As many of you probably are aware, a very unique total solar eclipse is to occur on Monday 21 August 2017....is anybody planning on doing anything special for this, such as setting up camp in one of the 13 states within the path of totality?

Starts: Oregon · 8:46 AM PT
Ends: South Carolina · 5:04 PM ET

Bathroom trivia knowledge from miscellaneous website sources...This solar eclipse will be visible in totality within a band across the entire contiguous United States; it will only be visible in other countries as a partial eclipse. Last total solar eclipse in US: February 26, 1979. However, the previous time a total solar eclipse was visible across the entire contiguous United States was during the June 8, 1918 eclipse.

Several friends of mine who are into astronomy invited me to join them at a remote forested "path of totality" location in Central Idaho for this 2 or so minutes long event.

Hopefully some UFOs fly in some beautiful large breasted women to abduct me and take me with them, but will settle for the sky going black in middle of the morning, approximately 10:16am PDT, the moon to cover the sun completely, and all the birds will likely get very confused. I'm excited for this road trip and "participating" in this unique event.

Is anybody else planning on traveling to a destination within "the path of totality" to view....if so, which state?

-Gregg (formerly of Las Vegas)

Some of my friends are trying to find a spot in SC to see the eclipse.  I'll be at work and plan on taking a "break" around 2:45 p.m. which is when it will be visible in my part of NC.  Already got the appropriate glasses to watch with.  Those things are selling like hot cakes around here! 

Your road trip sounds like a lot of fun, LasVegas.  But, sorry to burst your bubble, IF the UFOs show up they're just dropping by to pick me up and take me back home.     LOL!!

Hope you're having a great day!

Payg

Racer1_NC wrote on Aug 11^th, 2017 at 11:28am:


Bill & Payg, here are a couple eclipse links for NC. Lewisville should be a sight of a lifetime. I miss my days in Hickory, Morganton & Lenoir. NC is very beautiful

-Gregg

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Yep.....coming right over us here in W. Kentucky. Experts saying to expect near 100,000 people. I can't see that. They are all acting the way they did for the Y2K fiasco.

Jimi, if I were you, I would stay home and admire the heavens from your yard. Here is a link to a Kentucky website you may find of interest Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Several states like Oregon have huge outdoor concerts and special events scheduled for this event. Many astronomers and biblical conspiracy theorists have created vast info on websites. There is likely to be hundreds of thousands of people traveling to these "path of totality" destinations across each of our 14 states. Should be interesting news to watch on TV, Youtube, etc over the following week of the many happenings this weekend and specifically on Monday.

Most of these "path of totality" areas are very rural and will likely not have enough services for gasoline, water, food, accommodations, medical care, etc. Smart to call in the National Guard as backup.

I've seen postings on Craigslist of rural motels and Bed & Breakfasts and AirBnB's that are charging outrageous inflation prices for this weekend taking advantage of the supply/demand factor. Rooms that may normally cost $100 night are charging $800 night. Simply outrageous and people are paying it! Local residents are getting $100 night just to allow somebody to pitch a tent on their property.

I'm looking forward to participating in Central Idaho, hoping the skies are clear from recent forest fires that have produced a haze these past two weeks in Idaho/Montana. Amazing times we live in.

-Gregg

Oh yes......all of that. Told to fill our gas tanks, load up on food, stay off the highways, internet and cell phone problems etc etc. City and County officials appear to be on top of it. Etc, etc.  Days Inn(one of our hotels) was charging $600 a night. We intend to stay at home with family and watch it. Have plenty of room here at my house if anyone wants to slide down.

Jimi wrote on Aug 17^th, 2017 at 10:24am:

This whole eclipse mania is bordering on insanity. $600 a night? People have more money than I do.....

I'm glad I can just walk out the door....If I couldn't, I'd just do without seeing it.

And this is not even the zombie apocalypse, LOL.

Here is some info that a friend shared with me on a very important subject relevant to watching this rare event...your eyes and protection!

See below, this is a copy/paste...

