The Solar Eclipse
 

The total solar eclipse will be visible in Oregon. Mostly in Portland, and fully at a friend's house just an hour south, where we've been invited to watch.

Thing is, we had planned a trip to California to see the kids at the summer camp where they are working, and to see friends.

Wife wants to cxl trip and stay here to see the eclipse. I am resisting.

My interest in seeing the eclipse is about 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. Slightly above a bearded lady, well below a clean XKE. Yes, I get that it is a sight that we won't see again until I'm dead, but so what - there are a lot of things I won't see in my lifetime and it is just a "sight" that can be captured in photographs, rather than an experience like visiting a new country, a dinner with old friends, or a hundred mile ride over remote gravel trails.

In my opinion.

What say you?

Eh....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1500314590.jpg

There was a partial one, I think, that I saw before. I don't recall. So it wasn't that big a deal apparently.

Your kids are certainly a lot more important than a couple objects lining up perfectly. JMHO.

If this was my wife, I'd just tell her to go see it and then catch up with the rest of the family. But we are a "not joined at the hip" couple ...

G

You're so not vain.

The California ISO has been studying this because it can cause havoc to the grid. https://www.caiso.com/Documents/Briefing_SolarEclipse-ISOReport-May_2017.pdf

Back in the 1970s we had a partial eclipse when I lived in Alabama. I was a astronomy nerd back than and worked in a professional photo lab. I set up the longest telephoto lens we had on a tripod with no camera. I used the lens to project an image on a table I set up about where the camera normally would be. It projected a nice image of the sun and the eclipse was visible by all with no risk of eye damage.

We all watched and one the women asked what was getting in the way of the sun. :eek::eek:

I told her a dragon was eating the sun but we were going to all die with no sun. :rolleyes:

I guess I was wrong since we survived.

We will be going some place to view the total eclipse. Only partial here in NJ. Seems the best opportunity to view is in Nebraska. Best chance of clear weather. At this point leaning in that direction. One of our first thought was to go to Lincoln City, OR to view when it first hits the US. That isn't cost effective. We are also toying with the idea of going to a barrier island off McClellanville, SC to view as the last place the eclipse is visible in the US. This is iffy due to weather. Another idea is to go to the board of Kentucky and Tennessee and stand with one foot in each state as it passes over.

It is an event. Not only because of the darkness and it will not happen again in the US for nearly 100 years. But the temperature will drop twenty degrees in little over a minute and then come back up as the moon passes but also there supposedly will be a 360 degree sunset. Another reason to be in a very open and flat space.

Still leaning toward Nebraska at this point. Best chance of fair weather, open space.

I live in Gallatin, TN and it is a real big deal around here. We will get 2 min 39 seconds of total darkness so that will be pretty cool to see I guess.

The chamber of commerce said that they expect around 40K additional people here for the event.

Dave

I will definitely be watching it. A lot of my friends in Europe told me how awesome that one was around 1998 and everywhere I went later that year had postcards of it. I get excited when I read about the ISS passing over my house, go outside and see it right on schedule. Very cool stuff.

I seem to recall it will go right through Salem, OR.

It will be about 80% at my house, not going to drive 500 miles to experience totality.

What say me? I'm with you.
My g/f wants to meet her friends from Boston up North somewhere where it'll be a total.
Me? I'd rather hang out and build a rifle case.
I told her that she's welcome to call and squeal on the phone.

I am like you, these things geek me out.

I have been hinting at Mrs5543 that we should pull the kid out of school and drive up 700 miles to see it. Figured we could get close in a strategic location the night before and finish the drive in on some back roads and go exploring. Before and after, I cannot imagine trying to drive on interstates before or after.


I need to press her again. She just does not care. I think the kid will like it, ok ok it is more for me.

I was outside on a beautiful day about 25 years ago in NW Ohio, and witnessed a total solar eclipse. It was really cool to see the circular patterns of shadows on the pavement/sidewalks. It took about an hour for the moon to fully pass in front of the sun.

I started reading about it, and now I'm good. I started to think of the song from the '80s with the lady singing about a 'total eclipse of the hot' haha.

Do you mean Carly Simon, you're so vain?

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You did not see a total eclipse, you saw an annular eclipse, which is just like any partial eclipse, but a bit darker.

The difference between a 99% partial eclipse and a true full total eclipse is like the difference between a 1976 912E and a 918.

I would not lift a finger to be able to own the 912E, I would trade family members into slavery and forgo 3 fingers to be able to sit in the 918 for 30 seconds.

I cannot fathom why someone would not be in the path of totality for this eclipse, especially if it's basically going to be in your town. The only reason to not go to this eclipse is if you happen to live in the path of the 2024 eclipse, *then* I might forgo it.

