Live Thread for the eclipse

[Gefn]

I thought we needed a live thread for the eclipse.

Happy eclipse day everyone!!!!

[mountaineer]

We decided not to go outside and risk blindness, halitosis, cooties or the heartbreak of psoriasis, so we made an indoor to-do list. I will iron and vacuum. Mr. M will unclog a shower head and do the dishes. Both of us will concentrate on NOT PANICKING!!!

[mountaineer]

NASA television coverage.

[Suppressed]

I thought we needed a live thread for the eclipse.

Happy eclipse day everyone!!!!

Thanks, @Freya!!

Listening to Also sprach Zarathustra and The Planets while I wait. And, with irony,
Clair de Lune and Moonlight Sonata.

Prepared to change my plans a bit, based on crowds and bladder. Walmart parking lot was filled by 9 am. The large park had line down the highway by 8 am.

[Free Vulcan]

In the 95% zone....and it's raining today.

[Just_Victor]

We decided not to go outside and risk blindness, halitosis, cooties or the heartbreak of psoriasis, so we made an indoor to-do list. I will iron and vacuum. Mr. M will unclog a shower head and do the dishes. Both of us will concentrate on NOT PANICKING!!!

Don't forget the moderate to severe Crohn's disease.   Gotta protect your pipes, pets, and plants.

[Gefn]

Two of my favorite things.


Astronomy and kitties.

(With apologies to Bonnie Tyler)

[attachment deleted by admin]

[mountaineer]

Monday, August 21, 2017
Prepare To Be Amazed

Today we bear witness to precisely how much control man has over God’s universe:

That’s right, exactly…none. But hey, if any of the brilliant scientists who believe we can slow down, reverse, or halt global warming/cooling want to take a crack at stopping the eclipse, be my guest. Could be a good trial run to see how well toilet paper restrictions, cow fart mediation and forced public transportation will work to stop climate change in its tracks.  ...  MOTUS A.D. (Michelle Obama's Mirror)

[Suppressed]

That’s right, exactly…none.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding

But hey, if any of the brilliant scientists who believe we can slow down, reverse, or halt global warming/cooling want to take a crack at stopping the eclipse, be my guest. Could be a good trial run to see how well toilet paper restrictions, cow fart mediation and forced public transportation will work to stop climate change in its tracks.  ...

I suppose if an eclipse can't be stopped, that must mean we don't influence climate!   

And that must, by extension, mean we can't avoid getting wet in a rainstorm. Those umbrellas are hoaxes, I tell ya!

[Suppressed]

Two of my favorite things.


Astronomy and kitties.

(With apologies to Bonnie Tyler)

Don't look directly at it without eclipse treats.

[Polly Ticks]

In the 95% zone....and it's raining today.

That's a bummer.  Sorry to hear it.

We're the 95% zone, too, but it's sunny with nothing but a sparse scattering of high, thin clouds at the moment.  I'm hoping it holds.  The kids are quite looking forward to it.  Either that, or they're just happy to have an excused absence from school today. 

[mountaineer]

I think we're in the 83% zone. Currently sunny. Peak eclipse time will be a little over 3-1/2 hours from now. I'll be vacuuming.

[Cripplecreek]

I'm going to use my IR filter. Its virtually black so I should get a few decent pics.

[bigheadfred]

I am in the total zone. Start time in an hour, more or less. I have cheapo cameras, but I will do my best.

I have to try to make it to the doctor again today. That's right. Another blood test.

Live pic out on the freeway. Here they come. My doc is 14 miles up the traffic side of the freeway.

[ShadowAce]

What's a "Thead?"

[mountaineer]

 

[aligncare]

Don't forget the moderate to severe Crohn's disease.   Gotta protect your pipes, pets, and plants.

Wait, I thought the eclipse was gluten free?

[DCPatriot]

Think of how many lives are going to be saved this afternoon!       

[mystery-ak]

[Applewood]

Local channels here are proclaiming this the Great American Eclipse.  I think the hoopla is hilarious, but I'm an old bag so a solar eclipse is nothing new.  The younger generation probably never experienced a total eclipse in their lifetime.   

I just hope no one is stupid enough to try to watch the eclipse with the naked eye.  The state transportation department issued a warning not to try to drive with those special glasses on.  Apparently, the only thing you can see with those glasses is the sun.  Everything else is dark.  But I'm sure someone will ignore the warning and try to drive with those glasses on.

[Joe Wooten]

Thunderstorms and overcast skies make watching the eclipse here in Northern Illinoisy somewhat problematical.....

[ABX]

I'm stuck on conference calls all afternoon so if anyone has any interesting sightings of the dragon that eats the sun, please let me know. ;)


By the way, unless you have a 18 stop ND filter (or greater) or level 14 welder's glass, do not point your camera at the sun. Digital camera sensors are very sensitive and you can damage one very quickly. There is some bad information going around Facebook about using your cell phone camera in selfie mode to watch it. That is still pointing the camera's sensor at the sun and you risk major damage.

Here is an article where they tested pointing a DSLR at the sun just to show what will happen to the sensor.

https://www.slashgear.com/do-not-shoot-the-eclipse-without-the-right-camera-equipment-21495919/

Long story short, the lens serves just like if you were burning ants with a magnifying glass, only right at a very expensive sensor.

The result isn't a pretty sight.

