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Solar eclipse 2017

Started by hbelkins, October 02, 2016, 08:09:44 PM

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Beltway

#75
Quote from: Bobby5280 on July 11, 2017, 10:33:06 AM
Barring screwed up cloudy, stormy weather my plans are to drive directly North to Fairmont, NB to see the eclipse. Casey's General Store just South of town along US-81 is right in the bull's eye of the eclipse path. Totality will begin at almost straight up 1:00pm CDT.

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

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

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

My first viewing site will be near Knoxville, TN.  If the forecast is bad then my second is near Columbia, SC.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)


Desert Man

Update: the eclipse trip plan is cancelled. I might have to wait for the 2024 total solar eclipse which crosses SE Oklahoma, I have relatives in Tulsa. There were so many problems: I'm using my Mom's new van which is actually old and has need for repairs. All the hotel and campground reservations are taken. Gas money is an issue since we're driving to Oregon instead of flying (my Mom has COPD), and the risk of cloud cover, even in the summer, since western Oregon is where it's likely going to rain.
Get your kicks...on Route 99! Like to turn 66 upside down. The other historic Main street of America.

noelbotevera

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

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

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

Beltway

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

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

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

I would suggest picking two and being mobile based on weather forecast the day before, to find a site that will have clear skies.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

oscar

#79
I'm having mild (and probably futile) second thoughts about trying to avoid the eclipse path, which happens to pass through a hot spring-rich part of western Oregon. I soaked in a hot spring east of Eugene, and the concessionaire there mentioned the upcoming total eclipse (but not that his spring is outside the totality path, plus the surrounding trees might obstruct the view of the eclipse), suggesting the possibility that I could watch the eclipse while soaking in hot water, combining the two interests.

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

I stayed twice at a hotel in Albany OR, along I-5 and well within the totality path. That city is going nuts about the upcoming eclipse, with lots of events for that day, including a viewing party with breakfast sponsored by the local American Legion post, as well as an eclipse festival at the local community college.
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

Sctvhound

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

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

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

ZLoth

I will be in Smith's Ferry, Idaho with a buddy of mine for the eclipse.
I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

hm insulators

Quote from: wanderer2575 on June 03, 2017, 01:50:28 PM
Quote from: Beltway on June 01, 2017, 12:13:11 PM
A total eclipse of the Sun is obviously a very big deal.  But it can get clouded out like anything else.  That is why I missed the 1984 annular solar eclipse in central Virginia, the sky was 100% overcast.   ::blow lunch::

Conclusion of one of my favorite Peanuts storylines:



I remember that storyline!
Remember: If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

I'd rather be a child of the road than a son of a ditch.


At what age do you tell a highway that it's been adopted?

hm insulators

I'm planning on renting a car and driving up to Missouri to see the eclipse. An old friend of mine from years back offered me to stay at his house in Branson, where I can use it as a base of operations.
Remember: If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

I'd rather be a child of the road than a son of a ditch.


At what age do you tell a highway that it's been adopted?

D-Dey65

Quote from: 1 on June 01, 2017, 04:23:56 PM
There were total solar eclipses that entered the United States in 1954, 1963, 1970, and 1979. It's been a while since there's been one, so more people will be seeing one for the first time.
Unfortunately, I won't be one of them. The closest the eclipse will come to me is South Carolina, and I have no plans to barge my way up I-95 until late-fall.


Rothman

Have a plan that depending on the weather, I could be anywhere between Ninety Six NHS, SC and Fort Donelson NB, TN.  Going to be a heckuva marathon trip due to extreme time constraints, but should be doable.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Highway63

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

jpi

I am off that day, got lots of options in case the weather is blah here in middle TN, I can go 3 hours one way or 3 hours another way.
Jason Ilyes
JPI
Lebanon, TN
Home Of The Barrel

empirestate

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

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

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

kkt

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

ZLoth

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

Actually, I booked the hotel in McCall, ID first last August. Then, I booked the time off with my manager. This is back-to-back with a cruise a few days later.
I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

empirestate

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


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

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

thenetwork

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

formulanone

#93
Working in San Antonio* that day, so I'll see an annular bit of it if I'm lucky.

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


* always subject to change on someone else's whim

Beltway

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

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

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

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

Absolutely not something that you want to miss, if you are interested in it and want to see it.
http://www.roadstothefuture.com
http://www.capital-beltway.com

Baloney is a reserved word on the Internet
    (Robert Coté, 2002)

ColossalBlocks

I'm gonna be viewing it at the shopping plaza near Route A and Interstate 55 in Festus.
I am inactive for a while now my dudes. Good associating with y'all.

US Highways: 36, 49, 61, 412.

Interstates: 22, 24, 44, 55, 57, 59, 72, 74 (West).

US 89

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

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


* always subject to change on someone else's whim

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

codyg1985

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

noelbotevera

I've currently got 4 locations on the books:

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

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

TravelingBethelite

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

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

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

You better make up your mind and get booking fast. Hopefully, you can book it as soon as yesterday, or maybe last year.
"Imprisoned by the freedom of the road!" - Ronnie Milsap
See my photos at: http://bit.ly/1Qi81ws

Now I decide where I go...

2018 Ford Fusion SE - proud new owner!



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