You know the difference between this eclipse and an imminent asteroid strike? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 09:02:39 am
content: Simple. Everyone is calm for the eclipse. You'd almost think it was the end of the world. People are traveling hundreds of miles for an event lasting ~1 hour, if you're lucky enough to be standing in the razor thin line of totality. What is going to be a total blast is the traffic in those areas as everyone that has been arriving over the course of several days all leave around 2 PM. I'm glad my state only has ~75% coverage and that I work nights!

author: Avacee
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 10:38:31 am
content: The UK had something similar in 1999. The Totality only occurred down in the extreme South West and in the days beforehand several million descended on Cornwall for an eclipse in the morning and then all tried to leave at the same time. Cornwall's two major routes in+out (A30 + A38) converge at the M5 Motorway. Each of those routes had traffic jams over 40 miles long and the minor roads were just as bad.For extra comedy value the weather was heavily overcast with broken clouds and while some got a good view many million saw nothingPersonally, I slept through the eclipse after going to out the night before and forgetting to set my alarm

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 11:11:58 am
content: I remember that. It was screwed all the way up to the A303/M3 junction because some muppet crashed at Stonehenge on the way back which was a pain as I was trying to get to Salisbury

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 12:13:05 pm
content: Ok, now keeping that in mind, remember that the British Isles are smaller than many states and the "route" of the eclipse crosses the entire country, crossing multiple states.I'm glad I'm sleeping through it.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 12:30:10 pm
content: If you miss it you can recreate the experience at home with a ping pong ball and a light bulbAdd beer to make it more interesting

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 12:38:47 pm
content: lol! I. Don't. Care.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 12:44:39 pm
content: Quote from: Avacee on August 21, 2017, 10:38:31 amThat's normal every Bank Holiday weekend for me by the M5. The amount of Brummies entering Weston-super-Mare on Friday is exacerbated by the usual chaos of workers leaving Bristol.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 02:19:52 pm
content: Living in London, I just stay in now. Less traffic

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 02:45:04 pm
content: Here in the Portland area, the traffic is rather lighter than normal. EXCEPT south on Interstate 5 to Salem where all the eclipse-mania is happening. They have been warning us about this for weeks. They brought in extra portable cell sites and even extra air traffic control towers.And the signs on the road all warn of heavy eclipse traffic and warn people to NOT park along the highways. This is especially a risk out in the hinterlands where dry brush can easily catch fire from someone parking in dry grass and their catalytic converter igniting a wildfire. All the emergency services are on hyper-alert. If nothing happens, it will be a good drill practice.Here in Hillsboro we will get 98% which is good enough for me. I can just stand up in my cubicle and see it out the window. The sun was glaring in my eyes on my drive into the office this morning, but I don't see the moon anywhere. As I understand it, it takes two to tango and so far, the moon is a no-show. Maybe it will sneak up on us from behind.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 04:04:51 pm
content: Quote from: Avacee on August 21, 2017, 10:38:31 amIdidsee it. !0 mins before I wasn't going to bother to go out and see the sky darken. I'm glad I did go out since the cloud opened ~5 mins before and closed ~5 mins after totality. Not a big holeI use that as a reminder that sometimes the obvious crap doesn't happen.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 04:28:19 pm
content: Watching live on Youtube, easiest way to do this, as I am half a planet away. Last partial eclipse by me just went outside with a welding helmet, an extra filter and watched it from the rooftop for the few minutes it was visible through the clouds.

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 04:29:42 pm
content: Wow, it started almost an hour before totality. The moon is slowly taking a bite out of the edge of the sun.Back when we had the last eclipse here (~40 years ago) one of the engineers brought a test wafer out of the fab when we all went out side to view the spectacle. Right at totality, he threw the wafer down on the rough pavement as an "offering to the gods" to bring the sun back. Ironically, the (typically quite fragile) wafer did NOT break, but the sun returned anyway.The engineer who "sacrificed" the wafer was Mark Bohr who is featured in this video...

author: WastelandTek
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 04:58:37 pm
content: Quite dark in the Puget Sound

author: 4CX35000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 05:23:35 pm
content: Quote from: Avacee on August 21, 2017, 10:38:31 amThe best view was from a camera inside a plane with dirty windows from what I recall.

author: BigBoss
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 05:33:14 pm
content: In 1999, total eclipse occured in Turkey then few days later an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 killed more than 40000 persons..After that earthquakes have gone on in different places of the world.There are some correlation between the earthquakes and fully eclipses but the scientists cannot express ..

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 05:50:06 pm
content: Quote from: BigBoss on August 21, 2017, 05:33:14 pmSnort!There is a strong, demonstrable, repeatable correlation between shoe size and spelling ability.

author: macboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 06:31:27 pm
content: Quote from: BigBoss on August 21, 2017, 05:33:14 pmI stubbed my big toe two days after that eclipse. Scientists have yet to explain why.

