# Total Eclipse of the ?? (Heart) .. no the sun



## Road Guy (Aug 14, 2017)

So is this worth taking a day off and driving up to Wyoming (or where ever you are at) to see along with a few hundred thousand other people?

My (HS) kids all want to go but I think they just want to skip school..


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## engineergurl (Aug 14, 2017)

Well there is another one occurring in 2024 that will be visible in the US again, it's not like they have to wait 38 years...  but really, I think it would be cool to go see... cause you know, science


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## Flyer_PE (Aug 14, 2017)

We're going to travel to SE Missouri to watch it.  It's not the only reason we're going though.  My mother's house is 30 miles South of dead center and my kid starts school next Wednesday so it's also the last Summer trip to see grandma.


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## DoctorWho-PE (Aug 14, 2017)

We are going to NE to see it, but again, In laws live there (although we will need to travel a bit from house to get to path of totality) and kids don't start school until Wednesday.  I think we would have taken them out of school if it had started already.  I'm a mean mom and plan to make my older kid do a report on the eclipse.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 14, 2017)

We aren't exactly dead center but will to see enough.  School will already be in session (starts tomorrow) so no ditching school.


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## Dleg (Aug 14, 2017)

If I was in the lower 48, I would definitely take the kids out of school to go see it.


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## Supe (Aug 14, 2017)

Am I the only person not remotely interested in the eclipse?


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## Road Guy (Aug 14, 2017)

yes cause even amazon is out of them glasses!


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## Supe (Aug 14, 2017)

Even if I was interested, I've got enough welding hoods to take care of that without buying f*cking glasses.


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## Road Guy (Aug 14, 2017)

^- that would be one way to save $5.00!

So what I was getting at &amp; based on this map I have my answer but from Denver I should be in 85% obscuration (whatever the F that means) so I just don't think its worth the traffic jam to get to an area where its going to be 95%?


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## Supe (Aug 14, 2017)

A bunch of the engineers that sit behind me are convening in the aisles talking about taking time off to drive about 20 minutes south so they get 100% instead of 98%.

Would it be bad if I reported them to HR?  I mean, if I can get six of them axed, that should more than cover the cost of them continuing to pay me, right?


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## Dleg (Aug 14, 2017)

I've seen several 80-90+ percent eclipses and they aren't anything like 100%.  I've even seen a 100% "annular" eclipse, where the moon is a little too far away and lets a whole ring of sunlight around.  They're pretty lame, actually.  IMO you should really go see this, as it might be your best chance.  I am not sure I will ever get a chance like this, and if I was in denver I'd be on the road.


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## mudpuppy (Aug 14, 2017)

I've gone back and forth on this.  We were originally going to spend the long weekend around SE Tennessee/SW North Carolina.  We've since canceled those plans with all the money we've spent on the cancer treatment for the dog we don't really want to spend the money for a chance it might be cloudy for the two minutes of totality.

I wanted to be there the day before and after, because the last place I want to be is in a giant traffic jam the day of.


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## User1 (Aug 14, 2017)

It's been super hazy here (seattle) from BC wildfires but a lot of people are heading down to oregon for 100%. I'm just going to walk to the waterfront because I need to be working 50 hour weeks and somehow the eclipse isn't gonna let me do that if I try to go in insane traffic southbound. we'll get about 94% here, so that will just have to suffice for me. 

serious question - the reason for the glasses and such is bc youre not supposed to look directly at the sun, right? like, if i do today ill see spots so you just dont wanna stare directly at it because ouch? or is it actually more intense bc of the high contrast with the moon?


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## Dleg (Aug 14, 2017)

No it's just because the sun is dangerously bright all the time, even if you can only see a sliver of it.


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## User1 (Aug 14, 2017)

Dleg said:


> No it's just because the sun is dangerously bright all the time, even if you can only see a sliver of it.


that's what i thought thanks!


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## ptatohed (Aug 14, 2017)

So, southern CA is green which, according to the legend, is greater than 0% but less than 85% obscuration.  Gee thanks, that helps a lot.   :wacko:


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## leggo PE (Aug 14, 2017)

I'm in an area that isn't getting any of it either (cut off on that map), so I'll be skipping it. Though if I were near to somewhere getting 100%, I'd probably try to check it out!


