What are YOUR plans for the upcoming Solar Eclipse?

jordon412

33 Year Old Railfan
For the first time in 99 years, on August 21st, 2017, a solar eclipse will happen in America. With such a special event coming up, what are your plans for the upcoming eclipse? Me and my dad are going on a special train, the Copperhill "Solar" Special, operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, using it's own cars, and assisted by the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association. This train will run from Delano, Tennessee to Copperhill, Tennessee and back. When we get to Copperhill, we will be in the path of the eclipse, meaning we will see the totality of the eclipse instead of part of the eclipse. Where I live, I will be able to see somewhere between 90 and 99% of the eclipse. When we got tickets yesterday, there was only eight seats available on the entire train. This excursion runs on the former Louisville and Nashville's 'Hook and Eye' route. What makes this route unique is the 'Hiawassee Loop,' which is just like the Tehachapi Loop, where the track spirals over itself. Trains usually depart from Etowah, Tennessee, but in this case, it departs from Delano, Tennessee. I'm not certain why the change in departure location, probably to get to Copperhill in time for the eclipse. I will note that my mom works at a county school, and the county school board has ordered enough glasses for every county school employee and student, given that the eclipse will happen on a school day. Anyway, what are your plans for the upcoming solar eclipse?
 
Nothing much that I'll be doing, unfortunately my parents don't have enough money to travel. Hopefully I'll be able to see it from where I live in the southern central area of the USA.
 
I'm gonna go outside and see an 80% eclipse of the sun, as it will get a bit darker for a few minutes I saw @ 3 of them in my life .. It's really no big deal unless you are in the direct path, then you would see pretty much darkness, much like twilight for a couple minutes, birds may start singing their morning/night songs ... And millions of people will get their retina's burnt out from looking at the sun without glass's. The best is a pinhole in a washa' machine box, or a magnifier glass held out of focus on a piece of cardboard ... Or you can watch it on YouTube and not burn your eyeballs out ! HaaDaaHurr !

If I were Myan I might be tempted to death sacrifice a virgin to the sun god ... Or run around in circles, frantically flailing my arms, shouting Whluuluuluula, Whluuluuluula, Whluuluuluula, Whluuluuluula, Whluuluuluula !
 
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I have a large telescope and I can not for the life of me make my neighbors understand why I am not going to use it to view the eclipse.
What part of "if the concentration of light from the sun doesn't melt the lenses in the eyepiece the fact that that same concentrated light will boil your eyeball" don't they understand.

I'm about 60 miles from the zone of totality but considering the absolute traffic jam that will ensue I think I'll stay home, watch it on TV, and look at all the photos in the next issue of Astronomy Magazine (a great mag even if it isn't about trains).

A total solar eclipse isn't a once in a life time event if you can afford to travel but if you are going to stand in your back yard for the next one it might be a several hundred year wait, lol.

Ben
 
Your filters on a camera or a telescope should be the equivalent of 6 arc welder glass, 6 thick. The average smart phone will not be able to take pictures of any quality
 
I will be in bed counting sheep (or long coal train wagons) as it will be night in the southern hemisphere - enjoy the experience guys.
 
Welder helmets would certainly work but can you visualize 2000 folks in the local town square all wearing those big clunky welders helmets to watch the eclipse. Probably look like something out of a sci fi movie "Invasion of the big goofy helmet heads ", lol.

On a more serious note the concentration of light (and heat) thru a large telescope is the problem. Mine has a 30 inch diameter mirror. If I did my sums correctly it can concentrate about 2000 times as much light as the human eyeball and looking directly at the sun with the unaided eye alone can cause damage and blindness. Any filter would have to go after the last eyepiece lens and would either melt or catch on fire.

Anyone remember "cooking ants" with a magnifying glass when you were a little tyke? That was with a 1 to 3 inch lens. Think about with a 30 inch lens. Could probably spall the concrete driveway under the ant (or smelt iron, lol).

To me the best way to see the eclipse is using a pair of approved filter glasses and watch the weirdness as everything goes dark, cows go to sleep, wife promises to cook your favorite dinner when you get home, and so on. As for really spectacular photos I can't imagine there won't be hundreds of sites offering them for a modest fee (many quite possibly for free) for months afterwards.

Above all protect your eyes folks.

Ben
 
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One of the most enjoyable aspects of viewing a solar eclipse is watching the ground and trees, animals, and people milling around looking at their pinhole aluminum foil contraptions ... looking directly into the sun is a tunnel visioned way to look at things ... look at the world around you ... and arrive 4 hours prior as traffic jams will be a nightmare
 
I plan to stop it. It's gotta be stopped, folks. I have the best weapons, believe me, I know the best people, tremendous people, and we're gonna stop it. Not gonna let the moon put the lights out. The moon will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen. And you know the best part? The Mexicans are gonna pay for it.
 
And from the words of some important potentate here in Oz - We will not be left in the dark! we will fight the good fight! We will overcome the darkside and move in to a brighter future! And if necessary camp out in Mexico basking in the shade of the Great Wall enjoying the Taco's and Tequila until the world is whole again.
 
Only the great tubby Tubster, "Kimmy" can poke the eye out on the sun, with his FatWad missiles ... They are planning an expedition to the Sun ... It would be far to hot ... so they are going at night
 
Well, here in south-central Kansas, I'll be pretty close to it. Perhaps I should invest in some glasses? I plan on being outside when it happens.

Matt
 
It would be interesting to see our pets expression, if they were outside, when it is happening ... Dogs never look up

It's getting dark early today ... it must be numna' bisqua' treasts' time ?
 
Local libraries might have approved glasses for a modest fee. My local one does. Drug stores might be another possibility.

Ya know folks in about 10 (or is it 100) million years there will be no such thing as a total solar eclipse. Conservation of angular momentum makes the moon move away from the earth at something like 1/4 inch a year so eventually the moon will not be visually large enough to cover the entire solar disk. All eclipses will be annular at best.

So don't miss this one, lol.

Ben
 
I'm locking my doors. :eek:

color-sun1.jpg
 
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When we had a total eclipse down in the west country in 1999 we were able to buy cheap cardboard sunglasses with dark plastic "lenses" for looking at the sun. We took our caravan down to Cornwall to see it and had an unforgettable view. It was especially sweet as we had to accept our second choice of site and as it turned out our first choice was obscured by clouds and people saw nothing
 
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