I'm surprised this hasn't already been made a topic.
Who is going to be watching the Solar Eclipse on Monday? I will be headed down to Charleston with my parents.
In South Carolina, the state is expecting at least 1 Million people coming from out of state alone. Hotels in Charleston and Columbia are nearly 100% full. People are already starting to come into the state for the weekend!
What about y'all? Traveling? Not bothering?
It has
check road trips
Here's the thread in the Road Enthusiast Meetings board: https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=18948.0 (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=18948.0)
Supposedly it will be 80 percent visible here in Maryland.
I'm going to be up in Gallatin, TN for the eclipse to watch it in totality.
SM-G900V
Unfortunately for me, Monday is the start of training week for the department that I work in at a University. I don't know if they will allow us to go outside to view it at all. The eclipse will only reach about 68% totality where I will be, however I still think it's worth taking a peek at, so we'll see.
When I originally heard about the eclipse about a year ago, I had ambitious plans to travel to Wyoming to view it, but I just cant manage it.
However, come hell or high water, I will travel to see the April 8th 2024 total eclipse, which has an even larger path of totality spanning from Mexico to the Northeastern US.
Similar situation for me. I had planned to view the partial eclipse, but then a training thing got scheduled for Monday afternoon. Seriously, why would someone schedule something at the same time as a solar eclipse?
Quote from: vdeane on August 18, 2017, 11:56:04 PM
Similar situation for me. I had planned to view the partial eclipse, but then a training thing got scheduled for Monday afternoon. Seriously, why would someone schedule something at the same time as a solar eclipse?
Especially considering that this is probably the most highly publicized solar eclipse ever?
As for me, I had been hoping to drive up to ID or WY, but it's just not going to work out. Still, 91 percent totality is not bad, and it'll be more than the 2012 annular eclipse I went to Southern UT to see, which had 89 percent coverage.
If you can't make this one, start planning ahead for 7 years from now. This one will extend from Del Rio, Texas to Buffalo, New York to New Brunswick. The path of totality includes my area, near DFW. The southern I-35 W/E split in Texas is near the center, with more than 4 minutes of totality.
Detailed view on Google Maps
https://eclipses.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2024Apr08Tgoogle.html
(https://eclipses.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2024Apr08T.GIF)
As a point of interest, southern Illinois, around Carbondale, is in the path of totality for both.
I will be working Monday. I work outside, so if my work day is busy enough, I will see it.
I am greatly interested in the one in 2024...I am only 4 hours from Dallas. And 3 from the projected path in Arkansas.
I wasn't able to get a solar filter for my DSLR, so I will simply watch the partial eclipse without my camera. Had I gotten a filter, I was hoping Lafayette Park would be open (don't know whether it will be) because a picture of a solar eclipse over the White House would have been very cool.
It looks like it will be cloudy and/or stormy over most of Wisconsin on Monday, so all we may see is darkened skies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhVDisdnWXU
Interestingly Jim K. Georges and the Freewayjim crew filmed Charleston, SC one of the cities thats going to be a hotspot for the eclipse.
Looks like it will rain Monday here... it's been very dry here and it rains on the one day it can't...
Here it will only be partial anyways, and I don't have those special glasses.
Unclear what to do so far tomorrow using Papillion, Nebraska, as a starting point. It looks like west toward central Nebraska has a better chance of sun than south toward Beatrice or somewhere in the southeast corner of the state. At the moment, I'm thinking an early morning ride to Grand Island is my best bet. Thinking I-80 is to be avoided.
Quote from: vdeane on August 18, 2017, 11:56:04 PM
Similar situation for me. I had planned to view the partial eclipse, but then a training thing got scheduled for Monday afternoon. Seriously, why would someone schedule something at the same time as a solar eclipse?
Fed Aid 101? For Pete's sake, skip it and attend the eclipse!
Unfortunately I will be taking tech support calls during the eclipse... :angry:
I guess I can wait 7 years. Where I live, I will be in nearly 97% totality. I guess this year I will be around 90% totality here.
A quote I read today said the difference between 99% and 100% tomorrow will be like the difference between seeing a lightning bug flash and seeing a flash of lightning. Too bad the weather might not be cooperative for my 100%.
I saw these two VMS's all around Nashville today (these photos were from I-65 SB heading into the city).
