comes pretty close to Kitchener, but early April doesn't have the best outlook weather-wise. Also, the eclipse would be a good reason for me to visit Mexico for the first time. Luckily I still have time to think about it.

For the 2017 Eclipse (http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html), I traveled two days and had hotel rooms about an hour north of Smith's Ferry (center line of the path) for the eclipse. It was, quite simply, two minutes of AWESOME!!! Ironically, that also was the first day of school for many kids in the area. :wow: There were folks who planned their vacation around this event also.

As for 2024 Eclipse (http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2024_GoogleMapFull.html), I'm right on the edge of the eclipse line, and plan on taking the day off work. This will be the last solar elipse in the continental United States until (I believe) 2045. There are cruises out there just for eclipses.

I'm going to head up to NW Vermont to see it the day of.

Fairly certain we've had this thread before...
At any rate, I think I'm going to try driving to somewhere in Texas to see this.

Quote from: US 89 on March 05, 2023, 09:35:23 AM
Fairly certain we've had this thread before...

https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=32064.0 was about a possible viewing meet in southern Illinois, though the discussion went far afield.

I might drive down to check this out, Indy's only about 90 mins away. I may though chill in an open field somewhere, don't care to be stuck in gridlocks on the main routes

Also worth noting: totality will be quite a bit longer during this eclipse than it was during the 2017 eclipse. That one peaked at 2m 40s. This one will be over four minutes in some places, and around 3m 40s here in the Rochester area.

I am hoping to head to Texas or Arkansas for the eclipse, fitting some clinching around a long road trip at that time. I was in the path of totality near Salem, OR for 2017 and it was an amazing experience...seeing a sunset in all directions and feeling the sharp drop in temperature when totality set in was too much fun.

There will be other eclipses in the 2040s, including a total eclipse that will hit Montana and North Dakota on August 23, 2044.

Question: from Amherst, where is the closest place where you can see even a small part of the eclipse? It's on a monday so I will likely have school, but wondering if I can see anything nearby at all.

So, I won't see it. LOL

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 05, 2023, 08:17:22 PM
Question: from Amherst, where is the closest place where you can see even a small part of the eclipse? It's on a monday so I will likely have school, but wondering if I can see anything nearby at all.

You're in luck! Amherst, NY will see totality for approx. 3m 45s ...


Oh. From Amherst, MA, your best bet would be to head north/northwest. If you're looking for the shortest drive time, your options are roughly:
-Syracuse via I-90
-Schroon Lake, NY via I-87
-Montpelier via I-89
-St. Johnsbury via I-91

Probably one of the last two would be closest, but you're looking at a few hours drive no matter what.

Huh.  Surprised roadgeekteen didn't specify the state.  Locals know it's Amherst without the H in MA and AmHHHHHurst in NY.  Back in days of yore, the high schools did exchanges of various kinds.  That got ended, I believe, due to some raucous parties or something like that.  Wonder if the tradition started up again.

Quote from: Rothman on March 05, 2023, 11:10:43 PM
Huh.  Surprised roadgeekteen didn't specify the state.  Locals know it's Amherst without the H in MA and AmHHHHHurst in NY.  Back in days of yore, the high schools did exchanges of various kinds.  That got ended, I believe, due to some raucous parties or something like that.  Wonder if the tradition started up again.

I forgot that New York had an Amherst.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 05, 2023, 11:40:52 PM

Quote from: Rothman on March 05, 2023, 11:10:43 PM
Huh.  Surprised roadgeekteen didn't specify the state.  Locals know it's Amherst without the H in MA and AmHHHHHurst in NY.  Back in days of yore, the high schools did exchanges of various kinds.  That got ended, I believe, due to some raucous parties or something like that.  Wonder if the tradition started up again.

I forgot that New York had an Amherst.

Shame!

Quote from: Rothman on March 05, 2023, 11:42:16 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 05, 2023, 11:40:52 PM

Quote from: Rothman on March 05, 2023, 11:10:43 PM
Huh.  Surprised roadgeekteen didn't specify the state.  Locals know it's Amherst without the H in MA and AmHHHHHurst in NY.  Back in days of yore, the high schools did exchanges of various kinds.  That got ended, I believe, due to some raucous parties or something like that.  Wonder if the tradition started up again.

I forgot that New York had an Amherst.

Shame!

I looked it up and Amherst NY has 129 thousand people. WTF that's twice the size of Utica.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 05, 2023, 11:47:13 PM

Quote from: Rothman on March 05, 2023, 11:42:16 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 05, 2023, 11:40:52 PM

Quote from: Rothman on March 05, 2023, 11:10:43 PM
Huh.  Surprised roadgeekteen didn't specify the state.  Locals know it's Amherst without the H in MA and AmHHHHHurst in NY.  Back in days of yore, the high schools did exchanges of various kinds.  That got ended, I believe, due to some raucous parties or something like that.  Wonder if the tradition started up again.

I forgot that New York had an Amherst.

Shame!

I looked it up and Amherst NY has 129 thousand people. WTF that's twice the size of Utica.

All the more reason for shame.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 05, 2023, 11:47:13 PM
I looked it up and Amherst NY has 129 thousand people. WTF that's twice the size of Utica.

Yup. It's Buffalo's largest suburb, and I believe the only suburb in all of upstate NY with a population over 100k (although Greece is close).

If anyone is planning on day-tripping to be under the total eclipse, prepare for the worst traffic you ever thought possible.

I was out in western Nebraska for 2017 and all these rural two-lane routes that are normally several minutes between vehicles driving by were bumper-to-bumper.  Easily the most traffic those particular roads had ever seen and will ever see.  My advice is, wherever you set up to watch, just chill out there for a few hours and let everything clear out.  Why put up with the hassle?  Bring a portable grill and cook out. Have some lawn chairs, especially the kind that lean way back, fill a cooler with some taste beverages and settle in.

If you can make it, totally do it.  It's pretty cool, both metaphorically and literally.  After about a minute of totality you start to notice, "Hey is it getting cooler?"  You wind up talking with the folks around you, snacks get traded, beverages get shared.  It's a rare collective experience you will never forget.  I even saw some disaffected teenagers who were clearly dragged along for the trip to rural Nebraska snap out of their cell phone immersed existence and have a real, profound moment.
There's something very primal about gathering with thousands of other humans in the middle of nowhere and all simultaneously cheering the eclipse at the moment totality begins.  You feel connected to something ancient.  Like this is some kind of ritual our ancestors would do long before the invention of science or monotheism.  That sounds a little pretentious and stupid in writing, but maybe you'll have a similar feeling after you experience one.

Yeah I heard similar stories from my chaser friends in 2017. Many brought a lunch/dinner with them and just chilled for a bit to let traffic lighten up. I will probably do the same

Quote from: triplemultiplex on March 07, 2023, 10:38:29 AM
If anyone is planning on day-tripping to be under the total eclipse, prepare for the worst traffic you ever thought possible.

Your post is getting me excited already. I'm very fortunate that I won't have to travel, but I am expecting an influx of viewers from other areas.

Looking at the map of the eclipse's path, here are some way-too-early traffic hot spots:

• Niagara Peninsula, ON: influx of viewers from the Toronto area which is mostly just north of the path all heading to a somewhat small area; Hamilton is on the edge of the path, and Fort Erie (near the US border) is right near the centerline
• Syracuse, NY: influx of viewers from the south (Binghamton, Scranton, Philly) east (Utica, Albany, parts of MA) and southeast (NYC area); because of Lake Ontario, many east coast viewers will travel through Syracuse even if they're viewing the eclipse elsewhere
• Toledo, OH: influx of viewers from the north (Detroit area and elsewhere in MI) and west (South Bend, Chicago, etc.); similar to above, Lake Erie will force a lot of eclipse travelers through Toledo even if they're viewing elsewhere
• Indianapolis, IN: influx of viewers from the Chicago area, Cincinnati, and Louisville; the south side of the Indy area is right in the center of the path and will have over 4 minutes of totality, slightly more than points north and east
• Texas: nothing stands out to me here since eclipse viewers from Houston can split west towards Austin/San Antonio or north towards Dallas/Fort Worth, but no doubt Texas will be a popular place to view the eclipse given the longer totality times, warmer weather, and higher chance of clear conditions

Quote from: triplemultiplex on March 07, 2023, 10:38:29 AM
If anyone is planning on day-tripping to be under the total eclipse, prepare for the worst traffic you ever thought possible.

My youngest son (he was in college) and I went from Evansville to Southern Illinois to look at the eclipse from the ferry parking lot at Cave-in-Rock, IL.  I knew better than to go across the US 41 bridges to Kentucky, since they were all backed up, but practically no traffic from Evansville west into Illinois and then down south.  You just have to pick your locations wisely, and figure out what the "choke points" for traffic would be and just come up with another option that will get you in the middle of the band.  I would suggest for 2024 that if you are in the mid-west, you might look at areas such as Vincennes, IN

I didn't experience a whole lot of heavy traffic when I went to the last eclipse.  Didn't hit any on the way down to TN, except for a construction detour along I-81 in Buchanan, VA.

Only hit a couple of short jams heading out.

The cost of me going to a place to see totality what wasn't at the greatest eclipse point was a few seconds of time.

So, there are a lot of possibilities in that totality stripe where you don't have to be where the crowds are.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on March 05, 2023, 08:17:22 PM
Question: from Amherst, where is the closest place where you can see even a small part of the eclipse? It's on a monday so I will likely have school, but wondering if I can see anything nearby at all.

I intend to cancel my class and get into the shadow.

Re: the traffic.  I was in Nebraska for 2017 started the morning near Omaha and watched the eclipse in Grand Island.  We easily avoided busy I-80 via a pretty much empty US 34 on the way out.  Took US 30 back, and had no delays of any significance.

I had a decent experience seeing the 2017 eclipse. Met my brother in London, we headed down I-75 for a boat ramp parking lot in Tennessee. Traffic wasn't bad except for a jam-up on I-40/I-75 west of Knoxville. We got to the viewing spot with plenty of time to spare. Afterwards, we got in some traffic approaching US 27, but once we got on 27 we didn't have any issues going to the overnight lodging spot he'd chosen near Kingston.

He's decided that for next year, we're likely going to a casino parking lot in Indiana along I-74. It's only about a two-hour drive from his place so it'll end up being a day trip.

I watched totality in 2017 from a little park near Salem, Oregon. Getting back to I-5 took 2 hours, getting through to Portland another 3 hours.

Still worth it.

I watched the 2017 eclipse from a church parking lot in Chester, Illinois. It was threatening to storm, but the clouds cleared up right on time for totality. It started pouring buckets of rain as soon as totality was over, though.  Someone I knew went to the big event in Carbondale, and ended up getting stuck overnight on I-55 on the way back. My group took back roads until we got to I-39, and we got back to Madison that night.

For the 2024 eclipse, I'm undecided whether to stay close to where I'm living now (I'm just outside the totality region, but very close). Niagara Falls is probably going to be insane. I'm thinking maybe somewhere around Port Dover instead. But, since it's in April there is the risk of it just being cloudy, so maybe it would be better to travel farther.

Quote from: algorerhythms on March 26, 2023, 07:25:40 PM
I watched the 2017 eclipse from a church parking lot in Chester, Illinois. It was threatening to storm, but the clouds cleared up right on time for totality. It started pouring buckets of rain as soon as totality was over, though.  Someone I knew went to the big event in Carbondale, and ended up getting stuck overnight on I-55 on the way back. My group took back roads until we got to I-39, and we got back to Madison that night.

For the 2024 eclipse, I'm undecided whether to stay close to where I'm living now (I'm just outside the totality region, but very close). Niagara Falls is probably going to be insane. I'm thinking maybe somewhere around Port Dover instead. But, since it's in April there is the risk of it just being cloudy, so maybe it would be better to travel farther.

Niagara Falls will be cloudy.

Quote from: algorerhythms on March 26, 2023, 07:25:40 PM
I watched the 2017 eclipse from a church parking lot in Chester, Illinois. It was threatening to storm, but the clouds cleared up right on time for totality. It started pouring buckets of rain as soon as totality was over, though.  Someone I knew went to the big event in Carbondale, and ended up getting stuck overnight on I-55 on the way back. My group took back roads until we got to I-39, and we got back to Madison that night.

For the 2024 eclipse, I'm undecided whether to stay close to where I'm living now (I'm just outside the totality region, but very close). Niagara Falls is probably going to be insane. I'm thinking maybe somewhere around Port Dover instead. But, since it's in April there is the risk of it just being cloudy, so maybe it would be better to travel farther.

If you live in or very close to the totality path, something to be said for staying close to home, letting the eclipse come to you, and hope for the best on weather.

I saw the 2017 partial eclipse from a college parking lot in Tiffin, Ohio.

I'm hoping that the weather stays nice enough that I could see the totality from exact same spot in 2024!

Considering I live very near Carbondale, was in the Totality path in 2017 and will be again in 2024

Neat how that works  :cool:

My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

It's an educational field trip!  If their teachers are any good, they'd want your kids to go.

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

Any school that counts something like that against a student needs to rethink their priorities.

A few months ago, I emailed my state representative and state senator about several things I wanted passed, one of which would be to make eclipse day a legal day off. (Massachusetts is only a few hours drive from totality.) Neither one responded.

Side note: The 2023 annular eclipse is the same day as election day in Louisiana. People living there will have to choose whether to vote or to see the eclipse in Texas.

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

Living only two hours from totality, My parents took me out of school to see the 2017 Solar Eclipse (viewed at Westphalia, MO) as an unexcused absence. No lasting repercussions resulted from it. It could vary by district, but regardless, it's worth taking the kids out of school for.

For the next eclipse, I plan to view it atop a mountain (not sure which one yet) in Arkansas. I'll book a cabin or camp close to where I chose to view it.

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

The kids were sick, weren't they?

Quote from: GaryV on May 18, 2023, 01:05:59 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

The kids were sick, weren't they?

My father took us kids up to Vermont to see a ring eclipse.  Pretty sure it still counted as excused.

With kids of my own, unexcused in their district only meant "without some sort of permission."

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

To what effect, though?

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 01:34:19 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

To what effect, though?

Unexcused absences are factored into things like scholarships and valedectorian/salutatorian selection. Our district has some very wealthy families and several years ago, some of them routinely took their kids out of school for vacations. The rules, that otherwise appear harsh, curbed that activity.

There's no actual disciplinary action until kids accumulate double digit unexcused absences.

