Eclipse Updates
-
Hopefully the eclipse will mesmerize Americans of all ideologies long enough to step back, relax, enjoy one of the most amazing and rarest spectacles, and perhaps reflect on our place in the Cosmos.
Or maybe not. It should still be cool nonetheless!
Speaking of spectacles, you all have seen dizens of warnings to make sure you have your special ISO-standards eclipse glasses to avoid damaging your retinas. The danger is real, and ophthamologists say even fleeting glances at the sun can build up over a lifetime.
What discussions with a dozen people this week has revealed to me, however, is that fully half did not realize that the glasses are NOT needed during totality and should be removed to enjoy seeing it. They are needed during all other phases, wherever you are. I reviewed a few of the warnings and saw that only about 25% of them mentioned this, and most just said to wear special glasses “during the eclipse.” I hope there aren’t a lot of people who are seriously disappointed when they barely see it. I have seen some articles and news reports trying to clear this up, but the initial scary warnings might catch a few.
What are all you Board Rats doing on Monday? And what % of eclipse will you catch? I am fortunate enough to be in one of the cities (Columbia, SC) where totality will be longest–2 mins 30 seconds. I am going to try to get some pictures with my super telephoto lens if our sky cooperates. (Special filters for cameras are not needed in totality.)
Also, please keep this thread politically neutral–thank you!
-
@mayjay Here in Topeka the occlusion will be 99.2%. I think I can be satisfied with seeing it here is the 60% chance of rain doesn’t interfere. The DW may have other ideas, tho…
-
@Careful-you The difference, according to one NASA scientist, between a 99% eclipse and a total eclipse, is like the difference between a first date and your wedding night. Seems like a good time for a drive to Atchison!
-
I’m heading north from Lawrence to a spot in the center line of totality on Monday. If I seem weird after that, it’s my body snatcher talking.
-
I’ll see totality 36 minutes before you do @mayjay . I’m going to be near a cemetery in the middle of nowhere. If I see zombies, I’ll try to send you a message while fleeing through the corn fields.
Hoping for clear skies, but it’s been a wet freaky August in KS.
-
@DanR Looks like you get 7 more seconds, too. Average time of … well, we won’t go there.
I have wondered about vampires and trolls. These eclipses have to really eff up their biorhythms.
-
Anxious to hear! 94% was awesome, mostly temp change. Thought it would get darker. Woke up to thunderstorms, so pretty blessed to have it clear-just in time. Taped some eclipse specials, hope you guys had good luck!
Heard cloudy in Lawrence, but did get darker.
-
Where I was, there were scattered clouds and some showers nearby, although we just had a few sprinkles. I was able to take some unfiltered photos through the thinner clouds. It clouded over just before totality, but we had amazingly spectacular 360 degree sunset on a little hill NE of Hiawatha right on the center line.
Cool experience and a fun day – got to see a part of Kansas I hadn’t been to before, met a handful of other nice people who picked out the same spot on the map, had a nice picnic, and spent the day with my mom and sister (and my dog!).
-
@DanR aww sounds cool! I think the sunsets would have been awesome to see. Thx for pics. Was it hot enough that you could tell the temp drop?
-
I heard traffic was bad on turnpike, 3 miles in 40 mins s of emporia.
-
Glad you had clear weather, @Crimsonorblue22! Great pictures, Dan. I decided not to worry about pictures because I didn’t want to fiddle with settings.
Good thing, too. We had mostly cloudy and it was breaking through a bit, but it was going to be a race between one gap and totality. So, at T (totality) minus 6 minutes, I grabbed my wife and we drove about 1.5 miles to a school parking lot with a better angle.
At T minus 25 seconds, we lost the sun and thought it was in totality, so we took our glasses off, but it was a tiny thick cloud. The sun then jumped out with about 10 seconds to go. Birds were quiet, crickets were chirping, the parking lot light came on.
Then, wow! Beautiful, stunning corona. I should have brought my camera for just viewing through the 300 mm, but it as a hurried departure. In a way, I am glad we could just see it, holding hands and, well, wow…
It started raining from clouds not in line with the sun/moon so it was really cool to have that unique little detail to our moment. People a mile away saw nothing.
Surrounded by tall pines, so we didn’t get the sunset effect. Maybe we will figure out a place to do it in 2024, which has a S-to-N eclipse with over 4 minute totality in many places. Here is a link to that one so y’all can start preppin’ for it:
-
Woke up to heavy thunderstorms and cloudy skies. The sun peeked in and out between 11 and 12 and then it stated to get cloudy again. Pretty cloudy during the eclipse and somewhat anticlimactic other than getting darker and colder; no crickets chirping here.
-
Crimsonorblue22 said:
I heard traffic was bad on turnpike, 3 miles in 40 mins s of emporia.
I was following the roads all day around the country and did not see too much eclips traffic. But a few hours later, you could see where the path of totality had been:
Those were some 80 to 120 mile heavy zones!
