Writer Annie Dillard described the wonder and strangeness of a total solar eclipse.
Even scientists express awe as they examine data.
I’ll be outside the totality zone for this month’s nation-covering eclipse. Everyone says that even near totality (which I’ll see) is a million miles from the true magic. Until you’ve watched the sun completely disappear by day, leaving only a glowing corona, you don’t know the glory of an eclipse, so they tell us.
Where will you be on August 21? Anybody traveling to get a better view?
Rochester is way out of the totality zone for the August 21 eclipse, so I’ll be about my usual routine for a Monday, working.
Back on May 10, 1994, we had an annular eclipse (ring of fire) that passed directly over Rochester. I bought a bunch of eclipse sun glasses that were made out of film that was used on welding goggles and my wife and I brought the kids to the top of Highland Park Hill by the reservoir and watched. It was pretty incredible! Here’s an article about that eclipse:
When the Sun Blinked: 1994’s Solar Eclipse
My son lives in Tennessee, about 45 minutes north of the center of the path of totality. I’m planning to drive down for a visit, culminating with the eclipse. We’ll drive those 45 minutes, for 2.5 minutes of darkness. Hopefully, the sky will be clear so that my eclipse glasses, already stowed in my car so I don’t forget them, will be useful.
will be in Casper, WY. right in the middle of the path of the eclipse
I wish I could go experience totality. We had an annular eclipse here a few years ago– right at sunset. And that was pretty amazing. I would love to see The Real Thing. But distance and money stand in my way, so I’ll have to content myself with 78% coverage.
I’m not planning anything. 85% totality where I live. I was in Portland for the 1979 eclipse. The somewhat nearby locations where I could view totality are going to be zoos.
I live in Casper, so I’m leaving town and I’ll be in an area, on public land, in the path of the eclipse. It’s hard to get to, so I’m hoping that no other hardy souls are there. We’ll see.
The totality will pass directly over my house (in South Carolina), so I don’t need to go anywhere! We have our eclipse glasses ready. You’re welcome to come visit, Claire!
It’s a pretty big deal in this state; lots of tourists coming and bringing their money. All sorts of events scheduled. I know people who are renting out their houses (or just rooms) for big $$$.
I find myself just not caring all that much which surprises me having grown up such an Astronomy buff.
I’ll be in Eugene at my office so we’re a wee bit south for totality… I picked up a couple pairs of those cheapo viewing glasses in case me and a coworker decide to step outside to catch a glimpse.
They are predicting complete chaos in the I5 corridor to the north of here, and I’ve seen spots to dry camp (pitch a tent, park your RV w/o hookups) going for $100/night and climbing. The guvner has even activated the National Guard….
Saw a news bit about a couple that built a house in Monmouth to the north some 20 years ago in anticipation of this.
Thermop.
I’ll be just a little North of the totality, but there’s no way I’m going out in traffic to catch it. I’d love to see it, but I’m imagining the freeway will resemble the end of some disaster movie. They’re estimating there could be as many as a million people coming to Oregon for the event.
http://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-solar-eclipse-2017-crowds-expected/
I’ll be right on the northern edge of the totality path, with about 1 minute and 10 seconds of total solar eclipse.
Last week my county announced the school system my son attends was canceled for eclipse day. (School starts in mid August in East TN.) We will be traveling 20 miles to our private gun range club for a day of relaxation. And we’ll shoot a few hundred rounds as well.
I experienced a total eclipse when I was at Auburn AL for college in the early 80’s. It’s a freaky experience, one that should not missed.
I won’t be able to travel anywhere at that date. I have a prior commitment. But I missed Woodstock too (young hippies with babies gotta work), and by comparison, I’m pretty sure this will be a mere scientific curiosity. It certainly won’t last as long.
I’ve been to the totality centerline twice; the first time in Williston, ND, a number of decades ago, and for the last one in Norte Amerika (6 minutes plus!) at the airport in Punta Colorado, almost to the tip of the Baja, in the early ’90s.
Yes, it absolutely IS worth the trip, and comparing a partial eclipse to The Real Thing is about like comparing…well, talking about sex to The Real Thing.