I was born in Fort Hood and I've never been back, so the notion of going to that area (perhaps Copperas Cove, where we lived when I was born) has crossed my mind. Not sure whether that's feasible. I've had the notion of parking on the street and watching the eclipse from the sidewalk outside the house where we lived back then (if I do that, I might carry a copy of my birth certificate in case the present homeowner wonders why some random people with Virginia plates are out front).

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 01:52:25 PM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 01:34:19 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

To what effect, though?

Unexcused absences are factored into things like scholarships and valedectorian/salutatorian selection. Our district has some very wealthy families and several years ago, some of them routinely took their kids out of school for vacations. The rules, that otherwise appear harsh, curbed that activity.

There's no actual disciplinary action until kids accumulate double digit unexcused absences.

At my school every six unexcused absences deducted 10 points from your semester grade. Absences of any sort also affected exemptions from finals; you were allowed 2 if you had an A average and 1 if you had a B, otherwise you had to take the test.

Everyone who graduated from my school is still relentlessly stupid, though, so it's kind of questionable what the whole point of the exercise was.

There were no exemptions from finals in my high school

Quote from: GaryV on May 18, 2023, 01:05:59 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

The kids were sick, weren't they?

Schools aren't stupid.  They want doctors notes.  Parents have a zillion reasons to take their kids out of school and the schools have heard the sick excuse enough to know when they're real or not. 

When it comes to claiming their kids are sick, parents often forget they used the excuse that their kids are sick.  School teachers and officials...the same ones the parents friended with on social media...see them posting on social media when they're at the actual thing they're doing.  Or, when things turn bad, they have a car crash or someone actually gets sick far away from home.  And when they return, their kids are probably talking about it in school, forgetting what "illness" they had.

I lucked out for the 2017 eclipse as I watched just under two minutes of totality from my backyard in South St Louis County. I'd drive down to Cape Girardeau if I still lived in Missouri, but I now live in California which means I'll need to drive to at least Texas to watch the 2024 eclipse.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 18, 2023, 07:16:19 PM

Quote from: GaryV on May 18, 2023, 01:05:59 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

The kids were sick, weren't they?

Schools aren't stupid.  They want doctors notes.  Parents have a zillion reasons to take their kids out of school and the schools have heard the sick excuse enough to know when they're real or not. 

When it comes to claiming their kids are sick, parents often forget they used the excuse that their kids are sick.  School teachers and officials...the same ones the parents friended with on social media...see them posting on social media when they're at the actual thing they're doing.  Or, when things turn bad, they have a car crash or someone actually gets sick far away from home.  And when they return, their kids are probably talking about it in school, forgetting what "illness" they had.

Unless they're missing exams, standardized tests, or there's a major pattern of excessive truancy, most schools do not care what the reason a child will be out of school so as long as an adult calls it in. They'll call back the parents' numbers if they really feel suspicious but they're not exactly sending the principal out to check up on them.

Also, if you're under 18, you didn't see any of this.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 18, 2023, 07:16:19 PM

Quote from: GaryV on May 18, 2023, 01:05:59 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 18, 2023, 11:57:32 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on May 18, 2023, 11:41:53 AM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on May 16, 2023, 07:26:22 PM
My in-laws are in the path of totality so I imagine I'll go there. Not sure if I'll be able to get the kids out of school to take them with.

Just out of idle curiosity, what do you mean by "able"? Who's going to stop you if you just go?

Unexcused absences count against a student's record.

The kids were sick, weren't they?

Schools aren't stupid.  They want doctors notes.  Parents have a zillion reasons to take their kids out of school and the schools have heard the sick excuse enough to know when they're real or not. 

When it comes to claiming their kids are sick, parents often forget they used the excuse that their kids are sick.  School teachers and officials...the same ones the parents friended with on social media...see them posting on social media when they're at the actual thing they're doing.  Or, when things turn bad, they have a car crash or someone actually gets sick far away from home.  And when they return, their kids are probably talking about it in school, forgetting what "illness" they had.

Heh.  This seems like an extreme example of schools prioritizing attendance above all else.  My experience has been that schools don't want to spend the resources chasing leads on fake excuses.  They let the consequences of the absence -- whether positive or negative -- lie with the student.

Quote from: 1 on May 18, 2023, 12:23:54 PM
Side note: The 2023 annular eclipse is the same day as election day in Louisiana. People living there will have to choose whether to vote or to see the eclipse in Texas.

Two words: absentee ballots.

Quote from: hbelkins on May 19, 2023, 12:07:17 PM

Quote from: 1 on May 18, 2023, 12:23:54 PM
Side note: The 2023 annular eclipse is the same day as election day in Louisiana. People living there will have to choose whether to vote or to see the eclipse in Texas.

Two words: absentee ballots.

Depends on whether Louisiana requires an excuse to vote absentee, and if so what qualifies as an excuse.

Quote from: oscar on May 19, 2023, 12:39:15 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on May 19, 2023, 12:07:17 PM

Quote from: 1 on May 18, 2023, 12:23:54 PM
Side note: The 2023 annular eclipse is the same day as election day in Louisiana. People living there will have to choose whether to vote or to see the eclipse in Texas.

Two words: absentee ballots.

Depends on whether Louisiana requires an excuse to vote absentee, and if so what qualifies as an excuse.

Travel out of state usually qualifies. You aren't required to say why you are traveling.

According to a few voter's guides, it seems out-of-state travel is a valid qualifier for an absentee ballot in Louisiana.

Of course, this would be easier if we had automatic mail voting nationwide (it works just fine in states that do have it, and I can't imagine any other way). I've voted from a plane, a train, and a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, all at my leisure.

Quote from: oscar on May 19, 2023, 12:39:15 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on May 19, 2023, 12:07:17 PM

Quote from: 1 on May 18, 2023, 12:23:54 PM
Side note: The 2023 annular eclipse is the same day as election day in Louisiana. People living there will have to choose whether to vote or to see the eclipse in Texas.

Two words: absentee ballots.

Depends on whether Louisiana requires an excuse to vote absentee, and if so what qualifies as an excuse.

I'm not exactly sure what Kentucky's procedure is now, as my policy is to only vote in-person on Election Day, but in the past you could vote on a machine at the courthouse unless you were going to be away from your local county during all hours when the courthouse was closed. In that case you could vote by mail-in paper absentee.

Quote from: Bruce on May 19, 2023, 04:07:00 PMAccording to a few voter's guides, it seems out-of-state travel is a valid qualifier for an absentee ballot in Louisiana.

Of course, this would be easier if we had automatic mail voting nationwide (it works just fine in states that do have it, and I can't imagine any other way). I've voted from a plane, a train, and a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, all at my leisure.

Texas is very tight about voting absentee. The only way you can request an absentee ballot is under the following circumstances:

• Expected absence from the County during both the early voting period and election day. The ballot must be mailed to an address outside the county.
• Disability
• 65 years of age or older
• Confinement in jail and not finally convicted of a felony

Depending on the type of election, there is a one to two week "early voting" period where you can show up, present your ID, and cast your vote at any of the voting centers in your county, and usually, it's within a few minute drive. That early voting version usually includes a Saturday and sometimes a Sunday as well.

Quote from: ZLoth on May 21, 2023, 08:38:44 AM

Quote from: Bruce on May 19, 2023, 04:07:00 PMAccording to a few voter's guides, it seems out-of-state travel is a valid qualifier for an absentee ballot in Louisiana.

Of course, this would be easier if we had automatic mail voting nationwide (it works just fine in states that do have it, and I can't imagine any other way). I've voted from a plane, a train, and a rest stop in the middle of nowhere, all at my leisure.

Texas is very tight about voting absentee. The only way you can request an absentee ballot is under the following circumstances:

• Expected absence from the County during both the early voting period and election day. The ballot must be mailed to an address outside the county.
• Disability
• 65 years of age or older
• Confinement in jail and not finally convicted of a felony

Depending on the type of election, there is a one to two week "early voting" period where you can show up, present your ID, and cast your vote at any of the voting centers in your county, and usually, it's within a few minute drive. That early voting version usually includes a Saturday and sometimes a Sunday as well.

The event I'm referring to (an annular solar eclipse, not the title of this thread) is in an odd-numbered year and not on November 7. Texas won't be affected by this, since the election that day is only in Louisiana.

Sorry for completely derailing the thread.

To put this thread "back on its rails"

The 2017 eclipse happened on the day we flew to the UK, so I missed it. I was not in totality area anyway, it was a few hundred miles drive away.

I am not sure what is going on with me wrt 2024 eclipse.

I do plan to travel to see a total solar eclipse at some point, as in a few years I will be retired.
That would include traveling internationally -- e.g., a few years ago, I had considered traveling to southern Chile for a total solar eclipse.
So 2024 for me is not "make or break".
I remember there was a total solar eclipse in Nova Scotia in July (?) 1972. So it's not like I haven't waited a long time, and may have to wait longer.

===============================
To go back to annular eclipses for a moment, you would need to have a telescope filter, or look at leaf shadow, or a pinhole camera. You will not be able to look directly at the sun like you would for a total eclipse.

Local libraries in Washington are giving out free eclipse glasses (due to the upcoming annular eclipse this month). Grabbed a few, but apparently not many takers so far.

Quote from: Bruce on October 03, 2023, 06:05:02 PM
Local libraries in Washington are giving out free eclipse glasses (due to the upcoming annular eclipse this month). Grabbed a few, but apparently not many takers so far.

I'm going to write about the "wrong" eclipse here (relative to this thread), but if you read on, it will be clear why.

What happened to the (separate) tread about the Oct. 14 2023 annular eclipse (might have been titled "2023 eclipse")? It seems to have disappeared. I was wondering if anyone out west (in US) experienced this last weekend.

Quote from: tmoore952 on October 17, 2023, 07:15:40 PM

Quote from: Bruce on October 03, 2023, 06:05:02 PM
Local libraries in Washington are giving out free eclipse glasses (due to the upcoming annular eclipse this month). Grabbed a few, but apparently not many takers so far.

I'm going to write about the "wrong" eclipse here (relative to this thread), but if you read on, it will be clear why.

What happened to the (separate) tread about the Oct. 14 2023 annular eclipse (might have been titled "2023 eclipse")? It seems to have disappeared. I was wondering if anyone out west (in US) experienced this last weekend.

It's still there: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=33845.0

Under 7 weeks to the 2024 eclipse, and preparations are ramping up!

Some highly detailed info on the eclipse path and totality length/times can be found here: https://eclipse2024.org/path-north-america.html

If you're only preparing now, prices must be through the roof.

Imagine if the path is complete overcast  :-D :ded:

Quote from: ET21 on February 20, 2024, 05:10:15 PM
Imagine if the path is complete overcast  :-D :ded:

I'm only making the trek if it's expected to be clear.

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on February 20, 2024, 05:20:11 PM

Quote from: ET21 on February 20, 2024, 05:10:15 PM
Imagine if the path is complete overcast  :-D :ded:

I'm only making the trek if it's expected to be clear.

Trek to where?  The path stretches thousands of miles.

Quote from: Rothman on February 20, 2024, 05:34:15 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on February 20, 2024, 05:20:11 PM

Quote from: ET21 on February 20, 2024, 05:10:15 PM
Imagine if the path is complete overcast  :-D :ded:

I'm only making the trek if it's expected to be clear.

Trek to where?  The path stretches thousands of miles.

I saw a simulated flyover of said path yesterday, and the odds of that entire thing not being clear are next to none.

Quote from: Rothman on February 20, 2024, 05:34:15 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on February 20, 2024, 05:20:11 PM

Quote from: ET21 on February 20, 2024, 05:10:15 PM
Imagine if the path is complete overcast  :-D :ded:

I'm only making the trek if it's expected to be clear.

Trek to where?  The path stretches thousands of miles.

My in-laws house, right in the path of totality. 2½ hour drive normally but probably > 3 that weekend, even with all the back roads I know.

Quote from: epzik8 on February 20, 2024, 05:40:47 PM

Quote from: Rothman on February 20, 2024, 05:34:15 PM

Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on February 20, 2024, 05:20:11 PM

Quote from: ET21 on February 20, 2024, 05:10:15 PM
Imagine if the path is complete overcast  :-D :ded:

I'm only making the trek if it's expected to be clear.

Trek to where?  The path stretches thousands of miles.

I saw a simulated flyover of said path yesterday, and the odds of that entire thing not being clear are next to none.

The northern half could plausibly be entirely cloudy, but almost certainly not the entire southern path through Texas and Mexico.

Just sat in a meeting today with a bunch of NYSDOT people.  VMS messaging is set but all locations of PVMSes are not, Thruway patrolling "help truck" operations are being ramped up, event lists have been distributed...but a local traffic engineer is sort of shrugging that NYSDOT "must do something" to handle the anticipated crowds (i.e., there's only so much a DOT can do).

Not sure if this is true, but someone said at the meeting that Jefferson County is all booked up and people are looking southward to Syracuse and environs for hotels now.

(personal opinion/perspective emphasized)

Syracuse is going to have it coming from both directions. Before the eclipse should be manageable, especially with the two days prior being a weekend, but it's after the eclipse that's going to be interesting. The entire Bos-Wash corridor is within driving distance and borderline day-trip range of totality, which wasn't the case in 2017, so there's going to be a lot of traffic returning south/east. If/when issues crop up on I-90/I-81, I'd like to see NYSDOT recommend I-390/I-86 as an alternate.

I am also increasingly concerned about the Niagara Peninsula, where typical traffic is horrible on summer/holiday weekends, all of Toronto having to get south of Burlington to see totality (or 2+ hours east to Belleville) sounds like a nightmare. The QEW/403/407 interchange is going to be carrying the weight of the world post-eclipse and there are ZERO good alternates, so it's almost impossible to see that going well. For anyone in Ontario that doesn't want to cross the border, I would honestly recommend going east instead, or west to at least Woodstock before heading south, so that at least you have the 401 as a viable return alternate.

I wonder what will happen to traffic if it's cloudy.

Quote from: Rothman on February 20, 2024, 10:27:45 PM
I wonder what will happen to traffic if it's cloudy.

The drivers will be grumpier.

Thankfully I have the day off for the 2024 solar eclipse, but this won't be my first solar eclipse in general. First total yeah, but I saw a partial back in like 1st-2nd grade. I think it was the 2017 one.

This eclipse is on my 21st birthday, and Indy isn't too far from West Lafayette, so I'm planning to head out to see it!

For 2017, the traffic jams out of the path of totality in Oregon were insane.

This time around I was planning to stick around in the Waco area until it dies down, but my trip mate booked a place in San Antonio...I am not looking forward to the multi-hour slog through Austin.

Quote from: kphoger on February 21, 2024, 09:07:33 AM

Quote from: Rothman on February 20, 2024, 10:27:45 PM
I wonder what will happen to traffic if it's cloudy.