Really, totality is not just "I can see it in pictures". It is a complete event, do you really think that people spends thousands of dollars every few years to sit on frozen tundras or hike through rain forests to watch as many of these as possible in a lifetime, if they could instead "see it in pictures"???

Yes, to see the total eclipse of the sun. Thought that was what you were refering to.SmileWavy

I used to think Bonnie Tyler looked old.

It was actually the protagonist of the song that went to Nova Scotia to see the total eclipse of the sun.

Probably Warren Beatty, but maybe Mick Jagger. Whomever it was, his scarf it was apricot.

(Back to the eclipse. I'm close and I'm going! Traffic is going to be a fustercluck the minute the thing is over!!!)

Here in Salem, all sorts of preparedness is being planned, I work at the Hospital, going to emergency only coverage, all elective surgery postponed. Predicting gas stations will be empty, bare shelves at grocery stores, cell phone and interweb disruption, and traffic gridlock because of the influx of 200,000+ extra bodies.
It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Count me in! I'm going full-geek and heading out toward Madras. I'll camp overnight, see the eclipse in the path of totality an then head home.

angela

I just flew into Salem to visit family. 140 private aircraft are expected at KSLE and that maxes out their space. I am on a waiting list...

My house is smack dab in the middle of the totality shadow. Other than making sure our gas tanks are full & our dietary supplies are in, Cindy & I plan on ignoring the hubbub. Spend good money on geeky glasses for two minutes of use? Hardly! I'll just turn on the lights when it gets dark. Maybe I'll be lucky & sleep through it?

Thank you for this post! I was second guessing my trek from Abq to Nebraska to experience the event... No doubt I'm going now. It may be a geek Woodstock event trying to get there but I'm going to try.

It's coming right over our house. I'll be out in the front yard watching, even though there are numerous events and much cooler viewing spots all over the city.

I'll probably just be sitting in a lawn chair and will have our dog attached to one of the legs because I'm interested in his reaction.

For those of you thinking about driving hundreds of miles to see it, just imagine doing that, and then getting socked in by clouds. And then having to drive back home afterwards.

My limit if I wasn't in a prime viewing spot would probably be 100 miles or so, but I wouldn't do it unless the weather was certain.

I'm trying to find out if there's anything you can put over the large end of a pair of binoculars and look at it safely. Anyone know?

Family decision. We're going to NorCal to see the kids. Eff the eclipse. Maybe we'll see something in the Bay Area.

Were driving at a minimum 600 miles to SC up to 1200 if we decide to go to Nebraska. My wife and I like to travel so we will make a few day trip out of this. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, if not we will some of the country we hadn't prior.

There are special viewing glasses you can purchase. There are special polarized lenses you can purchase for a camera. something similar may be available or adaptable for Binoculars. I have heard some people will use a welders mask to view so maybe that can be rigged as well.

I used to love watching On the Road with Charles Kuralt Sunday morning.

"I used to love watching On the Road with Charles Kuralt Sunday morning."
~~~~~~~~
Me too.

My brother and I are taking our Lear Jet to visit our aunt in Portland for the eclipse and going an hour south to see it. Would you recommend Salem itself or somewhere nearby?

Step 1: buy a solar filter sheet, only buy from these guys:
https://www.google.com/search?q=thousand+oaks+solar+filter+sheets
You can get them on Amazon. Get the 8x8 sheet at least.
Step 2: Carefully cut sheet into squares that fit over the binoculars.
Step 3: Tape squares over binocular ends, making sure that no actual sunlight can get through.

Go an image search for "diy solar filter binoculars" to see dozens of ways to mount it safely.

Don't let the light of the eclipsed sun touch your skin, you will forever be cursed and will be sterile and your crops will wither and your neighbors will swear at you, and the mail carrier will kick your dog!!!

BEWARE!!!

The path of totality is going to pass about 30-40 miles from my house. They've closed the schools and we're taking the kids. What an adventure.

Salem will be fine as long as there is no marine layer of clouds all the way to the Cascade mountain range. I'm going east, way east.

Will it be known the day before how far east I'd need to take the Lear to get clear skies?

Oh yeah, I'm sure it will be all over the news. You should however, land at PDX, pick me, the wife, and telescope gear up so we can all head to Eastern Oregon. SmileWavy:eek::D

You'll need an apricot scarf...

LOL, I can rock that!

Hahaha!!!

There will be 40,000 members of the "rainbow family" squatting in eastern Oregon , or so I'm told by the countys out there. I was going to camp near Prairie City where I elk hunt. After learning about the influx of people hitting the forests, I'll watch from Medford.
Troy