View Full Version : Eclipse madness
People around here are going nuts over the eclipse. The media is saying that the highways could be crowded with people travelling to near-by states with the optimum views. And motels in the prime locations are full. I've seen meteor showers and comets that might rate a little higher in my book for celestial events. I have vague memories of using a projector box to view a less notable solar eclipses and it was a little anti climactic, but sort of neat. They are handing out viewing glasses by the box load and it's too bad they will end up in landfill with so little use.
Here they say we will have a 90% eclipse. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
I thought this was a rare once-in-a-lifetime event, but apparently, in just another 7 years, if I have moved to Burlington, VT as I plan to I'll be at ground zero for totality of another solar eclipse that will be traveling from Mexico to Maine.
Glad I waited this one out!
Yeah, as geeky as I am, I'm just not that terribly excited about this. Part of it is memory of seeing another eclipse (maybe not total) as a kid -- the whole "don't look at it" pinhole chamber thing. Sure, it would be an awesome sight, and I guess the fact that I remember at least some of that first eclipse some 50 years after the fact tells me it's an event. But I can't see driving for hours and spending big bucks to see 20% more eclipse than we're going to see in Minnesota (if it doesn't cloud up too much).
Then again, I'm lousy at recognizing constellations and other planetary bodies. So maybe I'm just not into it enough. Not my "jam".
It falls on the first day of school here, so teachers are trying to come up with a plan to have the kids view it (the PTA purchased sunglasses for everyone) while having the chaos of the first day of school!
I hadn't really thought about if I was doing anything special, I guess I shouldn't plan on doing shopping then since I might see it and burn out my eyes. I will probably stay at school and get a pair of glasses (it is in the middle of the day here). And then I teach meditation that night, maybe an eclipse talk?
I remember a partial one when my kids were at school and they did those glasses but it still felt really unsafe to me, and you aren't ever supposed to look into the sun, right? I'd be worried about the kids eyes because little kids get excited and don't listen, but who knows,it is also an amazing educational experience. They should have delayed school start til Tuesday, lol.
We will go out in our backyard, I guess, as we are on 30 acres of prairie and sky watching is already pretty beautiful, and see what we see, and take our cameras, I guess. We are at 75 percent so not so dramatic as 100, I guess, but I am stillhaving problems envisioning what this will look like.
We will go out in our backyard, I guess, as we are on 30 acres of prairie and sky watching is already pretty beautiful, and see what we see, and take our cameras, I guess. We are at 75 percent so not so dramatic as 100, I guess, but I am stillhaving problems envisioning what this will look like.
I'm at 75%, too. Here's a simulator I found online--looks like the sky will darken a little bit.. nothing too dramatic.
https://eclipsemega.movie/simulator?lat=32.7764749&lng=-79.93105120000001
This ironically funny, but all I see when I click on link is a black screen!
Okay, got it to work by going to the website and putting in my town. So far, it kind of looks like a tornado sky, but I heard that shadows are very different.
Thank you!!
I thought this was a rare once-in-a-lifetime event, but apparently, in just another 7 years, if I have moved to Burlington, VT as I plan to I'll be at ground zero for totality of another solar eclipse that will be traveling from Mexico to Maine. Glad I waited this one out!
The reason they are making a big deal out of THIS one (I saw one in CA in the 60s) is that it goes from COAST TO COAST!
Traffic is insane up here in the northwest as are hotel prices. And gas has gone up $0.14 this week! Homes are renting for $1500/night. $100 hotel rooms are $700 and sold out!
I'm staying here and going to work. 99% is good enough for me!
ToomuchStuff
8-19-17, 10:09am
JPL has a site that shows you what you will see from your area. We are around 1 to 2% in difference from ST. Joe, where they have been renting parking spaces, hotels rented out, schools talking about shutdown due to traffic, doctors offices closing (traffic again) and a drive that would take someone local an hour and a half, a local radio station is saying may take 5 hours.
I will go outside at night for two minutes, for the same effect. What am I; Einstein trying to prove relativity?:doh:
Simplemind
8-19-17, 3:40pm
I was trying to attach an aerial picture taken by Prineville PD of the massive crowd. I must be doing something wrong..
1882
1881
Looks okay to me Simplemind.