The drivers will be grumpier.

An appropriate response. Some daytrippers may be deterred if it's cloudy, but the majority of eclipse travelers, especially those that have already booked overnight stays, are probably going to take their chances unless it's pouring rain or blizzarding.

I've heard that some schools in this area are closing for the day, but ironically, it's the schools outside the path that should be closing to give their students an opportunity to travel into the path. Those in the path can watch it with their class, or change the bus schedule by an hour if it interferes with EOD. As a young kid, I would have actually preferred to watch it at school with friends, and it'd be a rare educational opportunity for the teachers too. But to live an hour or two from the path and have parents that make you to go to school that day would be a tough spot.

Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2024, 08:00:19 PM
I've heard that some schools in this area are closing for the day, but ironically, it's the schools outside the path that should be closing to give their students an opportunity to travel into the path. Those in the path can watch it with their class, or change the bus schedule by an hour if it interferes with EOD. As a young kid, I would have actually preferred to watch it at school with friends, and it'd be a rare educational opportunity for the teachers too. But to live an hour or two from the path and have parents that make you to go to school that day would be a tough spot.

Maybe they're concerned about the traffic.  3:20 would have been after the dismissal time for every school I went to growing up, though buses would probably still be running (or not yet left; my elementary school dismissed at 3:10, the latest in the district).

Quote from: Bruce on February 21, 2024, 01:37:28 PM
For 2017, the traffic jams out of the path of totality in Oregon were insane.

This time around I was planning to stick around in the Waco area until it dies down, but my trip mate booked a place in San Antonio...I am not looking forward to the multi-hour slog through Austin.

TX 130 is your friend.

Quote from: vdeane on February 21, 2024, 09:22:04 PM

Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2024, 08:00:19 PM
I've heard that some schools in this area are closing for the day, but ironically, it's the schools outside the path that should be closing to give their students an opportunity to travel into the path. Those in the path can watch it with their class, or change the bus schedule by an hour if it interferes with EOD. As a young kid, I would have actually preferred to watch it at school with friends, and it'd be a rare educational opportunity for the teachers too. But to live an hour or two from the path and have parents that make you to go to school that day would be a tough spot.

Maybe they're concerned about the traffic.  3:20 would have been after the dismissal time for every school I went to growing up, though buses would probably still be running (or not yet left; my elementary school dismissed at 3:10, the latest in the district).

^Bingo.  Exactly this.  School buses rolling around with young kids stuck in traffic is not good.  Stated outright by NYSDOT officials I've heard.

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 21, 2024, 10:02:55 PM

Quote from: Bruce on February 21, 2024, 01:37:28 PM
For 2017, the traffic jams out of the path of totality in Oregon were insane.

This time around I was planning to stick around in the Waco area until it dies down, but my trip mate booked a place in San Antonio...I am not looking forward to the multi-hour slog through Austin.

TX 130 is your friend.

+1

No need to use I-35 south of Georgetown.  As long as you can use a toll tag or pay-by-plate.

Quote from: Rothman on February 21, 2024, 11:38:36 PM

Quote from: vdeane on February 21, 2024, 09:22:04 PM

Quote from: webny99 on February 21, 2024, 08:00:19 PM
I've heard that some schools in this area are closing for the day, but ironically, it's the schools outside the path that should be closing to give their students an opportunity to travel into the path. Those in the path can watch it with their class, or change the bus schedule by an hour if it interferes with EOD. As a young kid, I would have actually preferred to watch it at school with friends, and it'd be a rare educational opportunity for the teachers too. But to live an hour or two from the path and have parents that make you to go to school that day would be a tough spot.

Maybe they're concerned about the traffic.  3:20 would have been after the dismissal time for every school I went to growing up, though buses would probably still be running (or not yet left; my elementary school dismissed at 3:10, the latest in the district).

^Bingo.  Exactly this.  School buses rolling around with young kids stuck in traffic is not good.  Stated outright by NYSDOT officials I've heard.

Right, my main point was not that schools within the path shouldn't be closing (even though I presented some points in favor of it, I ultimately agree they should close), but that those outside the path should also be closing.

Timing is everything too - I could see traffic being a non-issue in rural Texas where the eclipse occurs around 1PM local time, not so much here in NY where the eclipse occurs around dismissal time and messing with that - moving it forward, or especially backward - has significant drawbacks too.

Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2024, 10:35:40 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 21, 2024, 10:02:55 PM

Quote from: Bruce on February 21, 2024, 01:37:28 PM
For 2017, the traffic jams out of the path of totality in Oregon were insane.

This time around I was planning to stick around in the Waco area until it dies down, but my trip mate booked a place in San Antonio...I am not looking forward to the multi-hour slog through Austin.

TX 130 is your friend.

+1

No need to use I-35 south of Georgetown.  As long as you can use a toll tag or pay-by-plate.

On eclipse day, it will likely not be free-flowing, though.

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on February 22, 2024, 11:12:37 AM

Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2024, 10:35:40 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 21, 2024, 10:02:55 PM
...
TX 130 is your friend.

+1

No need to use I-35 south of Georgetown.  As long as you can use a toll tag or pay-by-plate.

On eclipse day, it will likely not be free-flowing, though.

I'm not sure what the toll rates are like on TX 130, but if they're prohibitive for some non-zero number of drivers, and considering that typical traffic on TX 130 is probably pretty light and moves at 80+ mph, you'd be surprised what it could take to cause significant congestion.

I recall a few months ago when a section ON 401 (the world's busiest freeway™) was shut down for a significant length of time due to a major accident west of Pickering, and the congestion on the local alternates was mind-blowing, yet ON 407, the very expensive toll road that runs parallel just 5 miles north, experienced only mild congestion even during the peak of rush hour... and that was the first time I'd ever seen or heard of congestion on the 407 outside of an incident on the 407 itself.

Quote from: webny99 on February 22, 2024, 12:07:16 PM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on February 22, 2024, 11:12:37 AM

Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2024, 10:35:40 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 21, 2024, 10:02:55 PM
...
TX 130 is your friend.

+1

No need to use I-35 south of Georgetown.  As long as you can use a toll tag or pay-by-plate.

On eclipse day, it will likely not be free-flowing, though.

I'm not sure what the toll rates are like on TX 130, but if they're prohibitive for some non-zero number of drivers, and considering that typical traffic on TX 130 is probably pretty light and moves at 80+ mph, you'd be surprised what it could take to cause significant congestion.

I recall a few months ago when a section ON 401 (the world's busiest freeway™) was shut down for a significant length of time due to a major accident west of Pickering, and the congestion on the local alternates was mind-blowing, yet ON 407, the very expensive toll road that runs parallel just 5 miles north, experienced only mild congestion even during the peak of rush hour... and that was the first time I'd ever seen or heard of congestion on the 407 outside of an incident on the 407 itself.

Fair enough, but traffic for the last eclipse was in most places at something of a higher degree and on more roads than that caused by an accident. And while the tolls on TX-130 are pretty pricey, it seems many people would be willing to pay a premium on eclipse day since it's something of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I guess we'll find out for sure though in a little bit.

Quote from: webny99 on February 22, 2024, 12:07:16 PM
I'm not sure what the toll rates are like on TX 130

I think it's about 18 bucks.

Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2024, 12:31:34 PM

Quote from: webny99 on February 22, 2024, 12:07:16 PM
I'm not sure what the toll rates are like on TX 130

I think it's about 18 bucks.

For the entire length? If that's the case, I'll have to walk back my previous statement. ON 407 has a variable toll rate that works out to about $90 CDN ($67 USD) for a similar distance (94 miles end to end) during a typical weekday rush hour.

Quote from: webny99 on February 22, 2024, 12:07:16 PM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on February 22, 2024, 11:12:37 AM

Quote from: kphoger on February 22, 2024, 10:35:40 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on February 21, 2024, 10:02:55 PM
...
TX 130 is your friend.

+1

No need to use I-35 south of Georgetown.  As long as you can use a toll tag or pay-by-plate.

On eclipse day, it will likely not be free-flowing, though.

I'm not sure what the toll rates are like on TX 130, but if they're prohibitive for some non-zero number of drivers, and considering that typical traffic on TX 130 is probably pretty light and moves at 80+ mph, you'd be surprised what it could take to cause significant congestion.

I recall a few months ago when a section ON 401 (the world's busiest freeway™) was shut down for a significant length of time due to a major accident west of Pickering, and the congestion on the local alternates was mind-blowing, yet ON 407, the very expensive toll road that runs parallel just 5 miles north, experienced only mild congestion even during the peak of rush hour... and that was the first time I'd ever seen or heard of congestion on the 407 outside of an incident on the 407 itself.

This is what makes the ON 413 proposal so silly. They plan to spend billions of dollars to build a bypass for the bypass that nobody uses because they don't want to pay the toll.

Quote from: webny99 on February 20, 2024, 08:36:46 PM
I am also increasingly concerned about the Niagara Peninsula, where typical traffic is horrible on summer/holiday weekends, all of Toronto having to get south of Burlington to see totality (or 2+ hours east to Belleville) sounds like a nightmare. The QEW/403/407 interchange is going to be carrying the weight of the world post-eclipse and there are ZERO good alternates, so it's almost impossible to see that going well. For anyone in Ontario that doesn't want to cross the border, I would honestly recommend going east instead, or west to at least Woodstock before heading south, so that at least you have the 401 as a viable return alternate.

On second thought, Sandbanks Provincial Park would be a pretty cool spot to watch the eclipse. It has over 3 minutes of totality and it's right on the lake facing southwest (almost perfect direction-wise for where the sun will be located), so I wouldn't be surprised if that park and Prince Edward County in general is really crowded too. I can also see Kingston/Thousand Islands being a major hot spot for the Ottawa area, so the 401 could absolutely have major issues heading both east and west from Kingston. If the former materializes, ON 15 is a reasonably quality northbound alternate for those heading to Ottawa. There's fewer good Toronto-bound alternates until you get to Highway 115. Even so, I'd chance it. There's almost no way it'll be as bad as the Niagara Peninsula.

Quote from: webny99 on February 23, 2024, 11:30:47 AM

Quote from: webny99 on February 20, 2024, 08:36:46 PM
I am also increasingly concerned about the Niagara Peninsula, where typical traffic is horrible on summer/holiday weekends, all of Toronto having to get south of Burlington to see totality (or 2+ hours east to Belleville) sounds like a nightmare. The QEW/403/407 interchange is going to be carrying the weight of the world post-eclipse and there are ZERO good alternates, so it's almost impossible to see that going well. For anyone in Ontario that doesn't want to cross the border, I would honestly recommend going east instead, or west to at least Woodstock before heading south, so that at least you have the 401 as a viable return alternate.

On second thought, Sandbanks Provincial Park would be a pretty cool spot to watch the eclipse. It has over 3 minutes of totality and it's right on the lake facing southwest (almost perfect direction-wise for where the sun will be located), so I wouldn't be surprised if that park and Prince Edward County in general is really crowded too. I can also see Kingston/Thousand Islands being a major hot spot for the Ottawa area, so the 401 could absolutely have major issues heading both east and west from Kingston. If the former materializes, ON 15 is a reasonably quality northbound alternate for those heading to Ottawa. There's fewer good Toronto-bound alternates until you get to Highway 115. Even so, I'd chance it. There's almost no way it'll be as bad as the Niagara Peninsula.

Too bad the fast ferry isn't still around.

Quote from: webny99 on February 23, 2024, 11:30:47 AM

Quote from: webny99 on February 20, 2024, 08:36:46 PM
I am also increasingly concerned about the Niagara Peninsula, where typical traffic is horrible on summer/holiday weekends, all of Toronto having to get south of Burlington to see totality (or 2+ hours east to Belleville) sounds like a nightmare. The QEW/403/407 interchange is going to be carrying the weight of the world post-eclipse and there are ZERO good alternates, so it's almost impossible to see that going well. For anyone in Ontario that doesn't want to cross the border, I would honestly recommend going east instead, or west to at least Woodstock before heading south, so that at least you have the 401 as a viable return alternate.

On second thought, Sandbanks Provincial Park would be a pretty cool spot to watch the eclipse. It has over 3 minutes of totality and it's right on the lake facing southwest (almost perfect direction-wise for where the sun will be located), so I wouldn't be surprised if that park and Prince Edward County in general is really crowded too. I can also see Kingston/Thousand Islands being a major hot spot for the Ottawa area, so the 401 could absolutely have major issues heading both east and west from Kingston. If the former materializes, ON 15 is a reasonably quality northbound alternate for those heading to Ottawa. There's fewer good Toronto-bound alternates until you get to Highway 115. Even so, I'd chance it. There's almost no way it'll be as bad as the Niagara Peninsula.

And then the chances of it being cloudy are high...

I found the coolest interactive eclipse map this weekend, but was browsing in incognito and now I can't find it. It had lines for every 15 seconds of totality, which was cool to see how narrow the bands start out and widen towards the centerline. It wasn't a generic eclipse site since I've searched everything I can think of trying to find it. I think I was looking up parks and places to view the eclipse and stumbled onto it somehow. It also had known eclipse events listed in pink and known/recommended parks within the path listed in green.

In short... if anyone knows what I'm talking about or finds it, please share!  :D

Quote from: webny99 on March 18, 2024, 11:27:03 PM
I found the coolest interactive eclipse map this weekend, but was browsing in incognito and now I can't find it. It had lines for every 15 seconds of totality, which was cool to see how narrow the bands start out and widen towards the centerline. It wasn't a generic eclipse site since I've searched everything I can think of trying to find it. I think I was looking up parks and places to view the eclipse and stumbled onto it somehow. It also had known eclipse events listed in pink and known/recommended parks within the path listed in green.

In short... if anyone knows what I'm talking about or finds it, please share!  :D

Found it via a Forbes article of all things:

https://theeclipse.company/map/2024-total-eclipse

Quote from: webny99 on March 19, 2024, 12:53:42 AM

Quote from: webny99 on March 18, 2024, 11:27:03 PM
I found the coolest interactive eclipse map this weekend, but was browsing in incognito and now I can't find it. It had lines for every 15 seconds of totality, which was cool to see how narrow the bands start out and widen towards the centerline. It wasn't a generic eclipse site since I've searched everything I can think of trying to find it. I think I was looking up parks and places to view the eclipse and stumbled onto it somehow. It also had known eclipse events listed in pink and known/recommended parks within the path listed in green.

In short... if anyone knows what I'm talking about or finds it, please share!  :D

Found it via a Forbes article of all things:

https://theeclipse.company/map/2024-total-eclipse

Thanks for sharing!

