Any solar eclipse plans?

[bbhaag]

As everyone probably already knows we have a total solar eclipse cutting across the US and Canada on April 8th. Anyone outside of totality planning to travel to get the full experience?

 

[Stopsignhank]

Yep. Flying to Houston Saturday. Eat good barbecue on Sunday. We have a room in Austin Saturday and Sunday. Find someplace to watch it and hopefully fly home Monday night.

 

[BoomerD]

Oh hell no.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Nope!

Maybe I'll rewatch Night of the Comet for nostalgia in the hopes this brings the apocalypse

 

[Red Squirrel]

If I'm off that day I might try to grab some pictures, I bought some proper solar film instead of welding glass so should hopefully be able to get nicer shots. My schedule ends a few days before so I don't know yet if I work or not. If I work then so much for that.

I'm not in path of totality but will get the partial like last time.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Nope.

Total eclipses aren't that cool and if they can make dramatic destination plans that aren't close and don't fit in my schedule then they can come to me.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I think it would be epic to see a total one, but not enough to actually go through the trouble of traveling for it. By the time you factor cost of gas, hotel etc and chancing that you actually find a suitable spot and that it's not cloudy, it's a big risk. It seems Montreal area might be the closest to me that will get totality but driving into/through a metro area is a hard pass. So I'll stick to experiencing the partial one.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

First total eclipse to come to the San Antonio area since around the year 1300. Will be at my cousin's house where we get 3 1/2 minutes of totality.

 

[Muse]

Oh, fish ya'll, the Moon is gonna assert itself (once again), sweeping across the USA, blotting out the Sun, Moonday, April 8. Won't happen again in the USA until 2045.

Totally!

I called my cousin yesterday (we are almost the same ancient age), explaining this to him. He's a lifelong Manhattan dweller (I was born there, but live in N. Calif. now), he has an apartment in Manhattan, also a house in Poughkeepsie, where it will be almooooost total. I says, he can drive to, say, Rochester (from Poughkeepsie), where it WILL be absolutely total for 3:45 or so, at approximately 3:25PM.

He had the vaguest notion about all this. I asked him if I can join him. He says, he'll think it over and call me in a week. If he says no, well, the sweep in the US goes from Texas, through the mid-west and up into New England, so almost 2000 miles of swath. I figure this is my chance to see a Total Eee Clips of the Son.

 

[Muse]

Yo... Totally!

 

[Muse]

I think it would be epic to see a total one, but not enough to actually go through the trouble of traveling for it. By the time you factor cost of gas, hotel etc and chancing that you actually find a suitable spot and that it's not cloudy, it's a big risk. It seems Montreal area might be the closest to me that will get totality but driving into/through a metro area is a hard pass. So I'll stick to experiencing the partial one.

That's the big one. I figure to be checking on the weather. If forecast is for clouds over Rochester, I want to be able to cancel plan to go there. Maybe somewhere else, or maybe skip it entirely. We had a partial (not particularly noticeable) in 2017. I could have asked my nephew if I could tag along when he, wife and kids went to his MIL's cabin in Idaho, where it was total. I was too bashful to ask.

Suitable spot is another issue. I figure you do some research, probably go early and figure where to be. Out in nature, is best, of course, hopefully where there are animals around, they are part of the experience. I figure to have high quality eclipse glasses, also probably have a camera taking video/sound. Maybe ask a guy I know who took in the 2017 TE (in Oregon) for some tips. I have some JPGs he provided me, like these:

 

[Brainonska511]

Going up to Burlington, VT, hoping for no clouds.

Also, if you are going to watch the eclipse, don't buy your eclipse glasses from Amazon. They like to mix stock with the same sku, so lots of potential for fake stuff. Buy from a reputable astronomy vendor.

 

[Charmonium]

I saw the last one. Kinda cool. The birds didn't know what to make of it.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Friend invited me to Austin, and he's pretty close to a good viewing spot northwest of the city. Will be bringing all my camera gear

 

[IronWing]

I’d like to watch it from the Starn’s Barbecue parking lot in Paducah but don’t have any plans to make that happen.

 

[andy2000]

I definitely plan to head to the front yard to watch it. I just hope the weather is good.

 

[nakedfrog]

Nothing fancy, just the standard human sacrifice to the blood god to avert a thousand year reign of darkness and terror and ensure the return of the sun. Though frankly, with the way some of you lot have been behaving, I'm not sure if I should bother

 

[nOOky]

I just held my hand up in front of the impossibly bright LED light outside my office window as a simulation of an eclipse, it was pretty cool.

 

[Muse]

Going up to Burlington, VT, hoping for no clouds.

Also, if you are going to watch the eclipse, don't buy your eclipse glasses from Amazon. They like to mix stock with the same sku, so lots of potential for fake stuff. Buy from a reputable astronomy vendor.

Never been there but I've heard it's very beautiful city/town, at least sometimes. My parents met there, going to high school. I suppose I can contemplate being there on April 8 if my cousin doesn't like my plan. The clouds thing concerns me, of course, and at this point I suppose that's true for the entire course of the eclipse through the USA.

Yes, legit high quality glasses are a must. Saw some articles at The New York Times a couple days ago. They say to check here:

Suppliers of Safe Solar Viewers & Filters

eclipse.aas.org

 

[repoman0]

Heading to a family cabin / lake house in upstate NY.

 

[Brainonska511]

Never been there but I've heard it's very beautiful city/town, at least sometimes. My parents met there, going to high school. I suppose I can contemplate being there on April 8 if my cousin doesn't like my plan. The clouds thing concerns me, of course, and at this point I suppose that's true for the entire course of the eclipse through the USA.

Yes, legit high quality glasses are a must. Saw some articles at The New York Times a couple days ago. They say to check here:

Suppliers of Safe Solar Viewers & Filters

eclipse.aas.org

I've never been to Burlington either, but it's about a 3 hour drive or so, making it a logical choice. Sadly, I booked too late, so we're staying about an hour to the southeast of Burlington on 4/7 and will drive up in the early morning to try and avoid some of the inevitable eclipse traffic.

Got my glasses from High Point Scientific - they're on the linked list under the people selling filters. Quality astronomy shop (I'd purchased a few other items from them in the past).

 

[SKORPI0]

No. It's a 3 hour drive , 182 miles southeast (Indianapolis, IN) from my place. Wish I could go, but will be working at 9 pm that Monday night.

 

[feralkid]

Yo... Totally!

Way back in the old days, long before we invented the now ubiquitous "literally".


Isn't it ironic?

 

[HeXen]

I'm right in the path but I'm not interested. It'll just get darker for a few minutes, whoopie.

 

[Muse]

No. It's a 3 hour drive , 182 miles southeast (Indianapolis, IN) from my place. Wish I could go, but will be working at 9 pm that Monday night.

I noticed when looking at the TE route that Indianapolis appeared to be in the total zone. Maybe a good spot? Or environs.