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## Supe (Aug 15, 2017)

They're already putting up traffic warnings on the highway for this damn thing.  Starting to hate it more already!


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## kevo_55 (Aug 15, 2017)

If you are lazy and just want to watch it at work:

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream


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## Flyer_PE (Aug 15, 2017)

If I didn't have a free room and another reason to go there, I'd probably just see what I could from here.  Some guys in the flying club are planning to take a couple of the planes to a little airport in southern IL to watch it.


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## Supe (Aug 15, 2017)

#14 welding lenses for sale from my personal collection.  Only $100 each for a once in a lifetime opportunity!  $300 buys the entire head gear!


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## cement (Aug 15, 2017)

At CDOT we're treating it like a major holiday and prohibiting lane closures on our construction projects.


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## Road Guy (Aug 16, 2017)

Be honest y'all never met an overextended lane closure you didn't like....


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## snickerd3 (Aug 16, 2017)

Minisnicks school is making the eclipse an in-school field trip of sorts.  They bought viewing glasses and lesson plan to go with and sent home a permission slip.  No signature no outside during the eclipse.


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## Supe (Aug 16, 2017)

All inclusive eclipse package now available! 

$300 for welding helmet with headgear, or $800 (best value) includes 98% partially guaranteed viewing experience! 

The Eclipse Experience includes parking either in my driveway or in front of my house, and your choice of Premium (folding chair in my driveway) or Premium Select (add $100, folding chair on my back deck).  Both packages include choice of pickled herring or sardines, and all-you-can-drink tap water (cubed and crushed ice available upon request).


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 16, 2017)

Supe said:


> All inclusive eclipse package now available!
> 
> $300 for welding helmet with headgear, or $800 (best value) includes 98% partially guaranteed viewing experience!
> 
> The Eclipse Experience includes parking either in my driveway or in front of my house, and your choice of Premium (folding chair in my driveway) or Premium Select (add $100, folding chair on my back deck).  Both packages include choice of pickled herring or sardines, and all-you-can-drink tap water (cubed and crushed ice available upon request).


I think @Road Guy is trying to undercut your sale on FB. LOL

Do you have any gluten free options and/or will (good) beer be available?


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## Supe (Aug 16, 2017)

Water is gluten free.

Sure, you could go see it in Colorado, though technically you'll see it on the east coast first.  And if you ain't first, you're last!


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## snickerd3 (Aug 16, 2017)

Supe said:


> Water is gluten free.
> 
> Sure, you could go see it in Colorado, though technically you'll see it on the east coast first.  And if you ain't first, you're last!


i thought it was first to be seen in Oregon???


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## Road Guy (Aug 16, 2017)

People in our area are going crazy cause they didn't buy any of those stupid glasses and now just about everywhere is sold out. I whish I had bought the whole box I saw at home depot a few months ago.  Would be hustling the shit out of them.

also lots of people leaving their kids home from school o their kids don't go blind looking at the sun (must be the ones from Cali)


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## Ble_PE (Aug 16, 2017)

snickerd3 said:


> Minisnicks school is making the eclipse an in-school field trip of sorts.  They bought viewing glasses and lesson plan to go with and sent home a permission slip.  No signature no outside during the eclipse.


Same thing for our kids' school.


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## Dleg (Aug 17, 2017)

I've got a hydrogen alpha solar telescope I can rent for the bargain price of $2,000 for the event, and a regular telescope fitted with a white light solar filter for $1,000  .  Way better than welding goggles or cheapo solar glasses!


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## ruggercsc (Aug 17, 2017)

It is a real big deal here in Nashville.  Schools are out, bars with outside decks have waiting lists, and crowds equivalent to the Stanley Cup playoffs and CMA fest are expected.   We are strongly encouraged to work from home that day.  Our company tried to obtain the glasses, but it fell through.  I order some goggles from Amazon a couple of weeks ago, but grabbed a couple a pairs at Kroger for $2 each when I saw them  (they quickly sell out).  I am glad I did because the Amazon order fell through.  My S.O. and our dogs will be going to the large park down the street on Monday with our glasses  and lunch to enjoy the eclipse.