Quote from: 7/8 on March 03, 2023, 04:17:12 PM
I'm still undecided on what I'll do for 2024. The eclipse path comes pretty close to Kitchener, but early April doesn't have the best outlook weather-wise. Also, the eclipse would be a good reason for me to visit Mexico for the first time. Luckily I still have time to think about it.

I decided I will try my luck near home, even though the odds aren't great (average cloud cover around 70%). I figure if it doesn't work out, there's options in 2026 and 2027 (the latter being an especially sunny route with long totality). For this eclipse, there's several spots along the north shore of Lake Erie that can work. Long Point in particular is nice for maximizing the duration of totality and it faces S/SW.

Surprisingly, I'm still the only one to book the day off at my office, and totality is less than an hour from Kitchener!

Quote from: 7/8 on March 19, 2024, 09:23:54 AM

Quote from: webny99 on March 19, 2024, 12:53:42 AM

Quote from: webny99 on March 18, 2024, 11:27:03 PM
I found the coolest interactive eclipse map this weekend, but was browsing in incognito and now I can't find it. It had lines for every 15 seconds of totality, which was cool to see how narrow the bands start out and widen towards the centerline. It wasn't a generic eclipse site since I've searched everything I can think of trying to find it. I think I was looking up parks and places to view the eclipse and stumbled onto it somehow. It also had known eclipse events listed in pink and known/recommended parks within the path listed in green.

In short... if anyone knows what I'm talking about or finds it, please share!  :D

Found it via a Forbes article of all things:

https://theeclipse.company/map/2024-total-eclipse

Thanks for sharing!

Quote from: 7/8 on March 03, 2023, 04:17:12 PM
I'm still undecided on what I'll do for 2024. The eclipse path comes pretty close to Kitchener, but early April doesn't have the best outlook weather-wise. Also, the eclipse would be a good reason for me to visit Mexico for the first time. Luckily I still have time to think about it.

I decided I will try my luck near home, even though the odds aren't great (average cloud cover around 70%). I figure if it doesn't work out, there's options in 2026 and 2027 (the latter being an especially sunny route with long totality). For this eclipse, there's several spots along the north shore of Lake Erie that can work. Long Point in particular is nice for maximizing the duration of totality and it faces S/SW.

Surprisingly, I'm still the only one to book the day off at my office, and totality is less than an hour from Kitchener!

I'm planning on going towards Brantford or Simcoe. I'm not too worried if it turns out to be cloudy, since I got a perfect view of the 2017 eclipse (from the parking lot of a church in Chester, Illinois).

I just found out I'll still have 80% totality here in Maryland. Guess most of the media coverage is only focusing on the path of complete totality and thus I never bothered to look into what my own view of it would entail.

Quote from: 7/8 on March 19, 2024, 09:23:54 AM

Quote from: 7/8 on March 03, 2023, 04:17:12 PM
I'm still undecided on what I'll do for 2024. The eclipse path comes pretty close to Kitchener, but early April doesn't have the best outlook weather-wise. Also, the eclipse would be a good reason for me to visit Mexico for the first time. Luckily I still have time to think about it.

I decided I will try my luck near home, even though the odds aren't great (average cloud cover around 70%). I figure if it doesn't work out, there's options in 2026 and 2027 (the latter being an especially sunny route with long totality). For this eclipse, there's several spots along the north shore of Lake Erie that can work. Long Point in particular is nice for maximizing the duration of totality and it faces S/SW.

Surprisingly, I'm still the only one to book the day off at my office, and totality is less than an hour from Kitchener!

I've wondered to what extent being located outside the path reduces/changes the news coverage around the eclipse. There's no way anyone here in Rochester could not know about the eclipse by now - between school closings, reports of booked hotels and soaring prices, museums and parks hosting viewing events, local shops selling eclipse glasses, and even large scale advertising at the ROC airport, it's a huge deal and coverage has perpetuated to even the most tuned-out locals. Most of that doesn't apply to places outside the path, so it's possible that people could still not realize it's coming and how close it is, or even think that a deep partial eclipse is close enough and not realize it would still be worth traveling into the path.

Agreed that the north shore of Lake Erie would be prime. We're not that lucky with Lake Ontario - cloud cover is often lessened over the lake, but being on the south shore, finding a clear view to the southwest (away from the lake) is trickier than it sounds. The east shore would be good though - if it wasn't such a rare opportunity to experience an eclipse at home, I'd be thinking of heading to Sandy Island Beach or Southwick.

Quote from: epzik8 on March 19, 2024, 10:04:26 AM
I just found out I'll still have 80% totality here in Maryland. Guess most of the media coverage is only focusing on the path of complete totality and thus I never bothered to look into what my own view of it would entail.

The reason being that the experience is not proportional to the percentage of coverage. The experience of 100% is a lot more than 20% better than 80%.

I experienced close to 80% (75% to be exact) during the 2017 eclipse. It was interesting to view the crescent of the sun through eclipse glasses but pretty forgettable other than that, although the lighting/shadows were also strange for a while.

As I mentioned ahead of the 2017 solar eclipse, Isaac Asimov wrote a short story about a solar eclipse called "Nightfall". That was set on a planet in a six-sun system, where at least one sun is always in the sky ... except once every 4000 years or so, when five of the suns are below the horizon, and then the sixth is totally eclipsed.

People went bat-shit crazy on those occasions. Not so much that almost nobody had ever experienced total darkness, as their shock at what they unexpectedly saw in the sky during the total eclipse.

As for my own plans for this year's eclipse, I intend to dodge the eclipse like I did in 2017. Doesn't help that, unlike in 2017 when I was out west anyway, the most predictably clear skies in the totality path will be in Mazatlan, Mexico. I might feel differently if I lived in the totality path, and could just let the eclipse come to me, even with no assurance the weather will cooperate.

Quote from: oscar on March 19, 2024, 03:57:09 PM
As for my own plans for this year's eclipse, I intend to dodge the eclipse like I did in 2017. Doesn't help that, unlike in 2017 when I was out west anyway, the most predictably clear skies in the totality path will be in Mazatlan, Mexico. I might feel differently if I lived in the totality path, and could just let the eclipse come to me, even with no assurance the weather will cooperate.

Assuming you will be in Virginia, I don't see a convenient option to drive to the path. Probably 6-7 hours minimum. The Dansville-Mount Morris area wouldn't be too bad of a run and avoids big cities unless you count Harrisburg, but it is too bad CSVT isn't open yet.

Quote from: webny99 on March 19, 2024, 10:16:10 AM
The reason being that the experience is not proportional to the percentage of coverage. The experience of 100% is a lot more than 20% better than 80%.

https://xkcd.com/1880/

I have a 2-week clinch-a-thon in KS, MO, AR, OK and TX that main-events in Kerrville, TX (overnighting in San Antonio).  This is as ideal as 2017 was, where I was able to base in the path of totality and set up a chair outside the hotel in Grand Island.  Kerrville and Cleveland (Ohio, not Texas) are two cities with NASA presence.

This Flickr album (https://flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/albums/72157711409204672/with/48925377231) (3/4 down page 1 to page 2) shows a surreal capture of 2017's shadow cutting through Grand Island.

I drove in the day before and out the day after in 17. No such luck this year - hotels were sold out over a year in advance outside San Antonio.  I got into one by the airport.  In 17, the VMSs were mentioning SOLAR ECLIPSE even on the day before.

Kerrville is doing what they can to plan for this.  They're treating it like a 4th of July, but this is not the Fourth of July, because the crowd is WAAAYYY much more than in-town folk.

The number of people I've heard that are headed to Kerrville specifically is surprising.  Wonder if they'll be able to handle the crowd.

Quote from: webny99 on March 19, 2024, 05:01:05 PM

Quote from: oscar on March 19, 2024, 03:57:09 PMAs for my own plans for this year's eclipse, I intend to dodge the eclipse like I did in 2017. Doesn't help that, unlike in 2017 when I was out west anyway, the most predictably clear skies in the totality path will be in Mazatlan, Mexico. I might feel differently if I lived in the totality path, and could just let the eclipse come to me, even with no assurance the weather will cooperate.

Assuming you will be in Virginia, I don't see a convenient option to drive to the path. Probably 6-7 hours minimum. The Dansville-Mount Morris area wouldn't be too bad of a run and avoids big cities unless you count Harrisburg, but it is too bad CSVT isn't open yet.

My parents are planning to drive up from NC to visit their friends in Erie, PA, for the eclipse.  It's a long drive, but doable.  And, it helps that they've got a reason to do it even aside from the eclipse.

Quote from: oscar on March 19, 2024, 03:57:09 PMAs I mentioned ahead of the 2017 solar eclipse, Isaac Asimov wrote a short story about a solar eclipse called "Nightfall". That was set on a planet in a six-sun system, where at least one sun is always in the sky ... except once every 4000 years or so, when five of the suns are below the horizon, and then the sixth is totally eclipsed.

People went bat-shit crazy on those occasions. Not so much that almost nobody had ever experienced total darkness, as their shock at what they unexpectedly saw in the sky during the total eclipse.

After reading Nightfall, I have been reluctant to casually mention attending and working for a university without knowing my audience.  ;-) 

Whether or not the eclipse will be visible in West-Central AR on April 8th is looking questionable. The current cloud cover forecasts look concerning, though we're still over a week out. I booked a cabin in totality well in advance, though I'm willing to drive to better conditions if that's even possible.

I'm planning on Snow Ridge (https://snowridge.com/event/solar-eclipse-party/) despite their using images of a lunar eclipse...  Hoping NY 8/NY 12 is a less popular route than the interstates for people in most of the population centers.  I can see Boonville being a bottleneck, though.

Quote from: Jim on March 31, 2024, 08:47:11 AMI'm planning on Snow Ridge (https://snowridge.com/event/solar-eclipse-party/) despite their using images of a lunar eclipse...  Hoping NY 8/NY 12 is a less popular route than the interstates for people in most of the population centers.  I can see Boonville being a bottleneck, though.

Definitely an intriguing strategy.  Might actually work, given most people are flooding into Jefferson and Oswego Counties.

That said, the always-hyperbolic traffic engineer in NYSDOT Region 2 is saying Old Forge is set to get swamped, so traffic coming out of there into Alder Creek could be a bottleneck.

Only time will tell.

Quote from: Rothman on March 31, 2024, 02:53:35 PMThat said, the always-hyperbolic traffic engineer in NYSDOT Region 2 is saying Old Forge is set to get swamped, so traffic coming out of there into Alder Creek could be a bottleneck.

That seems unlikely since NY 12/28 is four lanes heading south out of Alder Creek and usually moves well (with just two traffic lights between there and the Thruway). IMO, Boonville and Old Forge are more likely to be the choke points on their respective corridors.

Quote from: Jim on March 31, 2024, 08:47:11 AMdespite their using images of a lunar eclipse

After next week, though, they'll have solar eclipse images on hand for their webpage.

Quote from: webny99 on April 02, 2024, 04:19:29 PM

Quote from: Rothman on March 31, 2024, 02:53:35 PMThat said, the always-hyperbolic traffic engineer in NYSDOT Region 2 is saying Old Forge is set to get swamped, so traffic coming out of there into Alder Creek could be a bottleneck.

That seems unlikely since NY 12/28 is four lanes heading south out of Alder Creek and usually moves well (with just two traffic lights between there and the Thruway). IMO, Boonville and Old Forge are more likely to be the choke points on their respective corridors.

Yep, we'll believe you instead of the traffic engineer... :D

Quote from: Rothman on April 02, 2024, 05:28:57 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 02, 2024, 04:19:29 PM

Quote from: Rothman on March 31, 2024, 02:53:35 PMThat said, the always-hyperbolic traffic engineer in NYSDOT Region 2 is saying Old Forge is set to get swamped, so traffic coming out of there into Alder Creek could be a bottleneck.

That seems unlikely since NY 12/28 is four lanes heading south out of Alder Creek and usually moves well (with just two traffic lights between there and the Thruway). IMO, Boonville and Old Forge are more likely to be the choke points on their respective corridors.

Yep, we'll believe you instead of the traffic engineer... :D

Instead of? I am the one agreeing with him, FWIW.

It's still early to forecast exact weather conditions, but not too early to drop this here:

(https://imgur.com/MixPzvS.jpg)

The eclipse forecast is certainly stressing me out.  My plan was to go to Rochester and just stay with my parents, but now the local forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies.  The Adirondacks look better, but I never made plans for what to do in that scenario, and the traffic makes me wonder about the practicality of a day trip (not to mention finding somewhere to park and keeping myself occupied waiting for totality, especially as I would probably need to arrive way early to find a spot); Reddit (r/Albany, anyways) is making it seem like anyone who hasn't left by sunrise will never make it to totality in time (!), with the drive back expected to be even worse.  I'm starting to wonder if I'll need to sit this one out.  I'm really regretting not traveling for the 2017 eclipse.

weather.gov, which I tend to trust more than accuweather or other sources, is currently showing mostly sunny in Rochester during the day on Monday and turning cloudy overnight. At this point, I will take it.

But if I wasn't local and had to travel anyways, I'd be strongly considering locations on the east shore of Lake Ontario. That seems safer than the Adirondacks for a number of reasons; cloud cover is typically lower over the lake, most of the east shore has an open view to the southwest, and it's generally pretty accessible from I-81, with US 11 serving as a decent alternate if I-81 has problems.

Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2024, 12:37:21 PMIt's still early to forecast exact weather conditions, but not too early to drop this here:

Could you share the link? I can't find it on their website.

If this ends up being accurate, the 401 to Kingston will be a nightmare!

Well, I guess we can only hope Weather Underground is wrong then, because they're saying mostly cloudy with 77% cloud cover at the time of the eclipse.  Although the Rochester meteorologists seem more optimistic than that (sadly, WTEN in Albany didn't have an eclipse forecast for today since they were more focused on tonight's storm; they were including Rochester/Syracuse in those and I find they're more accurate even for Rochester weather than the Rochester meteorologists).

Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2024, 01:12:46 PMweather.gov, which I tend to trust more than accuweather or other sources, is currently showing mostly sunny in Rochester during the day on Monday and turning cloudy overnight. At this point, I will take it.

But if I wasn't local and had to travel anyways, I'd be strongly considering locations on the east shore of Lake Ontario. That seems safer than the Adirondacks for a number of reasons; cloud cover is typically lower over the lake, most of the east shore has an open view to the southwest, and it's generally pretty accessible from I-81, with US 11 serving as a decent alternate if I-81 has problems.