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 06:39:20 pm
content: It was pretty good here in MS. The Sun must have been 80-85% covered. I had an old piece of black 1/4" plate glass so I gave it a quick look and the Sun was just a thin cherry red crescent. I tried taking a photo but the glass was not that great optically and everything fogged up quickly from the humidity. I could have prepared better, but there will probably be billions of photos taken and the important thing was just to see it for real.

author: WastelandTek
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 06:49:37 pm
content: we stacked some fairly weak grinding goggles under my Miller auto helm cranked to 13 and were able to make comfortable observations, 93% here, no corona

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 07:07:26 pm
content: I viewed the eclipse from the outdoor dining area in my office building. At 98% it was very dramatically darker and cooler. And we saw very clear "shadow bands" although we didn't know what they were at the time.Ref:https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/what-are-shadow-bands

author: Howardlong
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 21, 2017, 07:32:44 pm
content: A flat earther treatise from theHouston ChronQuoteThat's cleared that up then, difficult to argue with that.

author: Syntax_Error
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 04:27:56 am
content: Well, I guess my reply will present quite a different tone than the others here:I got up at midnight and packed the kids in the car, drove all night/morning to reach Casper, Wyoming by 8:30, hung out for a bit and got a beautiful spot at the Event Center, as they call it. Watched the entire eclipse, observed totality naked-eyed, took photos with the kids during totality, had some good conversations, bought overpriced hats afterwards, ate lunch and ice cream, and drove the whole way home, battling some traffic through Wyoming. Just unpacked the car, and boy am I tired.Was it worth it?Beyond any doubt, yes. A mix of good, great, tiresome, irksome at times, and now, satisfaction, and soon, sleep.I'd do it again, and I'll wager my kids would/will someday with their kids as well. (I have no idea when the next solar eclipse is, so I can't be certain.)Good night, ladies and gentlemen. It has been a beautiful day.

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 05:18:41 am
content: I brought my scope with a solar filter to an eclipse party and we had a ball. There were hundreds, maybe close to 1000 people there. I'll bet 100 people got scope time on my scope alone. For many it was their very first time to see sunspots directly. It was a great opportunity to kibbitz and pique folks' interest in science.It was totally worth it, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 06:38:21 am
content: Here in New Jersey USA, we were not in the 100% path. But, it was an event that should be seen even if just to be able to say I saw it. On the other hand, my wife took advantage to go out for errands. She was right that the road would be empty and businesses were light during eclipse time and she was able to get what she wanted done all without waiting in line or fighting traffic.I made a pin-hole projection box with viewing windows to look at the image projected onto the bottom of a dark box. I was able to see the moon beginning to bite into the solar disc about 30-40 minutes before peak time. It was (by diameter) covering about 5-10% of it. As I fiddle with the box to get a better image, the covered part continued to increase. I watched on and off while I waited for peak.Just about 10 minute before peak, the cloud got too heavy and the sun was visible only occasionally - about once every couple of minutes. Between clouds, I was able to see around 80% (by diameter) covered. About 5 minutes after peak time, the clouds blocked the sun for the rest of the event.Given the on-and-off visibility, it was not much to see, but it was worth the time trying to view it even while it was just occasional peeks through the clouds.What was most striking astronomical event for me was the Hale-Bopp comet's last visit (1997). I was working late often then. Coming home with the dark sky, Hale-Bopp would be right ahead of me when I get out of the car to walk in to the house. It was somehow magical. I like to see that again but it wont be back for 2000+ years.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 08:20:38 am
content: As cool as it would be to experience totality, there is no way I'd want to deal with the traffic of traveling to an area that has it.If it happened in my city, then great, I'd check it out from my yard, and I'll just make sure to stay home and have the fridge stocked up ahead of time so I don't need to go out for a few days. Hopefully it would coincide with time off. But I'd avoid going anywhere. I hate dealing with traffic, or crowds.I managed to get some pictures, although kinda bad due to blur caused by my setup. (welding glass on telephoto lens)I need to invest in a better setup for this kind of thing. Would be cool to get venus transit and stuff at some point.

author: RGB255_0_0
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 08:26:50 am
content: If you have the opportunity to see a once-in-400-year event why not? These events get kids interested in something sciencey for 1 day.Also allows for stupid people to look directly at the sun and damage their eyes.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 08:29:09 am
content: Quote from: RGB255_0_0 on August 22, 2017, 08:26:50 amI know of a guy in Washington DC who did that.

author: MarkS
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 01:22:10 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on August 21, 2017, 07:32:44 pmI can understand the lack of electrical knowledge and can hardly blame them for that, however, how can two objects of equal size move into alignment in such a fashion as to totally block one from the other -- equally? They are either infinitely flat disks, spaced at an infinitely close distance to each other, or they somehow manage to "phase through" each other.

author: Jwalling
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 02:05:53 pm
content: Just for the heck of it, I took a couple of photos with my cell phone at about 64% totality in the New England area. I think the smaller (sub?) disk away from the sun and above is showing the occlusion!Don't know why this happened!