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## Ble_PE (Aug 18, 2017)

Well, my chances of seeing the eclipse just went up in smoke. I have to go to Maryland for a design review on Monday and I'll be in a conference room going through drawings all afternoon... That sucks!


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## Road Guy (Aug 18, 2017)

well at least you wont have to worry about melting your retinas looking at the sun!


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## MA_PE (Aug 18, 2017)

I'll see it in the time-lapse photography on the news.


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## goodal (Aug 18, 2017)

We just happen to be in the 100% zone so we are going to take a long lunch and see it with the kiddos (who are out of school due to this).  Honestly though, if I had to take off work or drive over an hour to see it, I would just give it a passing glance.  I think there are two types of people: those that will make a day/night of it, spend mucho dineros and have planned on it for a long time and then those that couldn't really care less.  I fit into to the latter group pretty good.


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## Ble_PE (Aug 18, 2017)

I wasn't planning on anything special, but I was looking forward to watching it. We're supposed to be around 97% coverage here, so almost a total eclipse. At least the kids will get to see it.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 18, 2017)

depending on where i look, some sources say we will see 97% others say 90% so who knows what we will actually see.


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## Road Guy (Aug 18, 2017)

I have decided that I am going to pass on making the drive to Wyoming,  its normally a train wreck heading there on a normal weekend when its just north Denver trying to go camping.


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## MA_PE (Aug 18, 2017)

A relative is going to a wedding in Nashville this weekend and due some unforeseen events ended up needing a hotel room for Sunday at the last minute.  Looking online virtually everything is sold out except for high end hotels asking $500-600+ for the night apparently because Nashville is in the 100% path and people are going nuts.  Fortunately he managed to get some accommodations but WOW.  I used Orbitz and the cheapest room offering was&gt;$500 last night.


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## Road Guy (Aug 18, 2017)

Dude on our neighborhood website is getting roasted (on Nextdoor) for this....lols....


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## P-E (Aug 18, 2017)

I'd rather spend that on beer.


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## MA_PE (Aug 20, 2017)

$100 worth of beer and a TV/Computer to watch it sounds like a good deal to me.


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## jeb6294 (Aug 21, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> Dude on our neighborhood website is getting roasted (on Nextdoor) for this....lols....


People are assholes.  There are some doing the same thing here.  The libraries and local observatory were giving them away for free.  You know those a-holes went in and grabbed a stack of them figuring they'd put them on eBay or Craigslist.


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## Supe (Aug 21, 2017)

If I had known it'd be like this, I'd have bought a case, taken the day off work, and sold them off the side of I-85 in SC.


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## Road Guy (Aug 21, 2017)

This was just before 6 am here - reverse traffic heading up to Wyoming!  

Wife and oldest son left at 4 am and texted me that it's insane and totally not with it (thus far)


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## leggo PE (Aug 21, 2017)

Apparently I'm in a 75% coverage zone. But it's overcast anyway.


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## MA_PE (Aug 21, 2017)

a relative just checked out of his hotel in Nashville and they gave him a voucher for two free sets of eclipse glasses.  He had  the day off and his plan was to fly from Nashville home to DC and go watch the eclipse.  His flight was supposed to leave at 10AM so he had time to get home before it.  Well, the airlines used the eclipse to blame for his flight delay of 2+ hours.  He's stuck at the Nashville airport and it looks like the day was a complete bust.

Really?!? flight delays because of the eclipse?!!.  pretty sad.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 21, 2017)

that is sad.  flights land at night, at dusk, at sunrise all the time.  The crew on the ground just want to be see it.


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## Road Guy (Aug 21, 2017)

snuck out and took a look, have to admit it was pretty cool looking maybe 10% coverage - sad thing is now like 10 coworkers know I have the glasses and want to "borrow them"


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## Supe (Aug 21, 2017)

Big ass cloud hovering overhead right now, LOL.


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## Road Guy (Aug 21, 2017)

Not sure what this means...

things about 90% covered and it still pretty light out..


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## MA_PE (Aug 21, 2017)

why does it look like a snake?