Pfft.  I'd think Southwick Beach will be swamped.  There's plenty of shore...not so much when it comes to parking.

Quote from: 7/8 on April 03, 2024, 05:57:50 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2024, 12:37:21 PMIt's still early to forecast exact weather conditions, but not too early to drop this here:

Could you share the link? I can't find it on their website.

If this ends up being accurate, the 401 to Kingston will be a nightmare!

Are you having trouble viewing the image? I can't remember what webpage I pulled it from initially but just did a google image search and found it embedded in this article (https://fox59.com/eclipse-2024/nws-central-indiana-could-see-clear-skies-during-total-solar-eclipse/). I am not finding it on NWS's site either, so I guess take it with a grain of salt.

Quote from: Rothman on April 03, 2024, 11:11:13 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2024, 01:12:46 PM...
But if I wasn't local and had to travel anyways, I'd be strongly considering locations on the east shore of Lake Ontario. That seems safer than the Adirondacks for a number of reasons; cloud cover is typically lower over the lake, most of the east shore has an open view to the southwest, and it's generally pretty accessible from I-81, with US 11 serving as a decent alternate if I-81 has problems.

Pfft.  I'd think Southwick Beach will be swamped.  There's plenty of shore...not so much when it comes to parking.

Sure, but there are quite a few spots besides Southwick. Mexico Point, Selkirk, Sandy Island, even Robert Wehle or Long Point for the adventurous. The parking situation isn't great, but it won't be in the Adirondacks either.

Quote from: webny99 on April 04, 2024, 12:02:14 AM

Quote from: 7/8 on April 03, 2024, 05:57:50 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2024, 12:37:21 PMIt's still early to forecast exact weather conditions, but not too early to drop this here:

Could you share the link? I can't find it on their website.

If this ends up being accurate, the 401 to Kingston will be a nightmare!

Are you having trouble viewing the image? I can't remember what webpage I pulled it from initially but just did a google image search and found it embedded in this article (https://fox59.com/eclipse-2024/nws-central-indiana-could-see-clear-skies-during-total-solar-eclipse/). I am not finding it on NWS's site either, so I guess take it with a grain of salt.

Quote from: Rothman on April 03, 2024, 11:11:13 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2024, 01:12:46 PM...
But if I wasn't local and had to travel anyways, I'd be strongly considering locations on the east shore of Lake Ontario. That seems safer than the Adirondacks for a number of reasons; cloud cover is typically lower over the lake, most of the east shore has an open view to the southwest, and it's generally pretty accessible from I-81, with US 11 serving as a decent alternate if I-81 has problems.

Pfft.  I'd think Southwick Beach will be swamped.  There's plenty of shore...not so much when it comes to parking.

Sure, but there are quite a few spots besides Southwick. Mexico Point, Selkirk, Sandy Island, even Robert Wehle or Long Point for the adventurous. The parking situation isn't great, but it won't be in the Adirondacks either.

But with reports that lodging in Jefferson and Oswego Counties are near full, there'll be a crowd in practically any established park.

NWS sky cover forecast:
https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/conus.php?element=Sky
Just advance the forecast period to Monday to see what their latest prediction is for clouds.  More grey = more chance of clouds.

North Arkansas, SOIL and Missouri's bootheel continue to show favorable skies as of this writing.  As does all of New England and far upstate NY.
Looking like a bust for all of Texas south of DFW.  Which is a bummer because I'm sure there are people who assumed the Northeast would be cloudy and Texas sunny when they started booking stuff, because that's what the odds would tell you it would be.

Quote from: webny99 on April 04, 2024, 12:02:14 AM

Quote from: 7/8 on April 03, 2024, 05:57:50 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 03, 2024, 12:37:21 PMIt's still early to forecast exact weather conditions, but not too early to drop this here:

Could you share the link? I can't find it on their website.

If this ends up being accurate, the 401 to Kingston will be a nightmare!

Are you having trouble viewing the image? I can't remember what webpage I pulled it from initially but just did a google image search and found it embedded in this article (https://fox59.com/eclipse-2024/nws-central-indiana-could-see-clear-skies-during-total-solar-eclipse/). I am not finding it on NWS's site either, so I guess take it with a grain of salt.

No I can see the image, I just wanted a link so I can view the latest version, assuming it's continuously updated.

Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 04, 2024, 10:55:38 AMNWS sky cover forecast:
https://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/conus.php?element=Sky
Just advance the forecast period to Monday to see what their latest prediction is for clouds.  More grey = more chance of clouds.

Thanks for sharing! It doesn't include Canada, but it does include the great lakes, so close enough! :) I'm hoping Lake Erie improves so I can avoid driving east toward Montreal...

Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 04, 2024, 10:55:38 AMLooking like a bust for all of Texas south of DFW.  Which is a bummer because I'm sure there are people who assumed the Northeast would be cloudy and Texas sunny when they started booking stuff, because that's what the odds would tell you it would be.

That was my thought. I'm now having to decide if I should make the drive north, or pass on it altogether. I'd prefer to not miss it, but I did see the eclipse of 2017, so it's not 100% pressing.

I also found this map online, which takes clouds information from satellite data.

https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast

I am driving all the way to Dallas, and with the forecast I am rather worried. Can't back out since I'm meeting a friend who is flying in and booked all non-refundable everything and refuses to consider a real backup option.

This will be my second time in totality, so I wouldn't be utterly devastated if the clouds moved in, but it would make my rushing through the plains (and skipping a lot of planned stops to make an absurd schedule) something I would regret.

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 05, 2024, 11:51:42 PM

Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 04, 2024, 10:55:38 AMLooking like a bust for all of Texas south of DFW.  Which is a bummer because I'm sure there are people who assumed the Northeast would be cloudy and Texas sunny when they started booking stuff, because that's what the odds would tell you it would be.

That was my thought. I'm now having to decide if I should make the drive north, or pass on it altogether. I'd prefer to not miss it, but I did see the eclipse of 2017, so it's not 100% pressing.

Do it!  Make the drive north!

Quote from: Bruce on April 06, 2024, 01:03:53 AMI am driving all the way to Dallas, and with the forecast I am rather worried. Can't back out since I'm meeting a friend who is flying in and booked all non-refundable everything and refuses to consider a real backup option.

This will be my second time in totality, so I wouldn't be utterly devastated if the clouds moved in, but it would make my rushing through the plains (and skipping a lot of planned stops to make an absurd schedule) something I would regret.

The number of people I know that are saying they are still going to Texas "because they are flying" is high.  I thought airlines still give you credit if you cancel, even with nonrefundable tickets.

But, yes, if you prepay for lodging, typically you're just out that money.

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 06, 2024, 12:00:46 AMI also found this map online, which takes clouds information from satellite data.

https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast

Thanks for sharing! This and other sources are starting to show consensus that there will be some cloud cover between Cleveland and Rochester, but not in excess of 70% and hopefully not thick enough to ruin it entirely.

Otherwise, between Little Rock and Indy and anywhere east of I-87 (NY) look to be the very safest bets for clear skies.

Quote from: webny99 on April 06, 2024, 05:27:56 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 06, 2024, 12:00:46 AMI also found this map online, which takes clouds information from satellite data.

https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast

Thanks for sharing! This and other sources are starting to show consensus that there will be some cloud cover between Cleveland and Rochester, but not in excess of 70% and hopefully not thick enough to ruin it entirely.

Otherwise, between Little Rock and Indy and anywhere east of I-87 (NY) look to be the very safest bets for clear skies.

Based on weather forecasts, CNN has chosen to base their eclipse coverage from Indy.

Quote from: webny99 on April 06, 2024, 05:27:56 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 06, 2024, 12:00:46 AMI also found this map online, which takes clouds information from satellite data.

https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast

Thanks for sharing! This and other sources are starting to show consensus that there will be some cloud cover between Cleveland and Rochester, but not in excess of 70% and hopefully not thick enough to ruin it entirely.

Otherwise, between Little Rock and Indy and anywhere east of I-87 (NY) look to be the very safest bets for clear skies.

70% is pretty cloudy.

Quote from: webny99 on April 06, 2024, 05:27:56 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 06, 2024, 12:00:46 AMI also found this map online, which takes clouds information from satellite data.

https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast

Thanks for sharing! This and other sources are starting to show consensus that there will be some cloud cover between Cleveland and Rochester, but not in excess of 70% and hopefully not thick enough to ruin it entirely.

Otherwise, between Little Rock and Indy and anywhere east of I-87 (NY) look to be the very safest bets for clear skies.

The partial phases will probably be fine, but I'm worried that it will be enough to block out the sun's corona, the planets, and that comet that's supposed to be visible (still never seen a comet... it's amazing how many astronomical things I've never seen despite my strong interest in space!).

Quote from: vdeane on April 06, 2024, 11:42:18 AM

Quote from: webny99 on April 06, 2024, 05:27:56 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 06, 2024, 12:00:46 AMI also found this map online, which takes clouds information from satellite data.

https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast

Thanks for sharing! This and other sources are starting to show consensus that there will be some cloud cover between Cleveland and Rochester, but not in excess of 70% and hopefully not thick enough to ruin it entirely.

Otherwise, between Little Rock and Indy and anywhere east of I-87 (NY) look to be the very safest bets for clear skies.

The partial phases will probably be fine, but I'm worried that it will be enough to block out the sun's corona, the planets, and that comet that's supposed to be visible (still never seen a comet... it's amazing how many astronomical things I've never seen despite my strong interest in space!).

That's a pity. There was one quite easily viewable to the naked eye in NY a few years ago.

Quote from: Rothman on April 06, 2024, 03:41:27 AM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 05, 2024, 11:51:42 PM

Quote from: triplemultiplex on April 04, 2024, 10:55:38 AMLooking like a bust for all of Texas south of DFW.  Which is a bummer because I'm sure there are people who assumed the Northeast would be cloudy and Texas sunny when they started booking stuff, because that's what the odds would tell you it would be.

That was my thought. I'm now having to decide if I should make the drive north, or pass on it altogether. I'd prefer to not miss it, but I did see the eclipse of 2017, so it's not 100% pressing.

Do it!  Make the drive north!

I'm thinking about it. Actually, I was hoping that the small sliver of low clouds toward the western end of totality would clear up a bit more, but the prognosis is actually getting worse.
(https://i.imgur.com/arwSiOj.png)

Quote from: Rothman on April 06, 2024, 03:43:57 AM

Quote from: Bruce on April 06, 2024, 01:03:53 AMI am driving all the way to Dallas, and with the forecast I am rather worried. Can't back out since I'm meeting a friend who is flying in and booked all non-refundable everything and refuses to consider a real backup option.

This will be my second time in totality, so I wouldn't be utterly devastated if the clouds moved in, but it would make my rushing through the plains (and skipping a lot of planned stops to make an absurd schedule) something I would regret.

The number of people I know that are saying they are still going to Texas "because they are flying" is high.  I thought airlines still give you credit if you cancel, even with nonrefundable tickets.

Depends on the airline and the type of ticket.  Some will charge for the cancellation, and sometimes the fees for cancelling are more than what an airline ticket would cost.  Other tickets - often the cheapest fare option - may not be refundable at all, especially within 7 days of the flight.

Quote from: Rothman on April 06, 2024, 03:43:57 AMBut, yes, if you prepay for lodging, typically you're just out that money.

Also depends - especially if someone has status and booked direct.  If someone used Expedia or another 3rd party site, they're unlikely to get a refund. If someone is a high-tier member of a hotel's reward program, they can probably get the refund.

Of course, in a situation like this, I'm sure we're going to see news stories of people complaining they weren't told of the polices and they shouldn't have to pay for a reservation they didn't use, with the news station trying to get the companies to refund the people that didn't take their trips because it wasn't their fault the sky was cloudy.

My cabin is in an area near Mena, AR but I may drive up to somewhere near Mount Magazine or Nebo for better viewing conditions.

Well, the forecast for Rochester has deteriorated quite a bit.  Went all the way from "decent chance" to "requires luck" in just two days and now the forecast is nearly completely overcast with a mix of cloud types (not just high clouds).  What a bummer.  A once in a lifetime chance, and we won't even get the full show.  My luck with viewing astronomical phenomenon is just horrible.  Why didn't I book a hotel in Plattsburgh when I had the chance?

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 06, 2024, 02:43:13 PMMy cabin is in an area near Mena, AR but I may drive up to somewhere near Mount Magazine or Nebo for better viewing conditions.

Ha. Mena is about where I've decided to go.

We're still aiming for Snow Ridge in Turin, NY.  Looks like it's still just high clouds in the forecast there, which still reads "Mostly Sunny".  If things look significantly better north and east once we get there, we can always try to reposition.  I like the idea of being at the top watching the shadow shoot off toward the north and east at the end of totality.

According to timeanddate.com, the eclipse is gonna be at its best here in Charlottesville at about 3:17 PM. I may plan on heading onto Skyline Drive to view what I can.

Looks like most of Ontario is going to be screwed by a large set of clouds rolling in overnight. It's especially heartbreaking since this weekend has been exceptionally sunny with almost no clouds! My best hope now is to drive southwest to Leamington (near Michigan) tomorrow morning. It looks like there should only be some high clouds in that area by the afternoon.

My plans really have downsized since last year. I originally planned to have an eclipse road meet on the Magdalen Islands, one of the locations in the path of totality... but now my plans are to head to Terminus Lagueux (a bus terminal off A-20 exit 305 in Lévis).

Quote from: Jim on April 07, 2024, 09:43:40 PMWe're still aiming for Snow Ridge in Turin, NY.  Looks like it's still just high clouds in the forecast there, which still reads "Mostly Sunny".  If things look significantly better north and east once we get there, we can always try to reposition.  I like the idea of being at the top watching the shadow shoot off toward the north and east at the end of totality.

I will be getting the "valley" perspective as I will be viewing it from just north of Lyons Falls.  Contemplated going further north and east but I'm still road weary from my travels to and from Virginia last week.

Legit feel bad for Texans for their dismal forecast, considering cities like Dallas and Austin have received among the most hype leading up to this.

Happy Eclipse Day!

Working a half day (which for me means I get off work at 10am), will then head up to my Mom's house near Dayton, where she has 100% coverage.

Quote from: epzik8 on April 08, 2024, 09:51:03 AMLegit feel bad for Texans for their dismal forecast, considering cities like Dallas and Austin have received among the most hype leading up to this.

They won't be getting any sympathy from those of us in the Great Lakes. Remember, they usually get beautiful weather this time of year while we put up with largely dismal and gray conditions for months on end.

According to Apple Weather, the weather will be 72 and cloudy at 3:17 PM today, which is the peak time here.

