The Great Eclipse

The total silence from birds is the oddest thing that I recall. The 20-25 degree drop in temp was strange too. It is actually coldest 2 minutes after the peak, as it takes awhile to warm things back up.
 
Well, around these parts #14 shades are rare as hen's teeth at this stage of the game. I have an 11 in my helmet and plan to supplement that as necessary with some sunglasses. The welding shade will block the UV and IR so that's not a problem. It's then just a matter of reducing the total brightness a bit more as necessary.
 
Good info sites out there; here's a link to one: https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/best-places-to-view/

As that page notes, there is a companion eclipse (they come in pairs) in 2024, and Carbondale IL will be in the path of both of these. Lucky them.
Assuming real life doesn't get in the way Monday, I will drive a few hours south from Columbus and see it at about 93% totality. If not, the 2024 one goes over the homes of several in my family... a backup plan.

Sister used welding hood to view one in CA a few years back; it works but cant speak to safety of it. I will be making a pinhole cam box for this one.
 
Well... I am at "Eclipse Zero".. well one of them anyways in Columbia S.C.

The towns gone bonkers hosting out of town folk and throwing wild shin-dings here... there... and everywhere!

After a fine glass of wine, I recalled an eclipse back in my home state New York, oh believe it was the 70s. It was a wash as the sun was blocked by a very thick cloud cover. I remember waiting all day to see it and the huge disappointment at that young age of ... eleven.

Today, there are all sorts of viewing methods and you don't have to be disappointed even if you don't "eye-witness" the event!

So I will probably view this one via the NASA provided streaming.. and save some video views for the grandchildren just the same o / -

But I will report back if some terrestial or extraterrestial presence makes its existence known!
 
Driving from ABQ to Ogden, UT on Sunday and then to the road through the Idaho National Laboratory starting around 0430 Monday morning. I'm taking 25X100 binocs with custom 63mm polyethylene filters and a sturdy tripod (they weigh more than 10 lbs) and an old Canon SX-10is with a 20X zoom lens set to automatically shoot 7 exposure sequences with 1.5 stop spacing to assemble an HDR image of the corona from.
 
...Sister used welding hood to view one in CA a few years back; it works but cant speak to safety of it. I will be making a pinhole cam box for this one.

A true welding filter/shade is safe. The UV and IR filtering is independent of the darkness. Any brand name welding shade should be providing full protection/full blocking of UV and IR. The shade is a matter of how much you want to cut down the brightness of the light.
 
Watch the shadows on the ground, especially just outside of complete totality. Where the eclipsed sun shows through the leaves, it will leave moon-shaped shadows by the thousands on the ground during maximum coverage.

I noticed this during a partial eclipse back in 1992 or 93. Thought I had smoked too much.
 
Only 80-85% where I was but it was cool... Built a little pinhole projector to look at it. The coolest part was during the totality (such that it was) the character of the light changed; it became easier to see as if the light was polarized without the coloration that is induced by polarization lenses.
I could steal glances at the sun when there was some cloud cover over it and then it was pretty obvious that the moon god was attacking the sun.

Personally, I expect total destruction of the universe! RUN! :jump:
 
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