North America Total Solar Eclipse 21 Aug 2017

This one is pretty close to my home in Indiana. So excited!

So what's the recommended way to view a solar eclipse these days? Are we still poking a hole in cardboard like I did as a kid in the 80s?

a reply to: jjkenobi

That's what we did, too......but now they have glasses....
watch the video up there for more science and info on it....
meanwhile, I'll check for more info

a reply to: jjkenobi

Observing Solar Eclipses Safely

Introduction

WARNING!

Permanent eye damage can result from looking at the disk of the Sun directly, or through a camera viewfinder, or with binoculars or a telescope even when only a thin crescent of the Sun or Baily's Beads remain. The 1 percent of the Sun's surface still visible is about 10,000 times brighter than the full moon. Staring at the Sun under such circumstances is like using a magnifying glass to focus sunlight onto tinder. The retina is delicate and irreplaceable. There is little or nothing a retinal surgeon will be able to do to help you. Never look at the Sun outside of the total phase of an eclipse unless you have adequate eye protection.

Once the Sun is entirely eclipsed, however, its bright surface is hidden from view and it is completely safe to look directly at the totally eclipsed Sun without any filters. In fact, it is one of the greatest sights in nature.

I witnessed the total eclipse we had here in August '99, in Cornwall (south-eastern-most tip of England). It was something I'll never forget. There were dance music festivals and surf competitions where we stayed in and around Newquay so a group of us spent a week partying in the sun and chilling on the beach, until it came to the day itself...

Total cloud, rain the night before, during the day and the following day or two. We all rocked up to the beach front hotel in vain hope of seeing something, perhaps just the darkness (it was already quite dark just from the midday clouds). We sheltered from the rain under a gaint inflatable whale, yet in my head like a mantra I was singing The Beatles' Here Comes The Sun.

An hour to go and it seemed a wasted week. Yet out on the sea horizon there was a glimmer of of sunlight filtering down to the waves. Like watching a racehorse come down the final straight but in slow motion, we cheered this tiniest of gaps in the cloud - willing it into the place where the sun hid.

'Here comes the sun... it's alright'. For the duration of the eclipse that little gap opened right up, sealing back up into a cauldron of cloud not long afterwards. Darkness, stillness, street lights on and camera flashes along the coast as far as the eyes could see. But we all went wild - it was electric. We were speechless walking back to our hostel, trying to process it. Check out some vids on YouTube.

The Mirror paper's headlines the next day said the bookies had the cloud cover moving at that place at that time as around 100,000,000/1.

Get there!

originally posted by: c2oden

originally posted by: BuzzyWigs
a reply to: Sillyolme

Yep! The "Heartland." Where I live it's beautiful like in the pic above.

Are you in Nebraska?

No. Northeast Kansas. Northwest Kansas City metro.

I would like to witness this with my family. I live in Central Florida. I don't really understand the graphs, do I have to drive somewhere into that blue line to see it?? I will if I have too, but do not understand the graphs for the best location for me to drive to from Tampa.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

I'm guessing here in TN or SC.
I'm inside one of those dark gray circles!


It could be a nice family outing

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: TNMockingbird

We will be in the path of totality.

Lucky dog, haven't had even a partial here since I was a school kid.

( retreats to make a fake eclipse kit so I can pretend along with everyone else.)

I'm not sure where you are but, maybe make a trip (mini vacation) out of going somewhere it can be viewed?


a reply to: FauxMulder Meant to say thanks for the other map link! It's cool

a reply to: worldstarcountry

Yes, you have to be within the lines to see the total eclipse. You'll see a large percentage of it within 200 miles or so, but the time of day is crucial.

a reply to: worldstarcountry

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov...

originally posted by: TNMockingbird

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: TNMockingbird

We will be in the path of totality.

Lucky dog, haven't had even a partial here since I was a school kid.

( retreats to make a fake eclipse kit so I can pretend along with everyone else.)

I'm not sure where you are but, maybe make a trip (mini vacation) out of going somewhere it can be viewed?


a reply to: FauxMulder Meant to say thanks for the other map link! It's cool

I'm poor, I can only visit places on TV. But what journeys I have made. While you all slavin for the man to save up for your precious allowed vacation time, I'm enjoying the hood, the world and the Universe, all in my mind (with TV and internet help). I bet Iv'e been more places than most people who sit and ride in automobiles and jets to suffer waiting in line and dreary hotel service, spending a ton of money on gas and sight seeing at touristy places, winding up home afterwards more tired than when they left.

I'll save the time and money, conserve resources and get a better eye view of everywhere. I'll stay home and see it on TV...

a reply to: intrptr

haha, you sound miserable. We will enjoy our trip to South Carolina to experience this phenomenon. I managed to sell her on it because she is a fan of Nicholas Sparks books, and most of those stories are set only a couple hours away from where we can see some good totality. Then we will spend the rest of the week enjoying the North Carolina Atlantic coast before heading back down.

I will cherish the trip forever, like many others. I'll swing through and scoop you up so you don't have to limit yourself to watching it on TV!

a reply to: intrptr

I'm poor, I can only visit places on TV. But what journeys I have made. While you all slavin for the man to save up for your precious allowed vacation time, I'm enjoying the hood, the world and the Universe, all in my mind (with TV and internet help). I bet Iv'e been more places than most people who sit and ride in automobiles and jets to suffer waiting in line and dreary hotel service, spending a ton of money on gas and sight seeing at touristy places, winding up home afterwards more tired than when they left.

I'll save the time and money, conserve resources and get a better eye view of everywhere. I'll stay home and see it on TV...

Oh, I couldn't agree more with most of that!
The touristy traps are usually just that...traps.
Off the beaten path is the way to go.
I'm sure the TV/internet will have more than adequate coverage.

a reply to: TNMockingbird

I stopped going to see movies in the theater a long time ago, too.

I'm so unmiserable, for it. Not like I haven't had my fair share of concerts, movies, road trips, beach bashes, firework shootouts, camping, road racing, mountain top keggers, etc, etc.
Iv'e done enough for my time to fill several.

I'm pretty excited for this! Luckily, I'm in the path of totality and get will get about 2m worth of total eclipse.

originally posted by: RainyState
I'm pretty excited for this! Luckily, I'm in the path of totality and get will get about 2m worth of total eclipse.

That is awesome!!

a reply to: jjkenobi

You can view an eclipse by poking a hole into cardboard? Wouldn't that like blind a person?

originally posted by: RisenMessiah
a reply to: jjkenobi

You can view an eclipse by poking a hole into cardboard? Wouldn't that like blind a person?

FYI

a reply to: DBCowboy

I'll be da... Thanks for showing me that, when I was a child, my Father had some purple glass he'd get me to look at so I could see the Eclipse but I've never used this method.

a reply to: RisenMessiah

No problem.

Just didn't want to see anyone hurt.