Total Eclipse

bluecat

Well-Known Member
Do you live within the blue lines - or at least "in travel distance" to this area?

For this single time, "in travel distance" is not limited to the range of your Stromer. Whatever your plans are for Monday, 21st - try to be in between the blue lines. This makes the difference. In this case, the difference between 99% and 100% covering is not 1%, it is 100%!

Wish you a clear sky view.

upload_2017-8-18_18-34-1.png


Note: After your experience, you will we'll understand what my avatar is :)
 
My family are heading to Oregon for the eclipse. I want to be in totality as anything else does not count in my mind. I thought hard about taking my bike, but decided to travel light and we are going on the train to avoid traffic as much as possible.
 
I want to be in totality as anything else does not count in my mind.

That's the point! 99% covering is nothing. 100% is everything. So, I hope, you and your family got satisfied.

At 11. August 1999, I've made the following pictures:

The spectacle has begun, but I'm nervous, as still clouds are present.
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Only 1% sunlight leftover - but still bright.
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Complete darkness; can't read the settings on my Contax anymore. Mylar-foil is now removed.
upload_2017-8-22_20-51-24.png

Edit: For better understanding: This picture is overexposed. Unfortunately, of course. So, you can't see the corona. Sorry.
 
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Do you live within the blue lines - or at least "in travel distance" to this area?

For this single time, "in travel distance" is not limited to the range of your Stromer. Whatever your plans are for Monday, 21st - try to be in between the blue lines. This makes the difference. In this case, the difference between 99% and 100% covering is not 1%, it is 100%!

Wish you a clear sky view.

View attachment 17948

Note: After your experience, you will we'll understand what my avatar is :)

Hi Bluecat- I was in the city of Chicago on a very cloudy day during the total eclipse. I did not experience much darkness at all at approx 01:18pm as this was the posted time for the eclipse to occur. I do not understand why my area was not affected by this incredible event. Could you shed some light on my state of confusion concerning the eclipse here? Many thanks! o_O
 
The shadow of the moon on the earth has a diameter of less than 300 km. The center of this shadow is shown as red line in the map above. So, Chicago is too far from the line. No shadow has fallen on lake Michigan. It might have been as dark as on a rainy day.

The other thing is: The human eye does adapt on darkness - until a certain value. The remaining sunlight of a 99% covering is still enough to see. But the change to 100% is fast, no time to adapt on it.
 
Here's what we got in Central PA.

636389255597540253-082117-pmk-sun-9.jpg

~75% (??)

I'm glad I didn't spend a penny on glasses, I used a welding hood I own. I'm glad I saw it, it was interesting, but I was much more impressed with the eclipse I witnessed in the 1970's. Of course that was in the afterglow of the moon landings. Now that was something to see!

@bob armani It didn't get noticeably dark or cooler here either. Maybe next time..... oh wait, that won't work:confused:
 
The shadow of the moon on the earth has a diameter of less than 300 km. The center of this shadow is shown as red line in the map above. So, Chicago is too far from the line. No shadow has fallen on lake Michigan. It might have been as dark as on a rainy day.

The other thing is: The human eye does adapt on darkness - until a certain value. The remaining sunlight of a 99% covering is still enough to see. But the change to 100% is fast, no time to adapt on it.

Thanks for your reply bluecat. Now I totally get it. Sounds like you are either a scientist or perhaps an astronomer. Very impressive explanation!
 
Here's what we got in Central PA.

View attachment 18004

~75% (??)

I'm glad I didn't spend a penny on glasses, I used a welding hood I own. I'm glad I saw it, it was interesting, but I was much more impressed with the eclipse I witnessed in the 1970's. Of course that was in the afterglow of the moon landings. Now that was something to see!

@bob armani It didn't get noticeably dark or cooler here either. Maybe next time..... oh wait, that won't work:confused:

Thanks. I totally get it now. I thought I was experiencing something else other than a solar eclipse (just a cloudy day with a little wind and sun) peaking through the clouds, that is all!
FYI-Now I am now seeing many people complaining about their eyes starting to hurt from the constant stare into the eclipse. IMHO-I would not go near it with or without glasses! I would like to keep my eyesight unscathed at 20/20 if I can help it.
 
