August 21 Solar Eclipse

[The Bridge Guy]

Probably sitting in traffic, "they" say to expect one million visitors in Oregon. I'm going to have to settle for the 99.4% version.

[bironi]

I'll probably follow it mostly via the NASA site, but will step outside at home during the main event here. It would be great to see stars and sunrise/sunset all around the horizon in just the right spot. Next life.

[j44ke]

Something eerie about the similarities here....

New Yawk City baby!

A while ago,I walked into a coffee shop over on 20th just as a guy was walking out. He and I had the same glasses, same shirt, same type of backpack, similar shoes and pants, goatee, lack of hair and overall build. What's more, we both stopped and pointed at each other and said "It's you!" Would have been spooky except that it was hilarious. There are certain other New Yorkers I'd rather not resemble, but so far my tribe seems to be good people.

[Tom]

When I was a kid my mom and four of my sibs went up to the Gaspe Peninsula to see the one. Six people in a Pontiac station wagon barreling down the road all six of us looking at the sky to find an opening in the clouds until "Now!" and we skidded to a stop and jumped out. The wall of dark coming down the St. Lawrence was one of the more amazing things I've ever seen. The birds all went quiet. I can't actually pull up a mental picture of the sun during it but that wall I remember vividly.

My dad and my brother went to the one in Virginia. My brother did some research on the shadow bands and that was his first published article, in Sky and Telescope, if I remember correctly. He was in his teens and still wanted to be an astronomer. Now he's just a world renowned developmental biologist.

[rowdyhillrambler]

100% totality in cookeville, tn!!! Expecting 30k people here. We are having beer on the rooftop, after a ride... my shop is in town, Specially brewed Red Silo eclipse IPA on tap. Snacks

3 stories up, you have to climb an extension ladder, rappel down, seriously nothing can go wrong here.

[abbeyQ]

They are predicting absolute pandemonium in Central Oregon for the Eclipse, supposedly one of the best places in the country to see it. However the smoke from fires is likely going to ruin a good time. I'll be on another continent and will miss all of the chaos.

[makoti]

Probably sitting in traffic, "they" say to expect one million visitors in Oregon. I'm going to have to settle for the 99.4% version.

I apologize in advance. I'll be one of those million. Coming in from DC to Seattle & staying in Corvallis with friends of my GF. I'm hoping they have a backyard, balcony, rooftop - anything to keep us from venturing out in the throngs.

[Bob Ross]

The B&B where we'll be staying just sent out this email to all their guests:

"All these extra people will create a number of challenges in and around town. There may be traffic and parking issues in town, and you may experience waiting lists at various restaurants. It is suggested that you pre-purchase your favorite snacks and other food/beverage items and bring with you as there may be a possible shortage at our grocery stores. It is recommended as soon as you get here you fill your vehicle with gasoline."

Mayhem!

[summilux]

I saw the total in Toronto '93 or '94. I was working downtown and we all went outside to look. We were science people and we exposed and processed some X-ray film so we could safely view it. We didn't really have the internet back then to tell us what a dumb idea this was and most of us had sore eyes the next day. Like Jorn I remember how eerily quiet everything got and I remember it getting cold. It was quite the experience.

[Ras72]

Here an interesting website. Solar Eclipse Map: See How the Eclipse Will Look Near You | Time.com
Simply type in your location or zip code and press play. It depicts the motion of the eclipse from that given location.

[summilux]

Apparently solar glasses are out of stock everywhere. Safe and cheap way to look indirectly at the eclipse:

http://wwwcache.wral.com/asset/lifes...-5bs6v7t9v.pdf

[David Tollefson]

Or a pinhole camera...
https://www.facebook.com/theboyscout...4268815655017/

[sonicw]

I will be in Wyoming in Grand Teton to see it. Hope I can find a nice spot

[classtimesailer]

I'll be in my classroom here in L.A. The kids will be on a 3 hour lockdown and not allowed outside from 9am to noon -- UNLESS they have a signed waiver and a pair of eclipse watching glasses -- And then they will be escorted by an adult to the football field for the spectacle. Any classes held in bungalows (trailers) will be relocated to a building that has restrooms. I'm not kidding.

[j44ke]

Who is in charge of sacrificing a goat to avoid angering the gods so the sun comes back on?

I'll be in my classroom here in L.A. The kids will be on a 3 hour lockdown and not allowed outside from 9am to noon -- UNLESS they have a signed waiver and a pair of eclipse watching glasses -- And then they will be escorted by an adult to the football field for the spectacle. Any classes held in bungalows (trailers) will be relocated to a building that has restrooms. I'm not kidding.

[rwsaunders]

Even my thermostat is taking part in the festivities.

[mzilliox]

Its stupid here in Grants Pass, can;t go grocery shopping, can't drive into town, can't get gas, its all an hour wait or more. I was having issue installing my power meter and was going to run it to the shop, then tried, and turned around and came home to figure it out. its terrible out there, and the grocery store parking is filled with CA plates. i cannot wait until tuesday. people keep asking me:
"Are you gonna watch the eclipse?"

Im like what the fuck do you think, im a human being who will be awake and everyone else won't give me a choice, of course if my eyes are open and im conscious, ill be watching it. are you hiding in a corner for it? cmon. its just nature, nature offers up way more interesting things if you bother to spend some time there. this is nothing special at all, just a day, and we will all be the same after its done. i really do not understand at all, but then i don;t get why Bruno Mars is popular either.

[Too Tall]

Ready to rock in 20895. While not in the path of totality, it's going to be awesome. Personally, I'm hoping to ascend to the astral plane.
This is my binocular and shadow box setup. This will resolve a really crisp image. Neighbors and local kids are excited, me too.

binoc1.jpg

A little Sun Ra to go with

[j44ke]

Headed to Central Park for a picnic lunch with my wife, probably a bit of a sunburn and a 70% of the eclipse.

Amazon sent us a note that said our welding goggles were not "certified" for eclipse viewing, but every scientist I've spoken to personally AND NASA! says #14 welding glass is plenty safe. However, my wife was not convinced (am I the only person left who believes in science?) so I spent the last few days finding and buying the last certified paper glasses for eclipse viewing in America so my wife and Amazon would feel better about the whole thing.

[rwsaunders]

Fine tuning my "solar eclipse selfie stick with polarized lens attached via rubber bands" device...patents applied for. Jorn...your wife is attorney. Don't you know by now that there is no black and white to an attorney and that the two most common words in an attorney's vocabulary are "it depends"?