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## leggo PE (Aug 21, 2017)

One coworker of mine had the glasses and gladly shared them with us. Another had these awesome binoculars (he's engaged to an astronomy teacher) and he lent them around also. Not to strangers, but to our firm's staff that asked. I got a look through both. Even 75% coverage was pretty cool!


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## matt267 PE (Aug 21, 2017)

I have a yellow sticky note with a hole in it.


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## Road Guy (Aug 21, 2017)

Heads up east coast the sun has split into two pieces ...


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## Supe (Aug 21, 2017)

That's just a mirage from the sun reflecting off the moon, which like the earth, is flat.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 21, 2017)

big ass cloud  over us...thought it would get dark...but it was just like a cloudy day,  The pin hole method didn't really work


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## Jbone27 PE (Aug 21, 2017)

Pin hole method worked great here. Clear skys probably helped. Made the hole really small at first and didnt do much. Went to 1/8" and was great. A bunch of folks brought welding lenses to office as well. I thought it was a pretty cool experience.


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## ruggercsc (Aug 21, 2017)

Watched eclipse from our driveway in lawn chairs.  We had about 45 seconds of totality.  We had a cloud that broke about 7 or 8 minutes from totality.  Downtown Nashville, where there are thousands of people, had a cloud over it for the totality.  I am glad we stayed put.  It was pretty cool seeing the totality and the diamond ring, beads, aurora around the blacked out sun.

I can give someone a deal on some slightly used eclipse glasses.


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## MetsFan (Aug 21, 2017)

This is what we got to see in MA


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## MetsFan (Aug 21, 2017)




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## Road Guy (Aug 21, 2017)

the previous pic is a good one, I couldn't get my phone through the eclipse glasses to work out as well as I would have hoped.


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## MetsFan (Aug 21, 2017)

Yeah, it wasn't working for me either, but then a co-worker told me to put it in manual mode to raise the ISO level and make the shutter speed faster.


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## kevo_55 (Aug 21, 2017)

We got rain when we should have had our peak.

I just watched it on NASA's stream.


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## roadwreck (Aug 21, 2017)

I took the day off and drove up to the Georgia-South Carolina border (normally only an hour north of Atlanta) to see the totality.  It took us closer to 2 hours to get there.  Waze took us the scenic route taking backroads so the drive wasn't terrible.  

Taking the day off and driving 3 hours (2 up and 1 back down) was totally worth it.  Totality is really cool.  The lead up to the eclipse is cool, but it's nothing compared to being able to look directly at the sun (with no glasses) during the full eclipse and seeing the corona around the moon.  Crazy.  In some respects I sort of wish I'd taken my DSLR so I could have tried to take some pictures, but I'm also glad I wasn't messing with my camera during the full eclipse because it only lasted a minute and it was really cool to watch.  It's an experience I'm glad I took the time to enjoy and would totally do it again given the opportunity.


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## Road Guy (Aug 21, 2017)

check out some of these traffic maps.. my wife said traffic hasn't moved in almost an hour and it looks like one of those movies where people are trying to escape the meteor strike -people camped out on the side of the road waiting it out.. said the small town they were in was even out of gas most places..


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## roadwreck (Aug 21, 2017)

Yea, sticking to the interstate the whole way up would have been miserable.  Fortunately we were off on country roads and were moving.  Driving through cow pastures and small towns is at least interesting even if it's the long way to go.  We stopped just south of the GA/SC border, so we were on the southern side of the totality, and once it was over hopped quickly back on the road heading south to get ahead of the rest of the folks who were north of us and heading back to town.  Only took us an hour to get back home.


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## Road Guy (Aug 21, 2017)

that's not too bad..

there's really only 2 roads that head north from Denver to Casper in all honesty.  She went over closer to Laramie which was "supposed" to have less people than the Casper area but it was still pretty bad. There is a road that cuts through down to Fort Collins from there but she said it looked worse.. They haven't been able to send any pics cause there just aint much damn service in that part of the world!