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 03:15:32 pm
content: Space aliens

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 03:24:36 pm
content: Quote from: Howardlong on August 21, 2017, 07:32:44 pmGoogling and Youtubing eclipse photos last evening, I was surprised at the enormous amount of flat-earth believers there are.How can anyone, in the XXI-century, still believe that?What sort of aberrant education did they receive?

author: Richard Crowley
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 04:30:38 pm
content: Quote from: schmitt trigger on August 22, 2017, 03:24:36 pmYou don't really want to open THAT can of worms, do you?The earth only looks "round" because of the fish-eye lens they use to take photos of it!

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 04:40:18 pm
content: Quote from: schmitt trigger on August 22, 2017, 03:24:36 pmThere is a continuum between perceptive rational thinking, average thinking, and madness; nothing is black and white.To me the surprise is that the human brain (usually) works as well as it does, and that we can achieve any commonality of understanding

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 04:54:27 pm
content: list of important up and coming north american events in 2017.large near-Earth asteroid, just in case you forget the eclipse.North Korea may be sending nuclear packages by rocket,on the 11 of september.china shipping maybe ramming more north american naval ships.G, Soros will be planning more civil unrest, so the News media has something to feed on.trying to get a new american civil war started.have I missed anything?

author: schmitt trigger
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 07:57:53 pm
content: An European acquaintance just emailed me a brand new one:During her youth living in the GDR, Angela Merkel was sent to an -undisclosed- Arab state, where she secretly became a Muslim.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 22, 2017, 09:51:10 pm
content: Quote from: Avacee on August 21, 2017, 10:38:31 amGuest houses and hotels also raised their prices, so many Brits went to Europe, where accommodation was cheaper.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2017, 01:08:47 am
content: Went down to visit friends and watched it in BFE, deep in the back woods of Kentucky.Very cool.Sky was nearly perfect, only a few wisps of cirrus clouds. Afternoon cumulus clouds were on the horizon but they left us alone!Saw three jets and a plane that were roughly on the same course. Some people got an "up close" view, it seems!Tim

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2017, 01:32:49 am
content: It will be interesting to see how much eye damage occurred from this eclipse. Here in Southern Oregon there was heavy smoke from forest fires. The scattering was sufficient that pinhole cameras did not work, but it was clearly not safe to watch bare eyed. I wonder if the people who planned to watch using pinhole and other similar projectors had the discipline to not look directly.It was worth breaking off for a few minutes to watch the 95% coverage. Dark and cooler, caused the wild turkeys to start heading back to their roosting area. Because of the smoke density required was only about 12. Still wasn't worth driving for.

author: LabSpokane
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2017, 03:16:17 am
content: Quote from: T3sl4co1l on August 23, 2017, 01:08:47 amTwo of those jets may have been the WB-57s that NASA was flying to take images of the corona. By chasing the eclipse they are able to film totality for 3X as long as a ground-based camera.

author: basinstreetdesign
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 23, 2017, 03:30:21 am
content: Here in Ontario, near London we got 75-80% totality. I just grabbed my 33 year old 3" Newtonian reflector telescope (cheapo mount and barrel but good optics) that had been doing nothing for QUITE a while and stuck that on the deck, pointed it at the sun and projected the image on the side of the house. The image was about 18" diameter and showed the disk, sunspots and all just fine. No corona, though - that was a shame. It was traveling across the wall at about 2"/minute. It was touch-and-go for a while whether we would get a break through the clouds but they cleared up just fine about 1/2 hr before the show started.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2017, 08:40:01 pm
content: Now that we are both retired, road trips are much more practical.We drove from Chicago to Columbia, MO (home of the University of Missouri) and stayed in a hotel across the street from a very nice city park (Cosmo Park) that had very good greenswards and nice people. Light overcast before totality, but the disc was clearly visible through eclipse glasses. It seemed to break just in time for totality, which gave a wonderful show (too bad the totality interval on this one was relatively short). Ten minutes or so after totality ended, a typical midwestern dark cloud totally covered the sun (one could not find it even with the naked eye), but there were breaks during the post-totality that allowed visibility through eclipse glasses.

author: T3sl4co1l
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2017, 07:14:56 am
content: Wow, you got lucky -- I heard MO got pretty much screwed!Tim

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2017, 01:12:49 pm
content: Kansas City, MO (well west of Columbia) actually had flooding.