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FcSGu0fk.jpg&hash=af8604a5223850f85cacd9bb2777407a21dd829c)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQWEk11Y.jpg&hash=7a0fbc9dad1c11d844bbf3b27a6eb01ad2441235)
My family managed to find three pairs of solar glasses in downtown Nashville for tomorrow, so I can rest easy knowing we finally have them!
Found some solar clip-ons for my regular glasses, so I'll look forward to our projected 73% eclipse down here in San Jose. A friend's going up to Nampa, ID to see what a centerline (or close) experience is like -- unfortunately, I'm stuck here for the day on a project, otherwise I'd ride up with him -- if for nothing else, to reacquaint myself with US 95 from Winnemucca to the Treasure Valley.
I was looking at the map for the 2024 eclipse and I noted Toronto and Niagara Falls appear to be in the path of totality. Those struck me as possible destinations, but then I thought further and it occurred to me that it's not as easy to go south from there in the event of weather problems (due to the border crossing's inherent delays), so somewhere rural in the US probably makes more sense.
That one is also on a Monday (April 8). Thankfully, Easter is March 31 that year, so there won't necessarily be quite the double-hit of traffic that might occur if it were April 7!
Quote from: Jim on August 20, 2017, 01:03:28 PM
Unclear what to do so far tomorrow using Papillion, Nebraska, as a starting point. It looks like west toward central Nebraska has a better chance of sun than south toward Beatrice or somewhere in the southeast corner of the state. At the moment, I'm thinking an early morning ride to Grand Island is my best bet. Thinking I-80 is to be avoided.
Even Grand Island looks bleak. Some models have as much as 75% cloud cover in Grand Island (Where I am basing)
Might have cloud cover blocking it out, 90% totality though forecasted for the Chicagoland area. Will be cool to see it go dark for a little bit during the day
I just gave my last extra pair of eclipse glasses to a colleague who was desperate. She said the line at the Air and Space Museum was wrapped around the building early this morning.
Be careful driving your Mitsubishi: we wouldn't want you having a totaled Eclipse
(https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/lgijj2nm0izcy9fj1u4c.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170821/afee78b6a9973eb3292086fdd0b7ec96.png)
First contact has occurred.
Totality has ocurred!
For anyone who has ever had to put up with this franchise.
And FYI, that was my 1492nd Post and it's a little too early for Columbus Day.
I wore my dad's welder's helmet....and like I said in the same thread in another board, 60%, and a big cloud.
:-(
I wasn't all that interested in the solar eclipse. With all the things that are going on in the world at present, it was a pretty low priority for me. I spent the time at my technical college, completely away from any windows.
We were able to use xray film to see the eclipse. Here in Orlando we had 88% coverage. No afternoon thunderstorms thankfully.. No one went blind
LGMS428
It was freakin hot outside at work today...until the eclipse happened. There was a very noticeable (and welcome) drop in the temperature.
I'll have another one of those tomorrow please....about the same time would be fine.
The supervising attorney for my group came back to the office around 45 minutes after the eclipse. She had gone over to Virginia to watch with her husband. She sits near me and the first thing she said was.....
"Was it good for you?"
I lost it laughing, as did several other people who heard it.
I viewed the eclipse...safely (from a homemade eclipse box: hole in cardboard to shine on a piece of paper) as well watched totality from Oregon, Wyoming, Kansas City (my wife's family in Missouri and Northern CA-85% covered), Nashville and So. Carolina on TV and internet stream. Carbondale, IL (under the path of America's next TSE in Apr 8, 2024) and Hopkinsville, KY had the longest duration (2 mins, 30-45 secs). Where I live, the sun was 65-70% covered, a partial eclipse...a good nature show I enjoyed viewing.
Footage of today's nationwide TSE - third solar eclipse in 5 years in the US (annular-May 20, 2012 and partial-Oct 23, 2014).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvq-eU5s_cs
In keeping with my eclipse-avoidance plans, I was driving north on I-5 near Redding CA when what was there a partial eclipse (about 87%) happened. I was focused on the road, and for any drivers that endangered me while distracted by the eclipse. But there was a noticeable dimming of sunlight.
There was a lot of wildfire smoke in the area, and I hope that wasn't an issue for the throngs waiting in the totality path (though there have been some wildfires in the vicinity).
