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Merged Solar Eclipse 2017!

So far, so good it appears for both the total eclipse in Carbondale, and the major partial eclipse (87% - 88%) here in Chicago.

A few notes:

1. Amtrak had an "Eclipse Special" train running between Chicago and Carbondale for the 21st. It sold out in 22 hours.

2. The branch of the Chicago Public Library located here in the building I work in had some of the 15,000 eclipse glasses the were being offered throughout the system. The library opened at 10:00 am, and I managed to acquire two of the last remaining pairs by 12:30 pm.

3. For those who can't make it to the total eclipse, Sky and Telescope has a guide for those watching the partial.

4. Last, but not least, here is the obligatory :D XDCD comic*

* I found this especially funny as my late father and step-mother had an experience like this while traveling (by car) from Memphis to Chicago during the 1994 annular eclipse I mentiones a few posts ago...;)
 
macdoc said:
Myriad you can't call Thunderstorms and that's not the kind of cloud cover to worry about

That early in the day ....thermal activity has not ramped up heavily

the further west you go the earlier the eclipse and the less chance of over development.

This is not the kind of weather pattern that allows pinpoint forecasting.
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True. I wasn't talking about pinpoint forecasting of thunderstorms. I'm talking about basic frontal movements, cloud cover, that kind of thing. Even only two or three days out, a forecast of "rain Friday, clearing early Saturday morning" so often turns into "rain continuing through Saturday afternoon" or something even more different that there's little point in getting upset about a poor forecast or getting excited about a promising one, when it's still even farther in advance.

Of course, I've mostly lived in New England and the mid Atlantic states. If the weather patterns are less chaotic in the middle of the continent, that'll be helpful.
 
NoahFence said:
So it seems Eastern Tennessee / Western North Carolina is going to be a madhouse.

Do we have any locals here that can offer up a tip on where to see this? I saw that Townshend TN isn't too far from Gatlinburgh so that was our plan A. Plan B was Sweetwater.

The roads in and around Smokey Mountain National Park are going to either be closed or bumper to bumper. That's right out until after the Eclipse. We'll visit the Smokies on Wednesday and Thursday....
Click to expand...

We are staying in Chattanooga Sunday and getting up early Monday to go somewhere in the path of totality. Thought about making the 2 hour drive to Nashville, but not certain yet. Still looking into different locations. Really have no idea what to expect.
 
(cross post to the more appropriate thread, here)

Blindness is the statistic I've been wondering about. The media is making it sound like "If you get even a glimpse of the sun, even in partial eclipse, it's going to burn your retinas out!"

There probably isn't a human on the planet that hasn't looked directly at the sun at one time or another. It's the frequency and duration of exposure that is the danger. I'll probably sneak a peek myself when close to totality, although I know that is likely the most dangerous time as it will be a temptation to look longer.

Plus, I don't want to confuse the total eclipse with my actually going blind! I will have proper equipment, thanks.

I'm mostly worried about kids, supervised or not who don't realize the danger.

I predict eye injuries in the thousands.
 
alfaniner said:
There probably isn't a human on the planet that hasn't looked directly at the sun at one time or another. It's the frequency and duration of exposure that is the danger.
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For a healthy adult (no idea about kids), it's actually pretty hard to permanently damage the naked eye with a normal sun. The pupils close down so that a lot less comes in. And the reaction mechanisms mean that most people don't want to do it for very long. Staring at a normal sun will cause damage, but many people eventually recover (sometimes months later).


I'll probably sneak a peek myself when close to totality, although I know that is likely the most dangerous time as it will be a temptation to look longer.
Click to expand...

Not only that, but with less light, your pupils open up more. While the entire eye is getting less light due to the obscuration, individual patches of your retina are getting more light. Your eye reacts to the total light, but not to spot heating/UV damage of the retina. Permanent retinal damage isn't going to happen with a quick peek. But it will happen faster watching a partial eclipse than it will from looking at the full sun.
 
alfaniner said:
(cross post to the more appropriate thread, here)

Blindness is the statistic I've been wondering about. The media is making it sound like "If you get even a glimpse of the sun, even in partial eclipse, it's going to burn your retinas out!"

There probably isn't a human on the planet that hasn't looked directly at the sun at one time or another. It's the frequency and duration of exposure that is the danger. I'll probably sneak a peek myself when close to totality, although I know that is likely the most dangerous time as it will be a temptation to look longer.

Plus, I don't want to confuse the total eclipse with my actually going blind! I will have proper equipment, thanks.

I'm mostly worried about kids, supervised or not who don't realize the danger.

I predict eye injuries in the thousands.
Click to expand...


