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The North American Solar Eclipse, Aug. 21, 2017
PDP8E
post Mar 27 2017, 12:33 AM
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As all of you know, by now, there will be an amazing Total Solar Eclipse this summer in North America stretching from coast to coast, and basically from 10 AM to 2 PM local time, from west to east.
An estimated 75 million people will be less than a half day's drive away from totality.
My family and I will be in Missouri that day, prepared to zip east or west in case of inclement weather.
Do you plan on observing this event?


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nprev
post Mar 27 2017, 12:40 AM
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My wife & I reserved a hotel room in eastern Oregon almost three years ago. wink.gif


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rogelio
post Mar 27 2017, 01:13 AM
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…Consider that sunny eastern Oregon (east of the Cascades) will be the prime viewing choice for British Colombia, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, and California north of the Bay Area…an aggregate population of about 30 million…

…And that 5% (conservative...the social media frenzy about the eclipse has yet to kick in….) of the folks in those states and provinces are going to travel to the 200-mile long POT in eastern Oregon to see the eclipse…That’s 1-2 million folks in the POT (5,000-10,000 per linear mile) in an area with an infrastructure (gas stations, groceries) built for 1% of that number…

…and finally, that most will want to leave the second the eclipse is over…

(and don’t even THINK about dodging clouds east or west at the last minute…imagine the traffic)…

…Just sayin’...and yes, I know that a total eclipse should be number 1 on everyone's bucket list!
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charborob
post Mar 27 2017, 02:41 AM
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I will be going to Kentucky. Apparently, not the best choice, weather-wise, but closest to our home in Québec City. I have a campsite reservation about 1 hour from POT.
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nprev
post Mar 27 2017, 03:40 AM
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Even if the odds aren't great, it's worth the attempt. I chased a hole in the clouds for the 26 Feb 1979 eclipse in Montana, and was successful. The images are still seared in my memory, even though I of course used proper viewing safety precautions. smile.gif


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JRehling
post Mar 27 2017, 03:58 AM
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I have a conflict that is such a tremendous example of Murphy's Law that I'm going to be apoplectic about this until the next total eclipse. I'll have to settle for seeing the 75% totality where I live.

My plan was to go to Oregon, but I considered Wyoming as a good choice as well.

I'd be quite frightened of the chances of clouds in the East. I have been in the Midwest for a partial solar eclipse and clouds made it a non-event.

I experienced a 90% totality event in 2012 and one surprise to me was how the subjective experience – if one looked anywhere but the Sun was that nothing was happening. The crescent shadows in leaves were noticeable and it even made the shadow of my ears look quite devilish, but a daytime world lit with 10% sunlight looks very much like a daytime world lit with 100% sunlight, thanks to the logarithmic nature of the perception of sensation intensity. That last 10% is where the magic happens.
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monty python
post Mar 27 2017, 06:02 AM
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GREAT THREAD! I live in Iowa less than a days drive from path. The day before, I'll watch the weather and pre position outside the path so I can get room and gas etc. Then the next day, drive to the path, depending on the weather.
Even if it's cloudy it could still be cool. I'm thinking I'll wear an eye patch to have one eye dark adapted.
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Gladstoner
post Mar 27 2017, 06:09 AM
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My house in Missouri just happens to lie in the southern part of totality (1m 47s). Not good enough. smile.gif

Plan A is to drive about 20 miles to a state park to set up near the center line.

Plan B is to drive to wherever the forecast calls for clear skies (there will be a cloud-free area somewhere between Oregon and South Carolina).

I've waited 30+ years to see this.... too long to wait just to be clouded out.
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Gladstoner
post Mar 27 2017, 06:13 AM
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Fred Espenak's 2017 eclipse talk contains a wealth of practical information:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxzEP5hdJZE
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fredk
post Mar 27 2017, 02:12 PM
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QUOTE (monty python @ Mar 27 2017, 07:02 AM) *
Even if it's cloudy it could still be cool.