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## wilheldp_PE (Aug 21, 2017)

We got about 98% totality in Louisville.  One guy had approved glasses and shared them with the 4 or 5 of us that were interested in seeing it.  At the height of it, it was a weird kind of dark outside.  Kinda like dusk, but with the sun at that angle, it didn't look like dusk.  Also, 2% of the sun puts out a surprising amount of light.  At 98%, I was expecting it to be pretty dark, but it really wasn't.


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## roadwreck (Aug 21, 2017)

These are a friend's photos of the totality.  That's really what it looks like, no filters or camera tricks.  The difference between 98% and 100% is indescribable.  Believe me, I was a skeptic and this morning when I saw all the traffic I kind of thought since we'd get 98% here at home that it probably wouldn't be worth it to see 100%.  I was so wrong.  It's incredible to look up at the "sun" and look directly at it (without glasses) and to see the corona around the moon is mesmerizing.  It looks like the moon is on fire.  It's just crazy to see.  And to see stars in the middle of the day.  It's really crazy.


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## Supe (Aug 22, 2017)

98% where I was, was very meh.

Buddy of mine lives in the boonies of NC, and I guess either apple or google maps was trying to reroute people through his front yard to help skirt traffic.  He said it was such a parking lot, he actually had people begging to use his bathroom.  The Mrs. and Junior went to SC to her father's house to watch, which is just under two hours away.  Took them 5 hours to get home, and that was leaving around 7PM.


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## goodal (Aug 22, 2017)

We saw 100% in Paducah, Ky.  This is the best my iphone with the special glasses held over it could do.  Went very dark and cicadas started up instantly.  The most unexpected things was the shadows of the moon craters whizzing by.  It was very noticeable on a white surface.


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## Supe (Aug 22, 2017)

Cicadas didn't do much, but birds went absolutely batshit.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 22, 2017)

car alarms in the parking lot were going off at the time of totality...and not near each other.  it was weird


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## ruggercsc (Aug 22, 2017)

At totality you could hear the cicada's, crickets, and all the streetlights started flickering.  I didn't notice the birds.


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## MA_PE (Aug 22, 2017)

So relative trying to get out of Nashville yesterday ended up bwing at the airport for 9 hours and sitting on the tarmac in 2 3 hour shifts before his flight got cancelled altogether and no he did not get to see the eclipse.  He was supposed to leave at 10AM and they jerked him around until they officially cancelled at 7:00PM.  supposedly they were in line to take off but were left stranded on the tarmac by air traffic control until the flight crew timed out for fatigue regulations.  Of course the flight cost was 3X the normal because of the eclipse rush.  He was not pleased.


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## jeb6294 (Aug 22, 2017)

We're going to be close to all the chaos during the next eclipse in 2024.  The west side of Cincinnati is going to be on the southern limit of the total eclipse.  The center will be just south of Indianapolis so hopefully most people will be trying to camp out over there.  Guess I should buy up all the leftover eclipse glasses now so I'll be ready to gouge people in 7 years.


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## Flyer_PE (Aug 22, 2017)

It was worth the trip to see it.  Cape Girardeau opened up their brand new shiny "Sportsplex" and offered free parking for the event.  The building was air conditioned with bathrooms and food service.  The parking lot was full but not over-crowded and the drive back to my mother's house was normal.  I have no idea how nuts it was in Perryville (center-line) but the traffic heading there didn't seem abnormally heavy from our vantage point.

We started driving North three hours after it was over and didn't hit any traffic until we were 30 miles North of St. Louis on I-55.  Don't know if the congestion was eclipse related or an accident but it kept getting worse so we wound up taking back roads to get to our hotel in Springfield.  Drove the rest of the way home today.

The center-line of the next one goes right over my sister's house.  We're planning to watch it from their deck.


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## Dleg (Aug 22, 2017)

Here's the partial eclipse as viewed from the village of Birch Creek, Alaska, almost on the Arctic Circle.  The clouds were just perfect for looking at it without eclipse glasses.  (ow, my eyes!!!)