I made it to my overnight stop in Bend OR with no problem with either slow traffic or gas shortages. By mid-afternoon, traffic on southbound US 97 was getting heavier, with backups of a mile or two in the few towns along the way. I heard on one of the satellite radio news channels that most everybody in the prime viewing spot of Madras OR had left there soon after the eclipse. But I guess it took a few hours for them to pack up and work their way down to Bend before I saw any of them on their way to California.
Another guest at my hotel, who had viewed the eclipse in the Madras area, reported about a five-hour drive down to Bend, about 45 miles south of Madras. (Haven't been able to confirm that, not mentioned in the Portland Oregonian's live blog of the eclipse.) That kind of stuff is exactly what I wanted to avoid.
I ended up seeing the eclipse at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. The total eclipse was visible for about 30 seconds before hiding behind the clouds, but that was enough to amaze me! The total eclipse was definitely worth seeing! Hopefully the weather is good for the 2024 eclipse, which will be passing quite close to my home (assuming I'm still living in southern Ontario in 7 years).
It didn't get that dark here. Just to the level of impending thunderstorm or something.
Quote from: Takumi on August 21, 2017, 10:24:49 PM
It didn't get that dark here. Just to the level of impending thunderstorm or something.
Not quite that dark here. I waited for the eclipse, but had other stuff to do so pretty much missed it.
Sat out on the balcony with my polarized glasses and a big shaving mirror and glanced at the sun periodically while reading the morning paper. Saw what was purported to be our 73% eclipse; when it seemed like light was back to normal (even though it was still about 25-30% covered), I gave up the ghost and went to the office. Got lucky on this one -- cloud cover started drifting in a little after noon, which would have FU'd the whole thing earlier.
Similarly, the last 3 partial eclipses observed here were two-thirds of the sun, like this jpg taken in the Palm Springs area (the May 20, 2012 TSE).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_May_20,_2012#/media/File:Solar_eclipse.jpg
In my expected life span, TSEs will occur in 2044 for Western Canada and 2045 in a similar path like yesterday's (this time for Northern CA).
It took me 11 hours to return to Seattle from Salem. Traffic from Salem to Portland was insane.
Here's my totality pictures, taken in Buena Vista, Oregon.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/36736116525_a7e07208c3_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XYfczp)
Total solar eclipse from Buena Vista, OR (https://flic.kr/p/XYfczp) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4418/36736119225_d9d16006d2_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XYfdnX)
Buena Vista Park during totality (https://flic.kr/p/XYfdnX) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4367/36689048566_43d2b9560a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/XU5XUS)
Buena Vista Park after totality (https://flic.kr/p/XU5XUS) by SounderBruce (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sounderbruce/), on Flickr
Heard traffic reports that stated that, post-eclipse, SB I-5 from Eugene on south was heavily congested, with the worst back-up in Weed, CA, where CA eclipse traffic from US 97 was attempting to merge into the Interstate. That's the sort of thing that makes me glad I opted for the local -- albeit partial -- route!
Quote from: sparker on August 21, 2017, 02:04:53 AM
A friend's going up to Nampa, ID to see what a centerline (or close) experience is like
Oh lord, I hope if he went up this far he made it into totality. I'd assume/hope that's simply where his hotel is (considering there aren't many hotels inside the totality path in Idaho, compared to in the Treasure Valley). Nampa is like 30 miles or so outside of where totality was. I went to Farewell Bend State Park in Huntington, OR. Took like an hour to drive there from Nampa, leaving from picking up a friend there around 5 AM MDT. Took more like an hour and a half to drive back because of traffic, but still totally worth it. We had an excellent view, right near the river in a nice patch of grass, and 2 minutes 7 seconds of totality. Couldn't ask for anything more.
Many of my coworkers that stayed in Boise (like 99.5% totality or something) say they regret not driving into totality, because they watched the sun get to a tiny sliver, than it anticlimactically stopped getting smaller and just started rotating. Definitely missed out on the best part.
Wasn't too impressive here.