-Gregg

Are you ready for the eclipse?

Here's some information that I found yesterday:



"As an Optometrist , I want to express concern that I have about the solar eclipse on Monday, Aug 21. There are serious risks associated with viewing a solar eclipse directly, even when using solar filter glasses.

Some people will encounter the inability to control every aspect of this exercise. For instance, many solar eclipse glasses are made for adults, do not fit children well and should not be used without direct parental supervision. If your solar glasses do not filter out 100% of the harmful UV rays, if they are not used absolutely perfectly, or should there be a manufacturing defect in any of them, this will result in permanent and irreversible vision loss for any eye exposed. Just like sunburn to the skin, the effects are not felt or noticed immediately. I have a great fear that I will have patients in my office on Tuesday, Aug 22 who wake up with hazy, blurry vision that I cannot fix.

The biggest danger with children is ensuring proper use without direct parental supervision. As the eclipse passes over many places, the moon will not block 100% of the sun. Because so much of its light is blocked by the moon, if one looks at the eclipse without full protection, it does not cause pain as looking at the sun would on a regular day. Normally if you try to look at the sun, it physically hurts and you can't see anything. During an eclipse, however, it is easier to stare for a bit....and even less than 30 seconds of exposure to a partially eclipsed sun can burn a blind spot right to your most precious central vision. With solar glasses you can't see ANYTHING except the crescent of light of the sun. Kids could have a tendency to want to peek around the filter to see what is actually going on up there. One failure, just one, where education and supervision fail, can have a devastating consequence.

Please, please be safe, or watch the eclipse on television if you do not have proper protection."

Here's an honest question for those more knowledgeable than I when it comes to modern cameras.

I've got a digital SLR with a viewing  screen on the back so I don't always have to use the viewfinder. I can also wi-fi it to my mobile phone so I'm watching my phone while looking straight through the lens of the camera.

Would it be reasonable to set the camera on the eclipse and watch it variously on the viewing screen of the camera or live on my mobile?

Would it work at all and, if it did, would eyes still be at risk?

Eclipses are a great time for drinking beer,

Brian down under.

Hi Brian,
Found this article that might be of assistance to you.
-Gregg

Photographing the solar eclipse: What you need to know
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Yeah Brian, I was surprised to read that also about possibly cooking the camera. Suppose if there is one thing in life that is most extreme, it would be the sun and not to question it, and after residing in Las Vegas 25 years i've learned only to risk something if you are willing to lose it, as that town was not built on winners.

Sure hope the eclipse glasses my friend got us are legit. She purchased them from eclipse2017.org which they refer as "Solar Viewer" and have come with instructions that begin with a read of..."The term “Solar Viewer” refers to the special cardboard-and-polymer optical products, marked “SAFE FOR DIRECT SOLAR VIEWING”, manufactured by Rainbow Symphony of Reseda CA, and sold by Eclipse2017.org for the purpose of viewing the Sun during the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, by or under the direct supervision of a person 18 years of age or above and in accordance with these Instructions for Use."

and then comes the lengthy disclosures and release and limitation of liability, etc, etc...seems kinda scary honestly, especially knowing California attorneys were involved.

Regardless, i'm still looking forward to this mini road trip to the "Great American Eclipse" among all the other zombie apocalypse type traffic and think anybody going will have tremendous fun - weather and forest fires permitting.

Otherwise, there's always livestream on Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or and Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

-Gregg

Well, folks.  That was AWESOME!

Got to see about 90-95% coverage and it was unbelievable the amount of light that the sun still put out for there to be just a sliver of sun showing!  When it got dark outside, it was more like a hazy day with heavy cloud cover here.  The temps really dropped and it was actually kinda comfortable in the shade (for a very short period of time that is). 

Didn't see any aliens or zombies so that was kind of disappointing.   

Hope everyone was as amazed at our universe as I was!

Live Long and Prosper!

Payg

Here is was nothing more than what you would experience when a cloud passes overhead. It did make for some interesting shapes on a car hood.