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## snickerd3 (Aug 23, 2017)

Flyer_PE said:


> It was worth the trip to see it.  Cape Girardeau opened up their brand new shiny "Sportsplex" and offered free parking for the event.  The building was air conditioned with bathrooms and food service.  The parking lot was full but not over-crowded and the drive back to my mother's house was normal.  I have no idea how nuts it was in Perryville (center-line) but the traffic heading there didn't seem abnormally heavy from our vantage point.
> 
> We started driving North three hours after it was over and didn't hit any traffic until we were 30 miles North of St. Louis on I-55.  *Don't know if the congestion was eclipse related or an acciden*t but it kept getting worse so we wound up taking back roads to get to our hotel in Springfield.  Drove the rest of the way home today.
> 
> The center-line of the next one goes right over my sister's house.  We're planning to watch it from their deck.


both. mr snick was driving back from working closer to STL and there were at LEAST 3 accidents in the stretch of 30 miles or so.  

You drove right past us then at exit #52.


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## Flyer_PE (Aug 23, 2017)

^We left the interstate at Mt. Olive and continued North on IL-4.  Not a bad drive if you're not in a hurry.


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## User1 (Aug 23, 2017)

Flyer_PE said:


> It was worth the trip to see it.  Cape Girardeau opened up their brand new shiny "Sportsplex" and offered free parking for the event.  The building was air conditioned with bathrooms and food service.  The parking lot was full but not over-crowded and the drive back to my mother's house was normal.  I have no idea how nuts it was in Perryville (center-line) but the traffic heading there didn't seem abnormally heavy from our vantage point.
> 
> We started driving North three hours after it was over and didn't hit any traffic until we were 30 miles North of St. Louis on I-55.  Don't know if the congestion was eclipse related or an accident but it kept getting worse so we wound up taking back roads to get to our hotel in Springfield.  Drove the rest of the way home today.
> 
> The center-line of the next one goes right over my sister's house.  We're planning to watch it from their deck.


But did you have a horseshoe or head west while in Springfield?


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## snickerd3 (Aug 23, 2017)

thejulie_PE said:


> But did you have a horseshoe or head west while in Springfield?


he was too busy at the state fair...looking at the butter cow and deep fried junk food


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## Flyer_PE (Aug 23, 2017)

snickerd3 said:


> he was too busy at the state fair...looking at the butter cow and deep fried junk food


^Where else can you get Moink Balls on a stick?


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## frazil (Aug 23, 2017)

jeb6294 said:


> We're going to be close to all the chaos during the next eclipse in 2024.  The west side of Cincinnati is going to be on the southern limit of the total eclipse.  The center will be just south of Indianapolis so hopefully most people will be trying to camp out over there.  Guess I should buy up all the leftover eclipse glasses now so I'll be ready to gouge people in 7 years.


We're also near the region of totality for the next one (Vermont).  I'll start renting out tent spaces in the field now.


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## knight1fox3 (Aug 23, 2017)

frazil said:


> We're also near the region of totality for the next one (Vermont).  I'll start renting out tent spaces in the field now.


Also charge extra for a petting zoo!  You could also sell cups of feed so people can feed the goats. This is a gold mine!


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## csb (Aug 25, 2017)

frazil said:


> We're also near the region of totality for the next one (Vermont).  I'll start renting out tent spaces in the field now.


We're planning to watch that one at L.L. Cote's. Come join us!


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## MGX (Aug 25, 2017)

Took the wife and kids to Casper, WY on top of Casper Mtn. Great view and apparently the american astronomical union had a conference in town and Monday was the last day having the eclipse be the end of the conference. Got to learn a lot more than I bargained for from some really smart people there.

It got chilly fast once the totality started, temperatures dropped from 70 to 60 almost instantly when the suns rays weren't hitting the Earth. I could imagine the earth freezing over in hours if the sun weren't warming it. Like others have said there is a massive difference between 99% and 100% occulted. Once the moon covered up the sun the corona was amazingly beautiful but none of our cameras could capture it.


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## frazil (Aug 25, 2017)

Thats really cool mgx.  I have a friend who was also in casper.  Glad it was a good show.


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## Road Guy (Aug 26, 2017)

Once upon a time there was light in my heart. But now  there's only blah blah blah. Blah


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## User1 (Aug 26, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> Once upon a time there was light in my heart. But now  there's only blah blah blah. Blah


Cheers!


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