Quote from: doorknob60 on August 22, 2017, 05:06:17 PM
Quote from: sparker on August 21, 2017, 02:04:53 AM
A friend's going up to Nampa, ID to see what a centerline (or close) experience is like
Oh lord, I hope if he went up this far he made it into totality. I'd assume/hope that's simply where his hotel is (considering there aren't many hotels inside the totality path in Idaho, compared to in the Treasure Valley). Nampa is like 30 miles or so outside of where totality was. I went to Farewell Bend State Park in Huntington, OR. Took like an hour to drive there from Nampa, leaving from picking up a friend there around 5 AM MDT. Took more like an hour and a half to drive back because of traffic, but still totally worth it. We had an excellent view, right near the river in a nice patch of grass, and 2 minutes 7 seconds of totality. Couldn't ask for anything more.
Many of my coworkers that stayed in Boise (like 99.5% totality or something) say they regret not driving into totality, because they watched the sun get to a tiny sliver, than it anticlimactically stopped getting smaller and just started rotating. Definitely missed out on the best part.
The friend has family in the Nampa area; presumably they collectively went north to see totality as per their original plans. He hasn't returned from his trip as of yet; I'll quiz him when he does later this week.
Quote from: jwolfer on August 21, 2017, 06:06:25 PM
We were able to use xray film to see the eclipse. Here in Orlando we had 88% coverage. No afternoon thunderstorms thankfully.. No one went blind
Just for the record, immediate blindness is not the only possible damage that looking at the sun can cause. Most people with sun-damaged retinas only find out later on.
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 23, 2017, 03:53:40 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 21, 2017, 06:06:25 PM
We were able to use xray film to see the eclipse. Here in Orlando we had 88% coverage. No afternoon thunderstorms thankfully.. No one went blind
Just for the record, immediate blindness is not the only possible damage that looking at the sun can cause. Most people with sun-damaged retinas only find out later on.
I know. Like everything else on the news... Lots if hype.
LGMS428
Quote from: jwolfer on August 23, 2017, 07:07:15 AM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 23, 2017, 03:53:40 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 21, 2017, 06:06:25 PM
We were able to use xray film to see the eclipse. Here in Orlando we had 88% coverage. No afternoon thunderstorms thankfully.. No one went blind
Just for the record, immediate blindness is not the only possible damage that looking at the sun can cause. Most people with sun-damaged retinas only find out later on.
I know. Like everything else on the news... Lots if hype.
LGMS428
What he's saying is that even though you guys are OK right now, there's a real possibility that at some point in the future you guys might all develop vision problems that could be traced back to your viewing the solar eclipse without proper eye protection.
So I watched the sunset, and if there was any eclipse it was minimal. The last readily visible eclipse in my area was the Spring equinox one in 2015, which I wasn't able to see directly. Two big events will occur in my area in the mid-to-late 20s, both at sunset: A total eclipse on August 12, 2026 and an annular one on January 26, 2028. And between them, over 80% of the Sun will be obscured on August 2, 2027 (which will be a total eclipse crossing the Strait of Gibraltar). Of course, in the USA there will be eclipses on different dates: October 14, 2023 for an annular one, and April 8, 2024 for a total one.
Quote from: roadguy2 on August 23, 2017, 08:47:25 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 23, 2017, 07:07:15 AM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 23, 2017, 03:53:40 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 21, 2017, 06:06:25 PM
We were able to use xray film to see the eclipse. Here in Orlando we had 88% coverage. No afternoon thunderstorms thankfully.. No one went blind
Just for the record, immediate blindness is not the only possible damage that looking at the sun can cause. Most people with sun-damaged retinas only find out later on.
I know. Like everything else on the news... Lots if hype.
LGMS428
What he's saying is that even though you guys are OK right now, there's a real possibility that at some point in the future you guys might all develop vision problems that could be traced back to your viewing the solar eclipse without proper eye protection.
Thanks mom.. Was it the eclipse? or many days on the beach or boat without proper sunglasses?
That one can of coca cola is gonna give you type 2 diabetes mellitus some day.
That 1 really bad sunburn is gonna give you melanoma when you are 75
Pregnant woman having 1 beer will cause fetal alcohol syndrome
YES I KNOW THERE WERE RISKS GLANCING UP AT THE ELCLIPSE. But the media went into full hype mode.
I am not a moron. I understood the risks even before cntrl+alt+delete reminded me. And thank you for clarifying what the previous poster meant... I had no idea.