If you haven’t experienced it, all the fuss simply won’t make any sense.
If I make it at all this time (usual issues, time and money) it’ll be a Cessna, leaving the morning of the day. At least that way it’ll be obvious where clear skies will be. Whether I go north or northeast, however, from the southern Colorado Rockies, it’ll be about a 3 hour flight by Skylane.
It’s a long way from Texas. My kids/grandkids in Georgia will have a better shot.
Found this interactive map with a lot of info:
http://www.eclipse2017.org/xavier_redirect.htm
Hmm. Still options. Odds are about 10 miles NE of Mackay Idaho, on centerline.
James above said, “Last week my county announced the school system my son attends was canceled for eclipse day.” Can they be stopped from being reconstituted?
larryarnold — That map is fantastic! It was worth going to my less-secure browser for. I don’t normally “do” Google, but that gave me more info about the expected effects at nearby locations than I knew was available.
You want to go *to* a place where the Great Sky Dragon is eating the sun? Are you nuts?
Claire,
On May 10, 1994 I was in Detroit when an annular eclipse happened….
Having known about it we all went outside from work with welding helmets to watch it.
What I did not expect was the REALLY WEIRD color that came just before and after. It turned the world a yellow greenish hue…..Eerily similar to that color just before a tornado hits.
You find yourself understanding how folks could come to conclusions that doom was approaching.
Certainly worth the time to catch the lightshow!
Len Savage
Len, I viewed that same annular eclipse in a park on top of a hill in Rochester, with my wife and kids back on May 10, 1994. We saw that yellow greenish hue in the air too. Very eerie!
Since I’ve lived for 70 years without seeing an eclipse of any kind (that I remember anyway), I suspect I’ll live just fine after missing this one. Sure won’t be going anywhere.
But if anyone wants to come visit and sit on my west facing deck to watch it… you’d be welcome. 🙂 The view from that deck includes an incredible amount of wide open sky.
I’m in a 90% area. Depending on weather, we may take the Cessna 210 north a bit and do some photos. (Crowded skies?)
92% for me, so it wouldn’t be that much of a drive. But though I might be missing a bet, I believe I’ll stay put. Will definitely be outside watching however.
Crowded skies?
I can see a bunch of small planes flying around with pilots who are paying more attention to the eclipse than to the other planes flying around with pilots who are paying more attention to the eclipse than…
@ML: Hope you don’t have too much trouble with unwanted visitors. Other than overall traffic, high hotel rates, and crowded campgrounds, the big concern I’m hearing out of WY etc., is that a lot of people will be paying little attention to concerns about private property when they decide to just “drive somewhere and find a spot” to watch from.
LOL Jed, no worries. I’m pretty much off the beaten path, and we don’t even get a lot of visitors in the little nearby town during the Sturgis motorcycle rally that will come later this month. We are about 65 miles away from the freeway here, so not too many strangers ever find us. As for trespassers… we don’t tolerate much of that, though they may well have problems in the cities down south… all three of them. 🙂 There aren’t a “lot of people” here at any time.
If only the Solar Eclipse could be at night (or on the weekend) then I would do what I did when the space station flew over the other night; toast it with cigars, adult beverages and friends otherwise I’m most likely at work looking out a window in the wrong direction.
I’m a couple hundred miles east of totality(Hopkinsville, Ky is supposed to be one of the best spots for viewing the eclipse)-it’s supposed to be about 80% here..which is where I will be. I took some vacation time, got a sheet of solar viewing film and a pair of eclipse glasses..now, if only the weather will cooperate…Did anyone else build pinhole sunspot viewers in school? In 6th grade Science, we kept a “Sunspot Diary” using this rock-simple viewer/projector.
I’m going to be close to the crest of the Cascades, and, according to Larry’s referenced map, at 97%. Close enough. It wouldn’t be worth the traffic mess for that last 3%. I’ll be sitting in a camp chair with a drink in my hand and my welding helmet on.
I saw total eclipses in Oregon and in South Carolina, long, long ago.
IMHO, such an event is well worth the drive. That said, I’m not going to see the upcoming event, since I’ve been there and done that. If it were convenient, I’d be happy to drive a few hundred miles….