Total solar eclipse 2017 - official thread

[nutdog]

Just got back. The whole event went perfect. No traffic getting there. Got off at an exit that was purtdarn near the totality line. Pulled into a side road and started looking just after it began. Glasses and binoculars worked great. Clear skies. Totality was spectacular. Heavier traffic getting back, probably an extra 30 minutes. Well worth it.

Mrs. nutdog took a few pics as it progressed. You can see the total reflecting in the windshield.

 

[catcauphonic]

A few locals may be upset that I'm spilling the beans here again about Seattle summers being perfect (we want you to think it rains constantly so you don't move here, cuz it's been crowding immensely since the 90s.) We haven't had measurable rainfall for about 2 months so far, and the forecast for sunshine just keeps on coming!

Anyway, we were in the path of 92% on a clear day. Got invited to a rooftop party a few blocks away this morning and almost didn't go, but glad I did ... dozens of friendly faces I haven't seen in weeks or months, a yummy breakfast and dessert potluck, and a small assortment of booze (too early for me at 10:30am, 45min after waking up )

Glasses and viewers of several kinds were passed around (hopefully all certified ), it got a little chilly enough that I needed sleeves during the daytime for the first time in 2 months, and the quality of the low light was really beautiful.

One thing I wish I took a photo of was when I was leaving the house the shadows cast on the street from the tree in our front yard were all in the shape of little crescents ... I thought 'gee, how come I never noticed that before?', not realizing it was because of the shape of the light source I didn't even try getting a pic thru the glasses until it was almost over, but here's what I got

Along with a pic of a friends daughter wearing her shades

And some big a$$ beetley thing I've not seen before

Looks like his guts came out his backside somehow without him getting squished. Yea yea, time to redo the nails again, I know

 

[bluesblaster]

It was raining here so really nothing to speak of, I noticed the street lights came on for a bit but other than that it was hard to tell if anything was going on other than a passing rain storm

 

[D M C]

These are the planes. It's hard to see the one on the far left side w/o expanding the photo

 

[Aberdumbie]

These are the planes. It's hard to see the one on the far left side w/o expanding the photo View attachment 1884407

On NASA television this morning they were saying that they would have aircraft up across several mid western states following the path to collect solar data. I would have imagined that NASA would send up jet powered aircraft. Those appear to be cargo type planes.

 

[hrodbert696]

Anybody want to buy some solar eclipse glasses. Big half off sale!

Ha ha. Stock up for 2024!

I was in meetings all day but did get out in the quad about 3:00. Up here we only got 60% or so, and 40% of blazing sunlight is... blazing sunlight. Wouldn't have known there was an eclipse happening at all if you hadn't been told. But I tried a little pinhole shade from a 3d printer the library made to project onto the back of a notebook, and sure enough - there was a bite out of the side of the circle that hadn't been there a couple hours earlier. Not much, but I'm officially declaring myself an eclipse participant.

When I got home my daughter was here, and she had worked a shift at the library. It was apparently a madhouse. Droves of people showed up just expecting the library to be handing out glasses by the bucketful, hadn't checked the website or called ahead for info, got mad when they were told no (there was a limited supply for people who registered in advance, for a program in the park across the street). One woman tried to guilt-trip my daughter, "Well I hope my little children don't go blind when they try to look at it because you wouldn't give them glasses!" Well, I hope you're a good enough mother not to let them do anything that stupid... They literally had to call the police to send a couple officers over for crowd control.

 

[Alkali Ike]

There were a lot of small aircraft flying around here, mostly west to east.

Celestial mechanics!

 

[Watchootognbout]

This is the tune that comes to mind when I see a total eclipse picture.

 

[MJ5150]

This is the tune that comes to mind when I see a total eclipse picture.

Great choice.
For me it's Bonnie....



-Mike

 

[paste]

 

[Watchootognbout]

Great choice.
For me it's Bonnie....



-Mike

That's good too!
Rather obvious,but good!

 

[hrodbert696]

View attachment 1888608

You can see it better if you get closer to it.

 

[D M C]

You can see it better if you get closer to it.

I think it's to keep away from the shadow snakes.

 

[hrodbert696]

I think it's to keep away from the shadow snakes.

Don't want to get bit.

 

[Alkali Ike]

"At the _____ _____, despite all the warnings from experts about the risk of eye damage, _________ ______ ______ took off (the) eclipse glasses and looked directly at the sun."

EDIT: That could be James Earl Jones on a movie set.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Above the house with no filter, you can see the small eclipsed image mirrored just above the roof.


View attachment 1866875

View attachment 1866877

A little movement looked neat.

View attachment 1866878

View attachment 1866880


View attachment 1866881

I always love those little lens flare surprises. RE pic #1
Nice job S-Big.

We had a TV camera outside the studio today.
Didn't have a solar filter and all the ND filters we had we're enough, even stopped down all the way.
The studio coordinator had a large roll of lighting gel and cut several pieces to put over the lens.
He used up to five layers at one point.

 

[B-line]

Up-to-the Minute Report from Las Vegas, NV:

Nothing.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I hope everyone in the zone of totality has their mind blown! Best wishes.

Mission accomplished! That may well have been the most spectacular thing I've ever witnessed. The missus was moved to tears at the moment of full occlusion. Breathtaking.

That was a letdown. I was expecting a life changing event the way people talked this up.

Let me guess: you're *not* in the path of totality, right?

 

[slobake]

Lots of folks giving out the glasses on the street in San Francisco as a marketing campaign. I got a pair of from Energy Upgrade California. A group supporting a statewide initiative to reach our state's energy goals. There were energy saving tips printed on the glasses. They also gave me a cup of cold brew coffee. They poured it out of a tap and at first I said no thanks because I thought it was dark beer. The coffee tasted okay but it was weird drinking chilled coffee.
Don't know if the glasses were certified but looking through them hasn't affected my eyes.

 

[Justinvs]

We hit the road about 5:00 this morning and made it to Dubois, ID just about 7:00, and despite an almost steady stream of vehicles southbound on I15 we had no trouble finding a good spot to watch from. A few minutes after we arrived my cousin and her family pulled up next to us. Neither of us knew the other was coming. Then, another friend parked two cars down from them. Apparently Dubois was the spot of choice for wandering Montanans!

At any rate, the eclipse was truly spectacular. The weather was perfect, the view unobstructed and everyone seemed to be thrilled by the event. It actually out shone all the hype and hyperbole. I'm so glad I had a chance to take my fsamily to see this unfold.

We didn't stick around after totality, as we had left our animals at home unattended. Back home by 2:00 and hauling hay by 2:30. Ah, the joys of ranching!