Simplemind
8-19-17, 8:47pm
This is private property. The permit was for 30,000 but they oversold by 10%. Somebody was saying it was about 50,000 and people are still coming.
rosarugosa
8-19-17, 8:50pm
I am not really feeling the excitement.
early morning
8-19-17, 11:02pm
apparently quite a few schools around here bought glasses that aren't safe, so now they are all sending the kids home at lunch time to avoid any responsibility for eye damage... I don't have any of the glasses, they've been sold out around here for weeks, and we're at 90%. My son caught a ride to KY/Tenn border to watch the total show, and I know several people who are traveling south for the event. I was in Portland, ORE in June and they had all sorts of eclipse souvenirs in the shops then! I "saw" a total eclipse ages ago as a kid - we made the pin-point camera things. but there's going to be a full eclipse here in 2024. I can wait.
We're in Portland and about to head down to Salem (one hour away) to be in the totality zone. So far WAZE is saying that traffic isn't that bad. However, everyone in the hotel seems to be here for it.
I've seen two partials before but couldn't pass up the chance to see a total one so close to home.
iris lilies
8-21-17, 11:24am
Simplemind, interesting image!
I got eclipse glasses weeks ago as a judge's gift for judging a flower show with the theme of "summer eclipse." Some of the designs were great in interpretting the summer sky.
That was possibly the craziest/creepiest 5 minutes of my life. Totally worth the trip to see the totality!
iris lilies
8-21-17, 1:28pm
That was possibly the craziest/creepiest 5 minutes of my life. Totally worth the trip to see the totality!
Ours is just starting! 45 minutes until totality.
Ours is just starting! 45 minutes until totality.
Enjoy! The few minutes right before until right after were so much more intense of an experience than just seeing a partial eclipse like i had done before.
iris lilies
8-21-17, 2:57pm
Wow, it was weird. We sat on our patio and saw a 99% cover. If we had moved over to our garden in the ghetto less than a mile away, it would have been 100% cover but then it is dark there where there are regular shoot outs, so staying in a bit of light is good.
freshstart
8-21-17, 3:22pm
we had clouds and it appeared to be no big deal but people with kids made viewers and were excited, school is not in session yet
We had about 2 min at 99% coverage. The crickets were singing and the temp dropped for a little while.
At 69% coverage it darkened a little; I was surprised at how much the temp cooled and then soared reheating when in full sun again.
Does the moon get really hot during the eclipse?
Does the moon get really hot during the eclipse?
Probably not any hotter than any other day as it whirls around earth and gets on thw sunny side of the planet. The only difference is that it just doesnt get directly between us and the sun most days.
So the universe, apparently not wanting me to have a boring day after such an exciting one yesterday decided to wake me up at 5:26 this morning with a small earthquake!
BikingLady
8-22-17, 3:21pm
Absolutely the most wonderful beautiful moment I have ever seen in nature. It was worth the 20 round trip drive.
So the universe, apparently not wanting me to have a boring day after such an exciting one yesterday decided to wake me up at 5:26 this morning with a small earthquake!
Oh no! I wonder if they're connected?? You just never know what plans Mother Nature has for us, and what connections she has!
I ordered my ten eclipse glasses in October 2016. At the eleventh hour here, in Oregon, people were giving any amount of money for the cheap things. I had bought them to sell, but somehow, in the end, I just couldn't! The popular coffee company here in town issued thousands for free and then recalled them for being the wrong ones! People were selling them (the recalled ones) on Craigslist for $50.00!! I basically told those people who said they needed glasses that I would give them to them for free but they could give me a donation if they liked. All did, but most only gave me a couple of bucks. I don't know why, but I just couldn't gouge the price for the glasses. I made about $30.00 for the 10 I had. Which was fine. I just couldn't do it! I guess I'm not a true Capitalist.
We made an event out of it. Our location is ~40 miles north of the exact center of the path of totality and we would have had 1 minute and 43 seconds to watch the whole thing. But if we went south we figured we'd get 2 minutes 37 seconds, so who wouldn't? Right? :D Anyway, we rented a big party bus, had a chef friend cater food in return for a free ride, we provided drinks (DW and I now own a bar), we had a graphic artist friend come up with a design and print t-shirts, etc. Then we called another friend who owns a winery exactly in the center of the path and invaded them for the viewing. Had we stayed home it would have been cloudy, but where we were the clouds parted and we had a perfect view. Bill Nye and crew set up 20 miles from us and, apparently, they had pretty thick high level clouds so we were very lucky! I'd never seen a total eclipse before and I have to say it is striking! I won't be flying to Australia to catch one, but will definitely consider spending a few vacation days in (Austin) Texas in 2024 to catch that one. It was pure fun and really cool.
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