This is from the UVA Department of Astronomy website:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Jz3RDj53/Charlottesville-Eclipse-Banner.jpg)

If it does end up cloudy at/around 2 PM, I may end up having to head somewhere sunny. Apple Weather says Warrenton will be only partly cloudy at the peak time, with Fredericksburg being sunny, as well as Short Pump.

Quote from: 7/8 on April 07, 2024, 10:36:15 PMLooks like most of Ontario is going to be screwed by a large set of clouds rolling in overnight. It's especially heartbreaking since this weekend has been exceptionally sunny with almost no clouds! My best hope now is to drive southwest to Leamington (near Michigan) tomorrow morning. It looks like there should only be some high clouds in that area by the afternoon.

I decided on Port Stanley this morning based on The Eclipse App giving a cloud cover of 31%, the lowest I found on the north shore of Lake Erie. The clouds have cleared up an hour ago, and I'm hopeful it stays that way for the next 3 hours!

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 07, 2024, 09:27:42 PM

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 06, 2024, 02:43:13 PMMy cabin is in an area near Mena, AR but I may drive up to somewhere near Mount Magazine or Nebo for better viewing conditions.

Ha. Mena is about where I've decided to go.

I'm still near Mena and it's clearing up quite nicely. No need to travel north. Thank God, as I'm sure traffic is nuts right now (Lake Dardanelle SP is at max capacity and is closed to additional visitors). The partial eclipse just started here.

It's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

The peak just passed. The clouds got in the way, but it actually made the eclipse clearer for me.

(https://i.postimg.cc/QtTVRcbw/IMG-9388.jpg)

I decided to not travel much for this, staying in my home county. Next up, I'll likely actually travel for the 2044 (Montana) or 2045 (Alabama/Florida) eclipses.

Of all the times not to be in Chicago for the event, but I'm sure all my old friends and family back there are enjoying it right now. And even worse, Seattle is not going to get a glimpse of it at all, but Denver (where my brother Jeff lives) is  :banghead:

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMIt's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

The news reports say that we'll have another one in 20 or 21 years.

The weather forecasts for metro Detroit got progressively better after midweek last week (at that time calling for cloudy skies and possible light rain).  Today was sunny with some very thin cloud cover in some areas.  A significant dimming at the 3:15pm peak.  I went up to the top level of the parking structure near my office downtown, and it was kinda neat seeing the headlights on all the vehicles on I-94.  It didn't dim as much as I was hoping, but I thought it was quite a sight considering it's the first eclipse I recall seeing.  I wonder how nuts it is right now a little farther south in Luna Pier (totality).

It was cool, but it's probably much cooler in totality, which is something I couldn't see from Lévis.

Quote from: Henry on April 08, 2024, 03:29:33 PMOf all the times not to be in Chicago for the event, but I'm sure all my old friends and family back there are enjoying it right now. And even worse, Seattle is not going to get a glimpse of it at all, but Denver (where my brother Jeff lives) is  :banghead:

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMIt's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

The news reports say that we'll have another one in 20 or 21 years.

August 23, 2044 is the next total eclipse in the contiguous 48.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_23,_2044

Quote from: LilianaUwU on April 08, 2024, 04:11:32 PMIt was cool, but it's probably much cooler in totality

No doubt, but the days when I had the patience and the stamina and the overall bodily ability to deal with the logistics and the crowds for something like this are sadly many moons (pardon the expression) behind me.  I'm okay with the extent that I saw.

Our eclipse viewing in Port Stanley, ON was a great success! We left home at 8:30am and it was overcast and drizzly. We got there at 10am way before the crowds (a bit too early TBH :-D). The sun started to come out around 11am and the skies were clear. Some thin clouds came in about 30 minutes before totality, which was a little stressful, but thankfully, that had no effect on the viewing experience!

(https://i.imgur.com/eokRaug.jpg)

The traffic leaving our parking lot has barely moved for the past hour, so looks like we'll be hanging in town for dinner lol.

It's a shame Niagara didn't work out for my boss, and for the many people who chose that as their base.

There were more clouds than I hoped at Snow Ridge, but it was still a spectacular event.  The clouds thickened annoyingly after 2.  We took the lift up to the summit and walked to a spot at the top of the ridge on the South Slope.  It had a nice view toward the sun to the south plus a sweeping view out across the valley to the north and west.  We could still see the progress of the eclipse through the clouds with the glasses.  And once I thought totality was just going to be the shadow, but no ring, the ring was there, the darkness was amazing and the experience was almost as good as the clearer day in Grand Island in 2017.  It was awesome to go from people being underwhelmed and kind of disappointed even seconds before totality to blown away by the spectacle.  We had a solid 3+ minutes with a good view of the ring around the sun despite the cloud cover.  The first light coming around the moon at the end of totality was also almost shocking.

Travel-wise, it was also a successful day.  We left from Amsterdam before 8:30, and were passing by Snow Ridge less than 2 hours later, encountering zero traffic.  We continued a few miles up the road to Whetstone Gulf State Park to walk around a bit.  Their parking lot was filling up and by the time we left at noon it was probably close to their capacity.  I would not consider it an ideal viewing location, given that you're in a canyon and can't see so much of the daylight around you while in totality.  We returned to Snow Ridge by 12:15 and parked right by the lift, spent the early afternoon trying (eventually successfully) to get some lunch from their tavern.

After totality, we took our time walking back down the ridge, then hung out around the lodge for a bit longer.  We could see traffic building on 26 so decided it was time to get going at 4:30.  We hit delays in Boonville (maybe 20 minutes), Alder Creek (5 minutes), and on the ramp to the Thruway EB at 31 in Utica (5+ minutes), but even so it took only 2:30.  Can't complain about that at all.

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMIt's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map (https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast) is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet (https://tinyurl.com/mrxzc83d) applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 08:21:25 PM

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMIt's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map (https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast) is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet (https://tinyurl.com/mrxzc83d) applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

Buffalo came down to exact location. Most of my friends in the region didn't see it. A few small areas got breaks in the clouds. Decent chance that I wouldn't have seen it from either of my parents' houses had I shelled out to fly east for today. Niagara Falls was mostly a bust, as were most of the Buffalo suburbs.

It is quite ironic that the two places everyone was congregating for the eclipse (South Texas and Southern ON/ Central and Western NY) had the worst weather for viewing it, while Northern New England (which never has sun in April) had the best.

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMwhat people even do while they're waiting.

I periodically checked on/photographed partiality, played with my phone some, chatted a little bit with other people who were nearby.

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 08:21:25 PM

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMIt's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map (https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast) is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet (https://tinyurl.com/mrxzc83d) applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

And even the Texas area had the clouds break during totality, so they still got the good parts.  We literally got nothing, and we're the only part of the country that can say that.

Quote from: Henry on April 08, 2024, 03:29:33 PMThe news reports say that we'll have another one in 20 or 21 years.

Sadly, the 2045 eclipse is a 3-4 day drive from me (and the 2044 eclipse even further than that).  I've only traveled a round-trip distance like that once before (a trip that I have rather mixed feelings about), and the logistics of such an endeavor (hotel chaining, hoping you don't pop a tire, etc.) are very intimidating even without eclipse crowds/traffic.  Well, I could probably get to parts of Florida with only 2 days each way, but:
1. That would require the direct route, which I've already clinched
2. I-95 through the Carolinas is the most dreadful stretch of road I've ever had the misfortune of driving.
3. It's Florida, and I have very, very good reasons for never setting foot in that state again.  Some of these reasons already apply to other states in the path (or which I'd need to travel though) and I expect such to spread further.

Quote from: Duke87 on April 08, 2024, 08:55:58 PM

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMwhat people even do while they're waiting.

I periodically checked on/photographed partiality, played with my phone some, chatted a little bit with other people who were nearby.

That reminds me, I need to get a phone that won't run down the battery with significant use.  And learn how to talk to strangers.

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMwhat people even do while they're waiting.

I walked along QC 171 before settling on a spot to watch the eclipse.

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMwhat people even do while they're waiting.

I took occasional pictures of the landscape, looked through someone's telescope with their phone attached, and scrolled through this forum.

Quote from: wanderer2575 on April 08, 2024, 03:49:27 PMIt didn't dim as much as I was hoping, but I thought it was quite a sight considering it's the first eclipse I recall seeing.  I wonder how nuts it is right now a little farther south in Luna Pier (totality).

Yup, even a 99% partial eclipse is just not the same as 100% totality. The way the moon's shadow comes and goes so quickly leading to full darkness (surrounded by 360 degree "sunset" if you're in a place with open views) is what makes totality unique.

Quote from: 7/8 on April 08, 2024, 04:54:36 PMOur eclipse viewing in Port Stanley, ON was a great success! We left home at 8:30am and it was overcast and drizzly. We got there at 10am way before the crowds (a bit too early TBH :-D). The sun started to come out around 11am and the skies were clear. Some thin clouds came in about 30 minutes before totality, which was a little stressful, but thankfully, that had no effect on the viewing experience!

Very nice. I almost mentioned yesterday that you probably wouldn't have to go so far west based on how clouds were tracking, so I'll bet you're glad to have decided that as well.

Quote from: 7/8 on April 08, 2024, 04:54:36 PMIt's a shame Niagara didn't work out for my boss, and for the many people who chose that as their base.

I guess "didn't work out" is relative. I don't think anyone in totality would describe the experience as a total letdown, even if it was cloudy. The Falls would still be a cool place to experience the sudden dark and quietness, they just wouldn't have gotten the added effects of the sun's ring during totality. IMO the bigger issue with the Falls would be the insane and unavoidable traffic headed back towards Hamilton.

Quote from: cl94 on April 08, 2024, 08:32:03 PMBuffalo came down to exact location. Most of my friends in the region didn't see it. A few small areas got breaks in the clouds. Decent chance that I wouldn't have seen it from either of my parents' houses had I shelled out to fly east for today. Niagara Falls was mostly a bust, as were most of the Buffalo suburbs.

I don't think it even came down to location in Rochester. The sun disappeared in slow motion around 2PM and did not reappear until some clearing around 5:30. Not even a sliver of the partial eclipse was visible, so everyone's eclipse glasses ended up being no more than a piece of trivia.

Quote from: cl94 on April 08, 2024, 08:32:03 PMIt is quite ironic that the two places everyone was congregating for the eclipse (South Texas and Southern ON/ Central and Western NY) had the worst weather for viewing it, while Northern New England (which never has sun in April) had the best.

I think it's probably safe to say "Niagara Falls" instead of Southern ON/Western NY. I don't get the impression that either side of the border in the Niagara region was any more attractive than other parts of the path, aside from the Falls themselves (and the Canadian side being essentially the South Texas of Canada, but less accessible, which created plenty of traffic problems on its own).

The extra dagger for WNY is that yesterday was so innocently beautiful with not a feather in the sky from dawn til dusk. It honestly reminds me of the Buffalo sports scene at times the way we come so close (nice weather in early April!), yet blow it so bad when it really matters. It's downright depressing to think about, that one honestly has to laugh to keep from crying sometimes and that's why the tweet I cited hit the nail on the head.

I happened to be in central Texas during the eclipse, even though I had no intention of viewing the eclipse. At least that part of Texas had minimal cloud cover.

The closest I got to the totality path (approaching from the north, on US 283) was Coleman TX, with expected partial eclipse over 98%. I didn't hang around Coleman for the partial eclipse there, but rather drove west farther away from the totality path. The eclipse caught up with me in Robert Lee TX, which got a partial eclipse over 96%. That's the one place I saw eclipse watchers, on the south side of the Coke County courthouse. The darkened skies at that point forced me to crank up the ISO setting on my camera from the usual 800 to 6400, to avoid underexposure of my courthouse photos.

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 09:31:11 PM

Quote

QuoteIt's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

It is a truly, uniquely WNY irony. If this map (https://solcast.com/blog/april-2024-eclipse-solar-cloud-forecast) is accurate, Rochester was quite literally the most overcast location on the entire path - even cloudier than Texas. So this tweet (https://tinyurl.com/mrxzc83d) applies to Rochester just as much as Buffalo, probably even more so.

And even the Texas area had the clouds break during totality, so they still got the good parts.  We literally got nothing, and we're the only part of the country that can say that.

I obviously feel the pain, but to offer a note of positivity, the cloud-covered eclipse was still memorable and I am glad to have experienced it for two reasons; (1) the mental and emotional stimulation of the total eclipse is a lot, and not constantly viewing the sun allowed more time to focus on the surroundings and the changing lighting conditions. The 15-20 seconds of transition to and from totality were incredible to witness, as was the quietness and stillness of totality and the shifting 360 degree "sunset" during those moments. and (2), for reasons I won't get into, my viewing plans ended up fixed and I could not pull off a last-minute location switch. But I also was home and didn't have to do anything to plan or prepare, so if I do ever get to see a clear eclipse in the future, I won't take it for granted and will appreciate it even more having had to plan for it and having had this experience first.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53641813508_0dd6db4ba2_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2pJ9jiA)Vermont and New York in totality (https://flic.kr/p/2pJ9jiA) by David Raucci (https://www.flickr.com/photos/hotdogpi/), on Flickr

I like this photo better than any of the photos of the sun I took. Both my location (Burlington VT) and the mountains in the distance (NY) are in totality, but it's already ended in the sky in the distance.

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 08, 2024, 01:46:58 PM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 07, 2024, 09:27:42 PM

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 06, 2024, 02:43:13 PMMy cabin is in an area near Mena, AR but I may drive up to somewhere near Mount Magazine or Nebo for better viewing conditions.

Ha. Mena is about where I've decided to go.

I'm still near Mena and it's clearing up quite nicely. No need to travel north. Thank God, as I'm sure traffic is nuts right now (Lake Dardanelle SP is at max capacity and is closed to additional visitors). The partial eclipse just started here.

I ended up just east of where US-70 splits off of US-71, so a bit south of Mena. The sky to the north was clear but the sky to the south was a bit hazy, but luckily it cleared just before totality started.

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:24:53 AM

Quote from: epzik8 on April 08, 2024, 09:51:03 AMLegit feel bad for Texans for their dismal forecast, considering cities like Dallas and Austin have received among the most hype leading up to this.

They won't be getting any sympathy from those of us in the Great Lakes. Remember, they usually get beautiful weather this time of year while we put up with largely dismal and gray conditions for months on end.

Saw the eclipse in Goldthwaite, TX without any trouble.

Quote from: Rothman on April 08, 2024, 11:42:39 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:24:53 AM

Quote from: epzik8 on April 08, 2024, 09:51:03 AMLegit feel bad for Texans for their dismal forecast, considering cities like Dallas and Austin have received among the most hype leading up to this.