I can vouch for that. The one time I was in the path of totality it was cloudy. It was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen, with the entire landscape darkening so quickly. It's extremely rare to get to see real-time astronomical processes like that.

So on the day, if it's between a cloudy view from within the path of totality, and a drive to an area with a better forecast but where you might get stuck with x million others on a road outside the path, I'd suggest seriously considering the bird in the hand...

Anyway I too have been waiting ~30 years - I still recall leafing through a canon at a university library and seeing that date, 2017. I've got campground and hotels booked in the path in eastern Oregon with family...
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tasp
post Mar 27 2017, 02:23 PM
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I saw the February 1979 eclipse from near Roundup, Montana. As I recall there were over 400 of us at the Huntley Lodge south of Bozeman, and the organizers set up an 'eclipse bus caravan'.

We were awakened VERY early the day of the eclipse, put on the buses, and the organizers attempted to maneuver the 'eclipse bus caravan' to a location where the clouds would be thinnest when the eclipse swept over the state.

The skies weren't completely clear, high thin cloud layer and a few lower clouds were visible, but in the opinion of the 'veteran' chasers, the clouds enhanced the aesthetics of the event.

There were some notables with us, mark Chartrand, Scott Carpenter and Frank Drake, among others. The eclipse tour ran for several days at the Huntley Lodge and there were many presentations on orbital inclination, ecliptic, Saros cycles,

penumbra, coronal observations, relativity etc, It was a wonderful experience. There were also helicopter rides available to tour nearby Yellowstone in winter, and while the views were spectacular, I discovered I didn't really care

for flying in a helicopter.

As for the eclipse itself, it was memorable, The clouds allowed us to see and perceive the motion of the approaching shadow of the moon, Bailey's Beads and the Diamond Ring were magnificent despite the thin overcast. IIRC, we had just o

2 minutes of totality, and then it was over. Most of us slept in the "Eclipse Bus Caravan' on the way back to the lodge despite the excitement of the eclipse, the early wakeup and the long bus ride were quite tiring .

The attendees were all great folks. I recall during the final meeting the night before the eclipse the organizers announcing that 1/2 of the buses would be designated for the cigarette smokers, and 1/2 for the non-smokers. There was a

humorous pause after the announcement as everyone in the crowd started looking around for ANY cigarette smokers. As it developed, there just weren't more than a small handful of smokers, so

no buses were designated for smokers.

I also recall the staff of the Huntley Lodge being overwhelmed with the crowd as, at the time, it was the first occasion the lodge was full.


I'd definitely recommend seeing the August eclipse, and if anyone is considering any of the organized tours, I'd give that a strong thumbs up too. Eclipse chasers are FUN PEOPLE !!


As for photographing the event, I did buy a better camera and the biggest telephoto lens I could afford, and I took a few pictures of the eclipse, but if I had a do over, I would skip it, everyone else had better equipment, and

my pics were a huge disappointment and a waste of valuable eclipse time.

I was unaware at the time we had Life Magazine contributors amongst the crowd, so a big surprise when the eclipse issue of Life came out and our observing site was pictured in the magazine.

Same issue also had some Voyager I Jupiter encounter too.

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volcanopele
post Mar 27 2017, 05:25 PM
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My fiancee and I are getting married during totality north of Kansas City.


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Tom Dahl
post Mar 27 2017, 11:08 PM
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My wife and I are planning to be in the Boise Idaho area for the eclipse. I've never seen a total solar eclipse (most was a ~80%-er about 1980 in Iowa), so I am very much looking forward to it!
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James Sorenson
post Mar 28 2017, 01:15 AM
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I'll be camping and kayaking at Suttle Lake near central Oregon with family for a couple of day's prior, then driving up to hike one of the scenic trails around Mount Jefferson and Three Finger Jack to camp which is very close to the eclipse path the day before the eclipse.

Looking forward to it, it would be my first total solar eclipse!
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MahFL
post Mar 28 2017, 03:12 AM
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My wife and I are driving up to Columbia, South Carolina ( 4 hour drive ) , we have a room booked.
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