I've read that the risk of eye injury is higher during an eclipse not only because of the temptation to look, but because the partially occluded sun isn't as bright overall, so the eye doesn't react (the pupil doesn't constrict) as much or as rapidly. So the effective viewing aperture is larger, and because the solar image is focused on the retina, the non-occluded portions of the image are brighter than ever.

I've never been able to clearly verify whether or not that's all actually true.

ETA: Ninja'd by BowlOfRed ;)
 
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alfaniner said:
(cross post to the more appropriate thread, here)

Blindness is the statistic I've been wondering about. The media is making it sound like "If you get even a glimpse of the sun, even in partial eclipse, it's going to burn your retinas out!"

There probably isn't a human on the planet that hasn't looked directly at the sun at one time or another. It's the frequency and duration of exposure that is the danger. I'll probably sneak a peek myself when close to totality, although I know that is likely the most dangerous time as it will be a temptation to look longer.

Plus, I don't want to confuse the total eclipse with my actually going blind! I will have proper equipment, thanks.

I'm mostly worried about kids, supervised or not who don't realize the danger.

I predict eye injuries in the thousands.
Click to expand...
The problem actually occurs when it is close to totality. People can stare at the Sun for longer than a few seconds without having to look away. They end up with permanent blind spots, not total blindness. When the Sun is mostly still exposed, you can't stare at it, your reflex is to turn away.

During totality, you can look.
 
So it seems Eastern Tennessee / Western North Carolina is going to be a madhouse.
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apparently wasn't the smartest time for me to ride the Smokies - lucky I booked early at $44 a night since the locals are making hay big time..

IyVhrXMoY8svWKqf9IeLw5UFjEXJjvoLFsRWPqjS6m2ci1GDJXFCO0S6sHEpwtciHR-jo7wAf55KcnKUG1VxQ7llgvOPZEjZ3UbXciJIPdOYKESsJ8Nokx0QfyiEy6T6fAdfMHQBiIK9XkbX6PXY-wJXzlV9Gqiv-DUO-l-LplE7JyZZT_N17C45ypFZBMwNGaHoY1CT7oByRMLXad8wsJ80cwPybBNQOllig2NY3xw0LlNglzUl7B6vWUT9_F61vewIJ4V2fK6MC1Ym7JX3oKjw4QSKBBZqtrZZZ9ccrdO5YETBrOfdMvDkLvGwEgTy71SlbR4_H9dpxrNyU6_PeLuC-K-iEkOXe7iUVQkcGiy-2epS9AkGINV8EaSI0ZUhFuc5lZk4TvvmgTqjlyZDcPReAvBBByFLHAXLEsfU9ac37M6_va-_OEO9gf7Yh6GpgsmTkQfLuFJ9g9OD3FAwyUZWf-L6vU1nxwtFOArP1c_wDGV65I2rURWclHD6B4OUNneIEKrEQoC7Da00a5SpyYlWD5U0w5SsgXqZxa-GJ3A47KQuax8DxiONDlYDJ9OmlN192e3KrtlRF5UCX86qc6_Qm9rJhgLaq9ZRgQTNLj7VC4xl5MLoeA=w749-h1040-no
 
mike81 said:
We are staying in Chattanooga Sunday and getting up early Monday to go somewhere in the path of totality. Thought about making the 2 hour drive to Nashville, but not certain yet. Still looking into different locations. Really have no idea what to expect.
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Just got off the phone with the Townsend visitor center. Seems they're opening up the field (and it's a BIG one) to us visitors. Good on them! Parking seems to be laughable but I could use a brisk walk anyway.
 
Met with students last night to review their flight planning for the ride to Triple Tree.

We're up to 17 people in 5 planes. 2 172s, 1 150, a Warrior, an Arrow, and a Debonair.

If the skies cooperate, we'll watch from the ground. If not 3 plane loads will climb above the clouds.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
This was posted at a nearby General Aviation airport:

[qimg]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4414/36408012402_0cb928c531_z.jpg[/qimg]

Rubs me the wrong way. Seems like a lost opportunity for public outreach.
Click to expand...

It would not surprise me if this was more of an airport security issue than just the facility just being thoughtless...
 
Fast Eddie B said:
This was posted at a nearby General Aviation airport:

[qimg]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4414/36408012402_0cb928c531_z.jpg[/qimg]

Rubs me the wrong way. Seems like a lost opportunity for public outreach.
Click to expand...

carlvs said:
It would not surprise me if this was more of an airport security issue than just the facility just being thoughtless...
Click to expand...



Security, safety... whichever.

Not a good idea to allow a horde of distracted folk, unaccustomed to airport ops, milling around a number of spinning propellers. :eek:

:p


I worked for years on a Naval Base and stood next to one of the busy tarmacs for smoke breaks. I could never feel comfortable standing anywhere inline with a helo's spinning tail rotor. Freaked me out.
Yeah... I'm just a big 'ol girl's blouse. :D
 
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