They won't be getting any sympathy from those of us in the Great Lakes. Remember, they usually get beautiful weather this time of year while we put up with largely dismal and gray conditions for months on end.

Saw the eclipse in Goldthwaite, TX without any trouble.

Last I heard, you were not a Texas resident, but perhaps you should be.

Saw it in Daleville yesterday, and It felt weird seeing the streetlights going on at 3 PM. Really cool experience! :D 
Sadly I didn't get a picture.

One of the more interesting things I watched yesterday was the traffic on Google maps, particularly in the hours after the end of totality, highways and even back roads between the center and the major metropolitan areas were jammed for hours, the last didn't clear until almost midnight (I-65NB from Indy to Chicago, and I-24EB from about Paducah to Nashville).

Is there any way to get a file/animation of yesterday's traffic on Google Maps, or another site? I would love to see how traffic responded to the eclipse yesterday.

We didn't get totality here, but it was enough to get me to go out and take some photos.

(https://i.postimg.cc/CKxK17YF/K3PC6564.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

Ended up watching it at work in downtown Chicago, was very happy with the shots I was able to get with my phone camera and a pair of glasses in front of the lenses. 94% was def noticeable, got very dim and some high rise beacon lights turned on briefly.

Even made it on the local news (WGN) :)

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 08, 2024, 01:46:58 PM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 07, 2024, 09:27:42 PM

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 06, 2024, 02:43:13 PMMy cabin is in an area near Mena, AR but I may drive up to somewhere near Mount Magazine or Nebo for better viewing conditions.

Ha. Mena is about where I've decided to go.

I'm still near Mena and it's clearing up quite nicely. No need to travel north. Thank God, as I'm sure traffic is nuts right now (Lake Dardanelle SP is at max capacity and is closed to additional visitors). The partial eclipse just started here.

I ended up on Lake Dardanelle at a friends lake house on the north shore within gunshot range of Nuclear One, although I wouldn't recommend shooting at it.  Sky was mostly clear and whatever wispy clouds there were almost completely dissipated when totality began, along with bird and bug sounds along with the wind.  It was eerie and awesome simultaneously, and the lake almost got completely calm, other than the other nearby observers howling at the moon and shooting off fireworks.  It was very dark during totality, kind of like almost dusk, but without the red atmospheric shift, so it was like being under a very dim LED yard light.  My wife was ambivalent on the trip down about the whole thing and slept for half the journey, impressive since I took AR-16, AR-22, and US-64 between Fayetteville and London, AR to avoid I-49 and I-40, which were no faster than the more enjoyable mountain route, especially on the return trip when everyone was leaving the area to return home to NWA or beyond.  Only downside is lack of passing zones once reaching the Boston Mountains.  Other than Texans and Kansans, who don't typically drive in curvy mountain roads and slow WAY down for each corner, can't complain about the traffic.

Quote from: westerninterloper on April 09, 2024, 11:26:48 AMOne of the more interesting things I watched yesterday was the traffic on Google maps, particularly in the hours after the end of totality, highways and even back roads between the center and the major metropolitan areas were jammed for hours, the last didn't clear until almost midnight (I-65NB from Indy to Chicago, and I-24EB from about Paducah to Nashville).

Is there any way to get a file/animation of yesterday's traffic on Google Maps, or another site? I would love to see how traffic responded to the eclipse yesterday.

Probably nothing with animation, but I have a whole bunch of screen shots. If you are interested in a specific area or time frame, let me know and I can PM you what I have (& that applies to anyone else who's interested too.)

Quote from: MikieTimT on April 09, 2024, 01:03:57 PM

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 08, 2024, 01:46:58 PM

Quote from: CtrlAltDel on April 07, 2024, 09:27:42 PM

Quote from: ozarkman417 on April 06, 2024, 02:43:13 PMMy cabin is in an area near Mena, AR but I may drive up to somewhere near Mount Magazine or Nebo for better viewing conditions.

Ha. Mena is about where I've decided to go.

I'm still near Mena and it's clearing up quite nicely. No need to travel north. Thank God, as I'm sure traffic is nuts right now (Lake Dardanelle SP is at max capacity and is closed to additional visitors). The partial eclipse just started here.

I ended up on Lake Dardanelle at a friends lake house on the north shore within gunshot range of Nuclear One, although I wouldn't recommend shooting at it.  Sky was mostly clear and whatever wispy clouds there were almost completely dissipated when totality began, along with bird and bug sounds along with the wind.  It was eerie and awesome simultaneously, and the lake almost got completely calm, other than the other nearby observers howling at the moon and shooting off fireworks.  It was very dark during totality, kind of like almost dusk, but without the red atmospheric shift, so it was like being under a very dim LED yard light.  My wife was ambivalent on the trip down about the whole thing and slept for half the journey, impressive since I took AR-16, AR-22, and US-64 between Fayetteville and London, AR to avoid I-49 and I-40, which were no faster than the more enjoyable mountain route, especially on the return trip when everyone was leaving the area to return home to NWA or beyond.  Only downside is lack of passing zones once reaching the Boston Mountains.  Other than Texans and Kansans, who don't typically drive in curvy mountain roads and slow WAY down for each corner, can't complain about the traffic.

I thought this eclipse was pretty dark too, darker at least than the one in 2017.

I also noticed a whole bunch of ARDOT trucks here and there along the roads. I wonder if they were there to shoo people away who stopped on the side of the road. It must have been every ARDOT truck in the state, or at least it seems.

As far as traffic goes, I made my way to De Queen late at night, so there was no traffic at all getting there, but I made my way back to College Station about half an hour or so after the eclipse ended, and there was no real congestion. The rip back took only about half an hour longer than the trip there, and that includes the monsoon I ran into in Tyler.

I also got to drive on three different major 2DIs, I-45, I-30, and I-20, although they are, especially the first two, admittedly at the low end of the major scale.  :-D

Quote from: webny99 on April 09, 2024, 02:10:28 PM

Quote from: westerninterloper on April 09, 2024, 11:26:48 AMOne of the more interesting things I watched yesterday was the traffic on Google maps, particularly in the hours after the end of totality, highways and even back roads between the center and the major metropolitan areas were jammed for hours, the last didn't clear until almost midnight (I-65NB from Indy to Chicago, and I-24EB from about Paducah to Nashville).

Is there any way to get a file/animation of yesterday's traffic on Google Maps, or another site? I would love to see how traffic responded to the eclipse yesterday.

Probably nothing with animation, but I have a whole bunch of screen shots. If you are interested in a specific area or time frame, let me know and I can PM you what I have (& that applies to anyone else who's interested too.)

Thanks - I took a bunch of screenshots too, but I keep thinking there must be some way to extract that data, or a way that Google has produced such imagery in the past.

Quote from: MikieTimT on April 09, 2024, 01:03:57 PMIt was eerie and awesome simultaneously, and the lake almost got completely calm, other than the other nearby observers howling at the moon and shooting off fireworks.

I also experienced fireworks, along with some Chinese lanterns from folks nearby. It was otherwise very quiet during and leading up to totality, and the lack of traffic noise was really noticeable too. Basically the only sound was people talking, but the quiet and stillness made it so that you could hear other voices from quite far away, and also talk softly and still be heard.

Then within 5 minutes after totality, it was no darker than a thunderstorm, and you could hear the din of traffic roar back to life almost in real time. In fact, I would say that during totality and within about three minutes before and after (roughly 10 minutes total) was the only time in which the sky was darker than I've ever seen it before during the daytime. I recall heavy storm clouds that had about the same overall brightness effect of about ~90% totality (again, this is why 99.9% doesn't cut it :) )

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:16:01 PM

Quote from: wanderer2575 on April 08, 2024, 03:49:27 PMIt didn't dim as much as I was hoping, but I thought it was quite a sight considering it's the first eclipse I recall seeing.  I wonder how nuts it is right now a little farther south in Luna Pier (totality).

Yup, even a 99% partial eclipse is just not the same as 100% totality. The way the moon's shadow comes and goes so quickly leading to full darkness (surrounded by 360 degree "sunset" if you're in a place with open views) is what makes totality unique.

Yeah, now it's awkward trying to explain to people (friends, coworkers, etc.) who didn't make the effort to drive an hour south of home that totality is so much cooler than the partial eclipse. I'm very disappointed my Dad didn't join us in Port Stanley, instead choosing to work from home (he also missed the 2017 eclipse, it's not coincidence that my Mom and brother saw it in 2017 and we were the ones determined to see it yesterday!)

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:16:01 PM

Quote from: 7/8 on April 08, 2024, 04:54:36 PMOur eclipse viewing in Port Stanley, ON was a great success! We left home at 8:30am and it was overcast and drizzly. We got there at 10am way before the crowds (a bit too early TBH :-D). The sun started to come out around 11am and the skies were clear. Some thin clouds came in about 30 minutes before totality, which was a little stressful, but thankfully, that had no effect on the viewing experience!

Very nice. I almost mentioned yesterday that you probably wouldn't have to go so far west based on how clouds were tracking, so I'll bet you're glad to have decided that as well.

Yes, thank you Eclipse App! It was nice to save over an hour of driving on the return home.

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:16:01 PM

Quote from: 7/8 on April 08, 2024, 04:54:36 PMIt's a shame Niagara didn't work out for my boss, and for the many people who chose that as their base.

I guess "didn't work out" is relative. I don't think anyone in totality would describe the experience as a total letdown, even if it was cloudy. The Falls would still be a cool place to experience the sudden dark and quietness, they just wouldn't have gotten the added effects of the sun's ring during totality. IMO the bigger issue with the Falls would be the insane and unavoidable traffic headed back towards Hamilton.

True, I would still place totality under clouds much higher than partial under clear skies. I'm happy I didn't have to venture to Niagara (in a different scenario, it could've been the only clear sky spot in Ontario). I knew long before the eclipse that it would be the worse spot for traffic. Our drive from Port Stanley actually wasn't bad once we got out of the parking lot, but we stayed in town for 3 hours after totality since the parking lot was at a stand-still for a long time.

It got nearly dark but not fully dark yesterday.

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:52:35 PMso if I do ever get to see a clear eclipse in the future, I won't take it for granted and will appreciate it even more having had to plan for it and having had this experience first.

That's the thing... I don't see how I'll ever get to experience a total eclipse again, clear or otherwise.  I missed out on a once in a lifetime view of the sun, along with that comet.  I've never seen one of those either, and now I probably never will.  I had been looking forward to this intensely for 8 years, and now I missed out on very nearly everything.  We didn't even get the 360 degree sunset in Rochester!

88 isn't an impossible age to live to. (There's one in 2079 close to you.)

Or if they change the TSA rules and you can fly again.

Quote from: webny99 on April 09, 2024, 02:10:28 PM

Quote from: westerninterloper on April 09, 2024, 11:26:48 AMOne of the more interesting things I watched yesterday was the traffic on Google maps, particularly in the hours after the end of totality, highways and even back roads between the center and the major metropolitan areas were jammed for hours, the last didn't clear until almost midnight (I-65NB from Indy to Chicago, and I-24EB from about Paducah to Nashville).

Is there any way to get a file/animation of yesterday's traffic on Google Maps, or another site? I would love to see how traffic responded to the eclipse yesterday.

Probably nothing with animation, but I have a whole bunch of screen shots. If you are interested in a specific area or time frame, let me know and I can PM you what I have (& that applies to anyone else who's interested too.)

I also took screenshots too starting around 8 PM ish, but mine were centred around the NH/VT area.

There's also this site, Vermont Area Eclipse Traffic (https://themapsmith.github.io/eclipse-traffic/index.html#), I stumbled across today that has a timeline on traffic around VT during the eclipse.

Quote from: vdeane on April 09, 2024, 08:47:07 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:52:35 PMso if I do ever get to see a clear eclipse in the future, I won't take it for granted and will appreciate it even more having had to plan for it and having had this experience first.

That's the thing... I don't see how I'll ever get to experience a total eclipse again, clear or otherwise.  I missed out on a once in a lifetime view of the sun, along with that comet.  I've never seen one of those either, and now I probably never will.  I had been looking forward to this intensely for 8 years, and now I missed out on very nearly everything. 

Well, 2045 is much too far into the future to say definitively, but one good thing about the 2045 path is that it's a better time of year and passes through less traditionally cloudy parts of the country.

Quote from: vdeane on April 09, 2024, 08:47:07 PMWe didn't even get the 360 degree sunset in Rochester!

Though the ground I watched from wasn't high enough to say for sure, I would describe it as pretty close to a 360 degree sunset. As totality started, the eastern sky turned to sunset colors, and by halfway through totality I could see the western sky turning increasingly orangish as the end of totality approached. North and south weren't as distinct, but I think that's because of the direction the shadow was moving.

Quote from: hotdogPi on April 09, 2024, 08:49:26 PM88 isn't an impossible age to live to. (There's one in 2079 close to you.)

Or if they change the TSA rules and you can fly again.

My issues with flying go beyond the TSA.  Flying is unpredictable and puts more of the trip out of my control.  Flights get overbooked, delayed, cancelled, and/or diverted all the time.  Beyond flying, the level of flexibility needed to guarantee a clear view of an eclipse is beyond me.  And sure, it's possible I'll still be mobile and able to drive at 88, but that wasn't the majority of my grandparents (might not have been any... I don't remember when my grandfather stopped driving).  Both of my grandmothers had significant dementia at that point, so I presume that will be my fate at that well.

Quote from: webny99 on April 09, 2024, 09:26:47 PMWell, 2045 is much too far into the future to say definitively, but one good thing about the 2045 path is that it's a better time of year and passes through less traditionally cloudy parts of the country.

That path is a 3-4 day drive each way, a logistical challenge even without the added issue of eclipse crowds/traffic and needing flexibility for last minute diversions due to weather.  I have issues managing my energy now, and I'll be in my 50s by then.  And that's all without getting into the politics of the states I'd have to drive to and/or through.

Quote from: vdeane on April 09, 2024, 09:36:41 PM

Quote from: hotdogPi on April 09, 2024, 08:49:26 PM88 isn't an impossible age to live to. (There's one in 2079 close to you.)

Or if they change the TSA rules and you can fly again.

My issues with flying go beyond the TSA.  Flying is unpredictable and puts more of the trip out of my control.  Flights get overbooked, delayed, cancelled, and/or diverted all the time.  Beyond flying, the level of flexibility needed to guarantee a clear view of an eclipse is beyond me.  And sure, it's possible I'll still be mobile and able to drive at 88, but that wasn't the majority of my grandparents (might not have been any... I don't remember when my grandfather stopped driving).  Both of my grandmothers had significant dementia at that point, so I presume that will be my fate at that well.