LGMS428
Eclipse was very cool.
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on August 23, 2017, 11:59:37 AM
Eclipse was very cool.
Were you in the path of totality? I wasn't (I was at home), but it was still cool.
Quote from: roadguy2 on August 23, 2017, 08:47:25 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 23, 2017, 07:07:15 AM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 23, 2017, 03:53:40 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 21, 2017, 06:06:25 PM
We were able to use xray film to see the eclipse. Here in Orlando we had 88% coverage. No afternoon thunderstorms thankfully.. No one went blind
Just for the record, immediate blindness is not the only possible damage that looking at the sun can cause. Most people with sun-damaged retinas only find out later on.
I know. Like everything else on the news... Lots if hype.
LGMS428
What he's saying is that even though you guys are OK right now, there's a real possibility that at some point in the future you guys might all develop vision problems that could be traced back to your viewing the solar eclipse without proper eye protection.
If we have viewing problems in the future, it's probably going to be due to trying to read teeny-tiny print on tenny-tiny cell phones endlessly.
Quote from: 1 on August 23, 2017, 12:03:34 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on August 23, 2017, 11:59:37 AM
Eclipse was very cool.
Were you in the path of totality? I wasn't (I was at home), but it was still cool.
No, the eclipes was 60%.
Quote from: jwolfer on August 23, 2017, 09:16:07 AM
Quote from: roadguy2 on August 23, 2017, 08:47:25 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 23, 2017, 07:07:15 AM
Quote from: CtrlAltDel on August 23, 2017, 03:53:40 AM
Quote from: jwolfer on August 21, 2017, 06:06:25 PM
We were able to use xray film to see the eclipse. Here in Orlando we had 88% coverage. No afternoon thunderstorms thankfully.. No one went blind
Just for the record, immediate blindness is not the only possible damage that looking at the sun can cause. Most people with sun-damaged retinas only find out later on.
I know. Like everything else on the news... Lots if hype.
LGMS428
What he's saying is that even though you guys are OK right now, there's a real possibility that at some point in the future you guys might all develop vision problems that could be traced back to your viewing the solar eclipse without proper eye protection.
Thanks mom.. Was it the eclipse? or many days on the beach or boat without proper sunglasses?
That one can of coca cola is gonna give you type 2 diabetes mellitus some day.
You seem to be reacting like I'm treating you like a child, and I apologize for coming across that way. My objective was only to point out that "not being immediately blinded" is not the same as "no eye damage," which you appeared to be suggesting.
In any case, "looking at the sun without protection" and "having a single can of Coca-Cola" are not quite the same thing from a risk standpoint. Optometrists and ophthalmologists can and have shown that damage to the eye can occur after even short-term direct viewing of a single eclipse. It leaves a particular sort of impression on the retina that other sorts of damage doesn't, whether or not that damage is immediately perceptible.
All in all, it doesn't really matter. If your eyes have been damaged, there's nothing you can do.
My wife got some eclipse glasses from her boss. I told her to save them for the 2024 eclipse, but she said they were only good for 3 years. They look like New Years el cheapo party glasses.
It was 90% totality in Cincinnati. However, I thought it would be a bit darker than it actually was. It just dimmed a little bit around here. Powerful star we survive with!
We had 96% coverage in middle Georgia. Eerie shadows and shade on a largely clear day. Productivity plunged during the eclipse at my workplace.
Quote from: cjk374 on August 23, 2017, 07:45:09 PM
My wife got some eclipse glasses from her boss. I told her to save them for the 2024 eclipse, but she said they were only good for 3 years. They look like New Years el cheapo party glasses.
I might get a #14 (minimum recommended for direct solar viewing) glass welding helmet replacement insert before the predicted 2024 one. Afterwards of this one (about 80% coverage here in Appleton, WI - and we lucked out on weather! The weather guys were predicting cloudy for us, but the sky cleared at about 11am. :clap: ), someone showed me the welding glass helmet insert that they bought several days earlier from a local industrial supply house, they paid about $6 for it.
As it was, the sunglasses that I got for free from NASA at EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, WI about a month ago worked very well. :cool: Interestingly, the next day, I caught an image of President Trump viewing the eclipse from the south balcony of the White House (partial there) while wearing a set of those very same NASA sunglasses.