Thanks. I totally get it now. I thought I was experiencing something else other than a solar eclipse (just a cloudy day with a little wind and sun) peaking through the clouds, that is all!
FYI-Now I am now seeing many people complaining about their eyes starting to hurt from the constant stare into the eclipse. IMHO-I would not go near it with or without glasses! I would like to keep my eyesight unscathed at 20/20 if I can help it.
Yup, not worth it! A lot of eye doctor commercials on the radio here today. Also reports of fake glasses!
 
I live in Louisville, 130 miles from center track at Hopkinsville, KY.
I couldn't buy any "eclipse glasses" Friday, after I found out they existed Thursday night. Welding dept of the Farm supply was out of grade 10 glass, somebody else was thinking. I didn't find my grade 11 welding glass from years ago in the garage until Sunday night at 2200. Then I had to decide- pedal the 130 miles on my mountain bike? 20 hours left x 10 mph, doable. Weather was perfect. Oh, how I wished I had the electric wheel kit installed already. I decided my setter wasn't ready for 16 hours on the saddle. No I don't have running cars. and my friends could care less about science. They believe it is all a myth, just like evolution.
The traffic jam on the I65 freeway interchange (Elizabethtown) was so bad Sun afternoon & Monday that made the news. On the bike I would have taken US 60 west then KY 79 southwest, but Kentucky doesn't have wide lanes or even berms on blue line highways. Another reason I didn't go.
So I saw the crescent sun through grade 7 glasses plus grade 11 welding hood, and only glanced, so no ill effects. No the crecent is not anything to write home about. It got darker today in a storm that it did here 130 miles off the path of the total eclipse.
Next total eclipse in 2024 goes through maybe Colombus IN; I could get there on a bike in about 10 hours. Electric about 6. US 31 in Indiana has 13' lanes, much better than KY. If I last that long - I'm age 67.
 
Heading to Erie PA. and keeping my fingers crossed. Staying 2 nights to avoid the traffic. Had to book the hotel last summer!
 
I was planning to drive 20 hrs from LA to Kerrville, TX on Friday but decided not to go due to the forecasted cloud cover over that region. For the last several years I’ve been looking forward to experiencing my first total eclipse, made solar filters for my binoculars and all…. I realize you’ll still experience totality even under cloud cover but I want to see all of it, the diamond ring and the corona, the prominence, and all that.
So instead, I decided to sign up for an easy, overnight bikepacking trip this weekend on Meetup here locally.
 
My summer camp is 15 miles from 30 seconds of totality at Scottsburg, IN. I am going on the bike. 30 miles north of that you get to 3 minutes of totality on latitude of Seymour IN, I won't be taking the freeway on the bike so more like lovett or hayden IN. There is a 30% chance of clouds, wave(wavg) news says. Found some genuine (americanastronomicalassociation) eclipse glasses for $2 at meijers discount store. My bike has about 30 miles range on the hilly route to summer camp, but it flattens out north of that. Maybe I'll get 50 miles electric. I'll save the electricity for the upwind leg. I'll charge up at New Market summer camp (Marysville postal code). My last chance; next total eclipse is 40 years from now. I might last 30 years to age 103, if do not get hit by a motor vehicle.
 
Updated 12:20 PM EDT, Thu April 4, 2024


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As of 12:20 AM EDT 4/4/24, it's not looking good for those in the south. At this point, it appears the best place to be is in New England.










https://www.cnn.com/privacy0
 
let's add a few words:

The sun appears blue due to the Mylar foil. Sunglasses are by far not dark enough. Watch only the total eclipse from bare eye. Once the total eclipse takes place, the temperature will drop. This will cause some wind. If it has not too much clouds, they will be blown away. wherever you travel, try to be as close as possible to the center line of the total eclipse. And let me say, I'm quite jealous on your coming experience.

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