[ABX]

I'm going to use my IR filter. Its virtually black so I should get a few decent pics.

You will need a ND filter of at least 18 stops. Just an IR filter won't protect it. It protects against IR, but just the focused beam of light through your lens can damage your sensor. (see post above).

[Polly Ticks]

You will need a ND filter of at least 18 stops. Just an IR filter won't protect it. It protects against IR, but just the focused beam of light through your lens can damage your sensor. (see post above).

@AbaraXas
I have no intention of trying it, but just out of curiosity could you cover the lens of your phone camera with a pair of eclipse glasses without frying it?

[ABX]

@AbaraXas
I have no intention of trying it, but just out of curiosity could you cover the lens of your phone camera with a pair of eclipse glasses without frying it?

That should work. Eclipse glasses are supposedly good enough (although some I've seen for sale worry me).

The cheaper option is glass from a welding helmet. Generally you can pick up one of these for $5 (too late now). You would need at least level 14 but that's common. Welding glass is how everyone viewed it up until this year when suddenly these special glasses were available all over.

[Polly Ticks]

That should work. Eclipse glasses are supposedly good enough (although some I've seen for sale worry me).

The cheaper option is glass from a welding helmet. Generally you can pick up one of these for $5 (too late now). You would need at least level 14 but that's common. Welding glass is how everyone viewed it up until this year when suddenly these special glasses were available all over.

Interesting.  I'll let someone else try it and report back on the results!
 

[Gefn]

Slightly overcast.

Went to the grocery store. Would you believe the manager told me he's closing it for ten minutes or so that the employees can watch?

Another hour before it comes here

[Polly Ticks]

Slightly overcast.

Went to the grocery store. Would you believe the manager told me he's closing it for ten minutes or so that the employees can watch?

Another hour before it comes here

My son is working at a local grocery store today.  He and the other employees are taking turns popping out to catch a quick look-see.

It's nice and clear here.  And the sun currently looks like Pac-Man.  Well, maybe like Pac-Man yawning, anyway.

[ABX]

My son is working at a local grocery store today.  He and the other employees are taking turns popping out to catch a quick look-see.

It's nice and clear here.  And the sun currently looks like Pac-Man.  Well, maybe like Pac-Man yawning, anyway.

They should have rescheduled it for Sunday when fewer people are working and kids are out of school.

;) 

[bigheadfred]

A thead is something that happens when you burn the R cells out of the back of your eyes by staring at the sun.

Almost half way.

I'm so excited. I like astronomical events. I saw a total lunar eclipse during Hale-Bopp. It was so cool.

[bigheadfred]

THAT WAS FREAKING

AWESOME

[RoosGirl]

We only get about 85% coverage where we are.  Bought a couple pairs of glasses.  Annnnnnnd.... it's raining.

[bigheadfred]

I am very glad I got to see that. Magnificent. Truly magnificent. We have perfect weather.

[bigheadfred]

I recorded it. We'll see what I got. I was using the worst Handycam Sony made.

[ABX]

Well that looked.... different... I don't think that was a moon.

[Victoria33]

@AbaraXas

Thanks for posting that about the cell phone.  We were going to do that, now we aren't.

[Polly Ticks]

Side note - the live feeds from NASA are basically useless.  All I get is "www.ustream.tv took too long to respond".

[Cripplecreek]

[Polly Ticks]

Well that looked.... different... I don't think that was a moon.

LOL.



No, no ... this IS the eclipse you've been waiting for in your welding helmets!

[bigheadfred]

LOL @AbaraXas @Polly Ticks

[Applewood]

After days of local weather guessers predicting clear weather for the eclipse, it's cloudy and hazy here.  If there is an eclipse going on outside now, I can't tell.

[Free Vulcan]

Cleared off here just enough, starting to look weird outside.

[Smokin Joe]

Sun shining, about 80% here. Used triple thickness of aluminized mylar for a filter, short glances only. Noticeably darker out, but not nearly as dark as the one I saw in Grand Forks many years ago (78-79).

[starstruck]

Slightly overcast.

Went to the grocery store. Would you believe the manager told me he's closing it for ten minutes or so that the employees can watch?

Another hour before it comes here

I got some good pictures earlier, but just as we're about ready to enter totality the clouds moved in.

[thackney]

Local channels here are proclaiming this the Great American Eclipse. I think the hoopla is hilarious, but I'm an old bag so a solar eclipse is nothing new.  The younger generation probably never experienced a total eclipse in their lifetime.   

I just hope no one is stupid enough to try to watch the eclipse with the naked eye.  The state transportation department issued a warning not to try to drive with those special glasses on.  Apparently, the only thing you can see with those glasses is the sun.  Everything else is dark.  But I'm sure someone will ignore the warning and try to drive with those glasses on.

Because unlike most eclipses, this one is only seen from the USA, no other countries.

[Sanguine]

Cooler here, by several degrees.   Did someone suck up the CO2?

[Free Vulcan]

At maximum here right now. Clouds moved in a bit, worked to our favor because you can look right at it now. Pretty cool.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I've seen a partial, blood moon, and the northern lights. So... I missed this btw. I thought it was at 2:30 EST not at 1:30 EST. And I forgot about my welding helment

Whoops.

[Cripplecreek]

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I've also saw that comet in the late 90's. Had no idea that's what it was.