Mike
I had to share this...on today's Facebook feed. At least my children weren't stuck on the computer, TV or some video game consule on Monday. No Pokemon Go, just look at Dad's eclipse box, it didn't cost anything to make.
https://scontent-lax3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/20915219_1678607332198392_6508980323698878547_n.jpg?oh=de5fe0975b06c3a62245692dbc16c865&oe=5A15511D
Quote from: Desert Man on August 23, 2017, 09:29:29 PM
I had to share this...on today's Facebook feed. At least my children weren't stuck on the computer, TV or some video game consule on Monday. ....
http://youtu.be/tbUrDRba9Ys
Quote from: amroad17 on August 23, 2017, 09:08:02 PM
It was 90% totality in Cincinnati. However, I thought it would be a bit darker than it actually was. It just dimmed a little bit around here. Powerful star we survive with!
Sunlight is powerful. It does not get dark until nearly all of the disk is covered.
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 23, 2017, 10:37:50 PM
Quote from: amroad17 on August 23, 2017, 09:08:02 PM
It was 90% totality in Cincinnati. However, I thought it would be a bit darker than it actually was. It just dimmed a little bit around here. Powerful star we survive with!
Sunlight is powerful. It does not get dark until nearly all of the disk is covered.
It doesn't even get all that dark
when the entire disk is covered. Although, if I understand correctly, the path of totality for this eclipse was a bit narrower than usual. If the path were wider, then the shadow of the moon would be bigger, and that might make things a bit darker in other cases than what happened here.
Looked rather awesome from my vantage point in Spring City, Tennessee ... we were exactly on the centerline.
Just curiously, is there anyone who DID view the eclipse from the path of totality and feels it wasn't worth it, due to traffic or other hassles?
iPhone
From the Washington Post's weather department:
http://twitter.com/capitalweather/status/900538096630067201
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 24, 2017, 07:31:26 AM
From the Washington Post's weather department:
http://twitter.com/capitalweather/status/900538096630067201
Stupid is as stupid does.
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 24, 2017, 07:31:26 AM
From the Washington Post's weather department:
http://twitter.com/capitalweather/status/900538096630067201
Interesting that the attribution needed to unequivocally state that this wasn't something from the
Onion. Guess that satire publication's reach and reputation (and penchant for some of the funniest "fake news" around) has reached a level that any reports of outlandish incidents or behavior needs to so qualify their veracity!
Quote from: sparker on August 24, 2017, 05:01:43 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on August 24, 2017, 07:31:26 AM
From the Washington Post's weather department:
http://twitter.com/capitalweather/status/900538096630067201
Interesting that the attribution needed to unequivocally state that this wasn't something from the Onion. Guess that satire publication's reach and reputation (and penchant for some of the funniest "fake news" around) has reached a level that any reports of outlandish incidents or behavior needs to so qualify their veracity!
Or because it's a popular subreddit.
Quote from: renegade on August 24, 2017, 12:43:33 AM
Looked rather awesome from my vantage point in Spring City, Tennessee ... we were exactly on the centerline.
I was close to there. At the boat ramp across from the Watts Bar nuke plant. Spring City was an absolute cluster foxtrot traffic-wise. We left the boat ramp parking area shortly after totality ended, and found that the Spring City police and Rhea County sheriff deputies were absolutely incompetent in directing traffic. They had some lanes closed on US 27 without any warning, bottling up traffic. No one was directing traffic at the southern TN 68 intersection, and at the northern intersection, they would stop traffic just to let one vehicle turn left off the loop from the overpass onto southbound US 27. The police officers were making traffic worse, not better, by the way they were directing traffic.
Quote from: cjk374 on August 23, 2017, 07:45:09 PM
My wife got some eclipse glasses from her boss. I told her to save them for the 2024 eclipse, but she said they were only good for 3 years. They look like New Years el cheapo party glasses.
Why would they only be good for three years? I've heard that about some of the other glasses that were distributed (the ones I got did not say that). It doesn't make sense that they wouldn't work in the 2024 eclipse if they are undamaged.