The trick with flying is not planning things to do on the day of the flight that can't be moved around.  On our recent trip to Texas, we flew into San Antonio and had some plans to see the Alamo and another historic site -- I had been to the Alamo before, but my wife hadn't and she wasn't particular about seeing the inside of it.  The only time sensitive thing we had was meeting up with friends for dinner at 7 p.m., when our flight was due in at 2:35 or so.  I had my friend's phone number, so if anything disastrous happened, we could cancel.  Our flight came in about on time and things worked out in the end.  A little positive perspective goes a long way, even though having plans go awry is obviously disappointing.

The bigger deal for us was having to totally rearrange our plans on Eclipse Day.  I had originally planned to drive 30 minutes south from Rocksprings to view the eclipse -- had a perfect place picked out and everything.  Because of the weather forecast -- and the stress involved with even trusting meteorologists -- we instead headed three hours north to Goldthwaite and that worked out quite well.  Clinched counties I wouldn't have otherwise.

So, yeah, one can focus on the high concept of "flexibility," but that's a little simplistic.  Perhaps it is a matter of managing the disappointment of not being able to pursue one's original plan (i.e., I didn't get to make it to Amistad NRA on this trip as planned), and trying to at least come up with a "good enough" plan B.  Heaven knows that disappointment can be overwhelming, though (e.g., on my lone trip to Hawaii, I couldn't see a lava flow well enough from the official viewpoint and they wouldn't let us in any closer due to toxic fumes -- the nerve!).  Good times, bad times...can only hope for the best and plan a second trip if the first doesn't work out...

Quote from: 7/8 on April 09, 2024, 03:36:23 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:16:01 PMYup, even a 99% partial eclipse is just not the same as 100% totality. The way the moon's shadow comes and goes so quickly leading to full darkness (surrounded by 360 degree "sunset" if you're in a place with open views) is what makes totality unique.

Yeah, now it's awkward trying to explain to people (friends, coworkers, etc.) who didn't make the effort to drive an hour south of home that totality is so much cooler than the partial eclipse. I'm very disappointed my Dad didn't join us in Port Stanley, instead choosing to work from home (he also missed the 2017 eclipse, it's not coincidence that my Mom and brother saw it in 2017 and we were the ones determined to see it yesterday!)

That is a bummer. You'll have to tell him what he missed, although maybe he knows and just doesn't care. I have some friends/family that are like that too and just don't get what the hype is for. I get it - and was bummed to miss out on the full experience - but I am also fascinated by the traffic impacts as much or more so than the celestial event itself. 

Quote from: 7/8 on April 09, 2024, 03:36:23 PMTrue, I would still place totality under clouds much higher than partial under clear skies.

100% agreed. :sombrero: The clouds do also add to the effect of the darkness. Even though totality is way darker than a partial eclipse, the sky in your photo and others I've seen doesn't look nearly as dark as the true night sky.

Quote from: webny99 on April 09, 2024, 10:04:42 PM

Quote from: 7/8 on April 09, 2024, 03:36:23 PM

Quote from: webny99 on April 08, 2024, 10:16:01 PMYup, even a 99% partial eclipse is just not the same as 100% totality. The way the moon's shadow comes and goes so quickly leading to full darkness (surrounded by 360 degree "sunset" if you're in a place with open views) is what makes totality unique.

Yeah, now it's awkward trying to explain to people (friends, coworkers, etc.) who didn't make the effort to drive an hour south of home that totality is so much cooler than the partial eclipse. I'm very disappointed my Dad didn't join us in Port Stanley, instead choosing to work from home (he also missed the 2017 eclipse, it's not coincidence that my Mom and brother saw it in 2017 and we were the ones determined to see it yesterday!)

That is a bummer. You'll have to tell him what he missed, although maybe he knows and just doesn't care. I have some friends/family that are like that too and just don't get what the hype is for. I get it - and was bummed to miss out on the full experience - but I am also fascinated by the traffic impacts as much or more so than the celestial event itself. 

We definitely stressed the fact that 99% is much less than 100% before we left, so unlike many people, he was aware of the importance of totality. However, I would say most people who haven't actually seen it themselves will underestimate how cool it is (and I'm sure that's the case with him too). Like many things, photos and videos don't compare to the lived experience!

Quote from: webny99 on April 09, 2024, 10:04:42 PM

Quote from: 7/8 on April 09, 2024, 03:36:23 PMTrue, I would still place totality under clouds much higher than partial under clear skies.

100% agreed. :sombrero: The clouds do also add to the effect of the darkness. Even though totality is way darker than a partial eclipse, the sky in your photo and others I've seen doesn't look nearly as dark as the true night sky.

The photo might be a bit brighter than reality (phones typically brighten images at night), but it looks similar to my memory. It certainly wasn't nighttime levels of black, due to the horizon's 360 sunset. My boss' photo from Niagara looked darker, and I suspect the overcast sky is why.

Quote from: vdeane on April 09, 2024, 08:47:07 PMalong with that comet.  I've never seen one of those either, and now I probably never will.

I mean, you don't need an eclipse to see a comet. They can be seen at night, and every so often one shows up that's bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. I didn't see the comet yesterday (had no idea where in the sky to look for it, and it wasn't really a priority), but I have photos of a comet from 2020 that I took.

The eclipse was a success. Quite a miracle given it was overcast only an hour or two before. A low cloud covered the eclipse in its last 20 seconds, so the second set of Bailey's Beads was not visible. Seeing the red solar prominences with my own eyes at the bottom and right of the sun is something I'll never forget.

Quote from: SEWIGuy on April 08, 2024, 04:15:30 PM

Quote from: Henry on April 08, 2024, 03:29:33 PMOf all the times not to be in Chicago for the event, but I'm sure all my old friends and family back there are enjoying it right now. And even worse, Seattle is not going to get a glimpse of it at all, but Denver (where my brother Jeff lives) is  :banghead:

Quote from: vdeane on April 08, 2024, 02:14:33 PMIt's looking like a complete bust for Rochester.  Fully overcast with thick, medium/low level clouds that aren't moving.  Coming here will probably be one of the biggest regrets in my entire life, especially as I could have gotten up into my Adirondacks on a day trip if I had left when I usually do for work.  Of course, that leads to the question of what people even do while they're waiting.  Deeply jealous of anyone who gets to see this eclipse or any other.  A once in a lifetime chance, and I blew it.

The news reports say that we'll have another one in 20 or 21 years.

August 23, 2044 is the next total eclipse in the contiguous 48.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_23,_2044

Hopefully I'll be alive to see this one (I'd be 74 by then).

Quote from: Duke87 on April 09, 2024, 11:12:01 PM

Quote from: vdeane on April 09, 2024, 08:47:07 PMalong with that comet.  I've never seen one of those either, and now I probably never will.

I mean, you don't need an eclipse to see a comet. They can be seen at night, and every so often one shows up that's bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. I didn't see the comet yesterday (had no idea where in the sky to look for it, and it wasn't really a priority), but I have photos of a comet from 2020 that I took.

I don't even recall the last one to be visible with the naked eye in upstate NY (I don't own binoculars or a telescope).  Might have been on a cloudy day (which, let's be honest, is most days in NY, even in summer) or one too faint to see with the light pollution that pervades the area around my apartment (and has gotten worse in recent years; I could see many more stars just 5 years ago than I can now).  The Capital District is probably the worst place one could possibly be in upstate NY to be interested in astronomy, because there's nowhere nearby one can legally stop and get a clear view of dark skies (the only contender is Thacher State Park, and the police are very good at finding and kicking people out), and the local astronomy group disappeared during COVID.

Quote from: vdeane on April 10, 2024, 12:52:24 PM

Quote from: Duke87 on April 09, 2024, 11:12:01 PM

Quote from: vdeane on April 09, 2024, 08:47:07 PMalong with that comet.  I've never seen one of those either, and now I probably never will.

I mean, you don't need an eclipse to see a comet. They can be seen at night, and every so often one shows up that's bright enough to be visible to the naked eye. I didn't see the comet yesterday (had no idea where in the sky to look for it, and it wasn't really a priority), but I have photos of a comet from 2020 that I took.

I don't even recall the last one to be visible with the naked eye in upstate NY (I don't own binoculars or a telescope).  Might have been on a cloudy day (which, let's be honest, is most days in NY, even in summer) or one too faint to see with the light pollution that pervades the area around my apartment (and has gotten worse in recent years; I could see many more stars just 5 years ago than I can now).  The Capital District is probably the worst place one could possibly be in upstate NY to be interested in astronomy, because there's nowhere nearby one can legally stop and get a clear view of dark skies (the only contender is Thacher State Park, and the police are very good at finding and kicking people out), and the local astronomy group disappeared during COVID.

Perhaps this October

https://starwalk.space/en/news/visible-comet-2024

There was a visible comet in upstate NY over the past five years.  Saw it out here.

Don't have to go to Thacher...not sure why'd they kick you out.  I've found a couple of cornfields for stargazing...lots of wide spots off the road to look up from and the like.

Saw the eclipse in a cemetery...

Quote from: webny99 on April 09, 2024, 02:30:17 PMThen within 5 minutes after totality, it was no darker than a thunderstorm, and you could hear the din of traffic roar back to life almost in real time. In fact, I would say that during totality and within about three minutes before and after (roughly 10 minutes total) was the only time in which the sky was darker than I've ever seen it before during the daytime. I recall heavy storm clouds that had about the same overall brightness effect of about ~90% totality (again, this is why 99.9% doesn't cut it :) )

When I wrote this post, I figured that I was probably exaggerating a bit. But no, this video (https://tinyurl.com/4sbkcvhc) explains that even 95% totality is about as dark as an overcast day and 99% is still 1000 times brighter than totality. That tracks pretty well with my experience, it was really only after ~75% that the dimming light became noticeable, and the rapid transition from 99% to 100% was the most exciting part of the experience.

This article provides an overview of many of the same points from the video: https://skyandtelescope.org/2024-total-solar-eclipse/how-dark-does-it-get-during-a-total-solar-eclipse/

Quote from: Rothman on April 10, 2024, 01:08:46 PMDon't have to go to Thacher...not sure why'd they kick you out.  I've found a couple of cornfields for stargazing...lots of wide spots off the road to look up from and the like.

The park is closed at night.  It comes up on r/Albany whenever the northern lights might be visible and people ask where they can go to see them.

Quote from: vdeane on April 10, 2024, 08:51:53 PM

Quote from: Rothman on April 10, 2024, 01:08:46 PMDon't have to go to Thacher...not sure why'd they kick you out.  I've found a couple of cornfields for stargazing...lots of wide spots off the road to look up from and the like.

The park is closed at night.  It comes up on r/Albany whenever the northern lights might be visible and people ask where they can go to see them.

But a state highway goes right through it. :D

I do have to say I find it easier to find a quiet spot outside of Syracuse than outside the Albany area.  Seems there's more of an abrupt end to the development outside of the metro area of Syracuse, so you don't have to go that far to find the dark.

Gotta be a place out in Clarksville or out thattaway... :D

Figured I'd send my result.

The clouds were rolling through over Kerrville (1 hr. at normal traffic speeds northwest of San Antonio - which is where I overnighted) but the sun was peaking through quite a bit. The sun was visible during the pre-totality diamond ring before being covered for 15 seconds, then - they cleared and the total eclipse was visible plain as "night" (though some whisps of clouds were blurring it at times) for 30 - 45 seconds before off-an-on visibility happened.  about 2 minutes in the clouds covered it for the duration of totality.  Kerrville got lucky because surrounding areas and towns had clouds in the way 100% of the time - take for example Fredericksburg (1/2 hr.? north of Kerrville) had visible sun going up to the start and then lost all of totality to clouds.

Though I was able to see it - the full corona was not visible (about 75%) and I did not see the flares with the naked eye (they're too small).  I didn't have cameras set up to zoom in and was free-handing my phone.  The one clear-ish shot I took was pixilated, but one can see how it looked though.

Quote from: Rothman on April 10, 2024, 09:10:05 PM

Quote from: vdeane on April 10, 2024, 08:51:53 PM

Quote from: Rothman on April 10, 2024, 01:08:46 PMDon't have to go to Thacher...not sure why'd they kick you out.  I've found a couple of cornfields for stargazing...lots of wide spots off the road to look up from and the like.

The park is closed at night.  It comes up on r/Albany whenever the northern lights might be visible and people ask where they can go to see them.

But a state highway goes right through it. :D

I do have to say I find it easier to find a quiet spot outside of Syracuse than outside the Albany area.  Seems there's more of an abrupt end to the development outside of the metro area of Syracuse, so you don't have to go that far to find the dark.

Gotta be a place out in Clarksville or out thattaway... :D

It's legal to drive through on NY 157.  What's not legal is stopping and staring at the sky.  Presumably the police treat it like that road in Estonia that passes through Russia.

I saw the eclipse from Georgetown, TX!

In the morning, the sky was at least half clouded over, but my friends and I decided to stay and risk it.  There were lots of gaps in the clouds during the partial eclipse phase, and it was even more epic to watch through sometimes-thin clouds.  And then, about ten minutes before totality, everything cleared around the sun.

It was epic.  We heard the birds go silent, the crickets start chirping, and the dogs from the next house over whine and look around confused.

This's the second total eclipse I've seen (after Salem, OR, in 2017); I'm hoping to see another.  Spain 2026?

Quote from: vdeane on April 11, 2024, 12:43:18 PMIt's legal to drive through on NY 157.  What's not legal is stopping and staring at the sky.  Presumably the police treat it like that road in Estonia that passes through Russia.

Eh don't assume, it depends on whether the responsible agency has a stick up their ass or not.

My photos of the 2020 comet, coincidentally enough, were taken in a park that technically I wasn't supposed to be in at night but that rule is only enforced against people who cause trouble and no one stopped me.

Quote from: Duke87 on April 14, 2024, 12:13:04 AM

Quote from: vdeane on April 11, 2024, 12:43:18 PMIt's legal to drive through on NY 157.  What's not legal is stopping and staring at the sky.  Presumably the police treat it like that road in Estonia that passes through Russia.

Eh don't assume, it depends on whether the responsible agency has a stick up their ass or not.

My photos of the 2020 comet, coincidentally enough, were taken in a park that technically I wasn't supposed to be in at night but that rule is only enforced against people who cause trouble and no one stopped me.

There are plenty of stories on Reddit of people getting kicked out of Thacher for stargazing, unless they're all lying to keep the riff-raff away?