GrogHeads Forum

IRL (In Real Life) => Current Events => Topic started by: W8taminute on March 20, 2024, 02:11:18 PM

Title: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: W8taminute on March 20, 2024, 02:11:18 PM
I'm surprised this hasn't been brought up, not even in the enigmas of the mystical section.

Anywho, have any of you heard about this solar eclipse to occur over the U.S. on April the 8th, 2024?  It's generating a lot of buzz within the astronomy community. 

https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/april-8-2024

solar eclipse.jpg
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: steve58 on March 20, 2024, 04:45:58 PM
I'll be in the ~90% area.  I'll probably rig up one of these pin hole-type projectors to watch.

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/make-pinhole-projector.html

https://www.astronomy.com/observing/how-to-make-a-pinhole-viewer-for-the-2024-eclipse/
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Pete Dero on March 21, 2024, 03:26:39 AM
Quote from: steve58 on March 20, 2024, 04:45:58 PMI'll be in the ~90% area. 

If you can move to the 100% area.  The difference won't be 10% but 1000%.
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Tripoli on March 21, 2024, 08:26:21 AM
Quote from: Pete Dero on March 21, 2024, 03:26:39 AM
Quote from: steve58 on March 20, 2024, 04:45:58 PMI'll be in the ~90% area. 

If you can move to the 100% area.  The difference won't be 10% but 1000%.

I'm going to echo Peter here: the difference between a 99% total and a total eclipse is the difference between a candle and a bonfire.  They are basically two different experiences.  I've been an occasional amateur astronomer since the 1970's.  The 2017 eclipse was my first total eclipse and it took my breath away.  Below is a sequence of shots I took with my camera (disclaimer: the first thirty or so shots of the sun are out of focus due to incompetence on my part).  Notice how the character of the images dramatically change during totality.  It is even more awesome in real life

(https://i.imgur.com/EbReYo0.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/4VYYbaU.jpg)
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: W8taminute on March 21, 2024, 10:39:32 AM
^Those pictures are stunning.  I can only imagine what this looks like in real life. 
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: GDS_Starfury on March 21, 2024, 01:39:16 PM
 ery nice Tripoli!  :ThumbsUp:
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: MikeGER on March 22, 2024, 09:33:17 AM
...if I could only be so vain  :sad:

I would fly my Learjet up to Nova Scotia
to see the total eclipse of the sun   :coolsmiley: 


i drove south to see the 1999 one in Germany, unfortunatly some clouds haze so no clear corona for me
but it was still a unique experience

there is one in Spain in 2026, that is a possibility in reach       
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Pete Dero on March 22, 2024, 10:08:50 AM
Quote from: MikeGER on March 22, 2024, 09:33:17 AMi drove south to see the 1999 one in Germany, unfortunatly some clouds haze so no clear corona for me
but it was still a unique experience   

I drove to France in 1999 and only saw clouds ...  :cry:


https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-travel/spain2026/

In Spain this one will be special because totality will happen near sunset.
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Uberhaus on March 22, 2024, 10:23:12 AM
Du denkst wahrscheinlich das diese Thread geht es um dich!   :grin:

Fly to Niagara Falls instead.:  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/eclipse-day-planning-1.7147091
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: FarAway Sooner on March 25, 2024, 11:24:34 PM
We saw it full-blown when it passed over CO maybe 5 (?) years ago.  It was awe-inspiring.

Even a partial eclipse is really cool.  But the total eclipse is a trip.

Just do a little research to get the special sunglasses, as looking at the sun with just regular sunglasses (or with fake eclipse sunglasses you got on Amazon for half the price) is not recommended.

Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Tripoli on March 26, 2024, 07:54:04 AM
Use eclipse glasses that complies with the ISO 12312-2 intnational standard when viewing any solar eclipse. Also, don't take photos with your cell phone or camera unless it has an appropriate filter on it (unless you want an excuse to your wife  to justify buying a replacement)  :evil:
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: solops on April 09, 2024, 02:49:48 PM
Well, the eclipse was cool! I live 26 miles west of Fredericksburg, Tx, almost directly under the centerline of the eclipse, so everyone in my family came to visit 😃
Big Party!
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Gusington on April 09, 2024, 08:06:06 PM
Many news reports today of people with eye damage and even blindness after not using the minimal recommended protection  :buck2:
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Tripoli on April 10, 2024, 01:35:54 PM
I just got back from Conway, AR where I took this image at 135126 CST, about 6 seconds after the beginning of totality.  The red solar flare at the 6 o'clock position was visible with the naked eye throughout the entire eclipse:

(https://i.imgur.com/yBRMKLa.jpg)
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Tripoli on April 10, 2024, 07:50:40 PM

Here's an image taken at 13:53:48, just after totality. The southern flare is much more prominent. (https://i.imgur.com/TlyMSi9.jpg)
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Toonces on April 11, 2024, 08:06:20 AM
Wow, that really is amazing.  Great pictures!
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: GDS_Starfury on April 14, 2024, 07:12:50 PM
https://twitter.com/i/status/1779324796569800842
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Con on April 14, 2024, 10:41:57 PM
Saw it in Colebrook NH - 3+ minutes of Totality
I met a lot of folks who had left Texas less than 12 hours earlier and flew then drove to NH since we had a cloudless day.
There really is no explaining it was something unreal and well worth getting into totality for.
The 15 hour drive back due to mountains/rural roads/bad google was something I could have done without!
Con
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Gusington on April 15, 2024, 08:21:44 AM
^Yeah an eclipse certainly provides a special kinda vibe that is hard to explain.
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Con on April 15, 2024, 09:00:48 AM
One description i read that helped convince me was that the difference between 99% and totality is the same as reading the menue at a 4 star restaurant and eating there 
After going through it I have to agree
Quote from: Gusington on April 15, 2024, 08:21:44 AM^Yeah an eclipse certainly provides a special kinda vibe that is hard to explain.
[/quote
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Sigwolf on April 15, 2024, 12:15:57 PM
I was fortunate enough to be in an area of mostly clear totality.  The coolest thing was the way the color of everything looked different immediately before and after... almost like looking through some strangely polarized sunglasses.  The effect of a 360 degree sunset/sunrise over the course of a few minutes was also incredible. 

Just a surreal visual experience.
Title: Re: The Great American Solar Eclipse
Post by: Tripoli on April 15, 2024, 01:48:11 PM
I was doing a little processing of my eclipse images this weekend. Here's a detail of one of the photos I took at 13:51:36 CST.  You can see some of the fine detail in the solar prominence.

(https://i.imgur.com/b8FQNv1.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/RWBUtYE.jpg)