Got my shade 14 welding goggles. It's all good. :D
The solar eclipse was an amazing scientific sight, but in the end the experience wasn't quite as magnificent as I expected for several reasons. First of all, I completely agree that the difference between 99% and 100% totality is the difference between a microchip and a jet plane. Even though it wasn't 100% where I was (Dalton, Georgia), I thought that 99% (where we were at) was close enough for it to still get very dark. I was very wrong. It was still mesmerizing, but I was just a tad bit disappointed due to my very high expectations. And by the way, how I witnessed the eclipse was that I still went to school all day (getting out 30 minutes later due to the event), but my school let us out to observe during the bulk of the phenomenon. Second of all, I actually missed the peak (the closest we got to totality) for those entire few minutes. The reason was because, as a result of my wonderful luck, there were about 5 yellow-jackets snapping at my eclipse goggles the entire time, and they did so in such a vigorous manner that it was completely impossible for me to put them on and look up at the sight during the peak. That was literally happening non-stop for a few minutes, and that fate was precisely staged during just when the eclipse was at its peak in our area. I was actually able to look up wearing my eclipse glasses to see just about all of the other stages, but I was not fortunate enough to see the biggest part because of those stupid yellow-jackets. I am a man who is often plagued by bad luck, so it isn't such a rare occurrence, and I have no choice but to accept it. I am glad I got to view what I did get to see, and that right there was pretty cool. Given that I was in an area with 99% totality, I know the peak wouldn't have been even miles near the beloved sight those of you saw in 100% totality, but I was still saddened by my unlucky fate. The 2024 solar eclipse is less of a likelihood of me getting to see it, due to my location (northwest GA), but I will manage. :-/
I watched it from the side of NE 61 a dozen or two miles north of Arthur, NE; 2.5 minutes of totality. Very cool. Clouds were sparse and out of the way during totality, so I nailed it. I heeded some advice I heard to skip trying to take a decent picture and just experience the damn thing. If you want a picture, there will be a 100 million available online in a few minutes. I camped in the middle of Nebraska the night before and was disappointed to see the dense, low hanging fog blanketing the region. But a quick check of some satellite images showed that my initial plan would probably still work; head west to clearer skies. Sure enough, a few counties west, the mist dissipated and the ceiling lifted and eventually broke up.
It was a trip how weird the lighting got; kind of like how in old movies and TV shows, they would shoot supposed night scenes during the day and just dim the film down in post-production, but it's still super obvious to 21st Century eyes. I enjoyed the funky, blurry shadows made during the partial eclipse. The wide open space of the sand hills was a neat setting. And the sense of community that developed along the roadside as well; "Hey if anyone needs some eclipse glasses, we got an extra pair!" "Yeah, same here!" "If you get on top of that hill, you got enough signal to use your phone!"
Another curious thing; I drove into that area that morning on NE 2 (sup, dude?) and on the paralleling BNSF railroad tracks, train after train after train was stopped as I approached Hyannis in the zone of totality. I remember thinking, "Oh cool, maybe the railroad is letting its trains stop under the eclipse so the crews can see it." Would they do that? Or was this just a way of keeping their trains out of the way of eclipse road traffic?
It took at least an hour to get the other side of Arthur toward I-80 afterward. I figure at least 10,000 people had lined the highway between Arthur and Hyannis. The rest of the drive to Denver was busy, but relatively smooth. I heard on the radio folks took 8 hours to drive from Casper, WY to the Colorado state line. Yeesh.
I was impressed at how many people took the time to travel and see the eclipse. It wasn't just the astronomy nerds and space hippies out there. Millions of people took off work just to experience this event. Safe to say I don't think there has ever been that many humans in that corner of the planet ever before. I think that's pretty awesome.
I saw totality from Potosi, Missouri. It was my first total eclipse of the sun and it more than lived up to my expectations! The corona was especially beautiful--no camera can do it justice.
Quote from: SSOWorld on August 30, 2017, 10:47:56 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on August 30, 2017, 04:05:18 PM
Quote from: ColossalBlocks on August 30, 2017, 03:07:44 PM
Quote from: hm insulators on August 30, 2017, 02:25:59 PMPotosi, Missouri
I feel sorry for you.
He could have been in Potosi, WI and only gotten the 85% partial.
:-P
Mike
and plenty of beer! ;)
And excellent food! :-P :clap:
This is a really sad story.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/07/health/eclipse-eye-damage-case-study/index.html