Solar Eclipse...

[MossRoad]

Many years back we had a pretty good eclipse here. My kids made the pinhole viewers out of cereal boxes. Our 31 year old lives in the path for this one coming up. They posted a picture that they still have the box viewer and are planning to use it.

 

[5030]

Better to have a 'pinhole viewer' than being a pin head and getting your retina's cooked.

 

[MossRoad]

Better to have a 'pinhole viewer' than being a pin head and getting your retina's cooked.

 

[dmccarty]

We had a full eclipse 5-7 years ago which was amazing to see. I think I saw one in grade school because I remember making the pin hole viewer. The eclipse I saw as an adult had a bigger impact on me. One could understand how an eclipse would freak people out who did not know that the sun would return.

 

[JeepHead]

I'm in the path of totality as well, something like almost 4 minutes worth.. The University has told us to stay home that day with pay which is nice. Officials in my area are expecting to be bombarded with up to 400K people coming into our county that has a population of 60K. They said to expect highways to be completely shut down from traffic and possibly even people pulling over and staying long periods on the side of the road.
I will make sure to have plenty of fuel for everything, plenty of food and BEER, so that I do not have to leave the ranch for days....
A friend rented out his regular old home for $20K those 4 days to people wanting to be apart of the eclipse. Crazy!

 

[CH4Ohio]

It's a shadow. Who the F cares.
We're going to be right under it.
All the motels have been booked for ages.
I hope it's cloudy that day.
It's going to be the third biggest disappointment here after the newly wed wife's husband and the Niagara Falls.

If it's not cloudy, it's an amazing thing. Maybe you're confusing this with a PARTIAL eclipse.

Either way, the temp will immediately drop noticably. The afternoon will suddenly get twilight dark with eerie colorings. Stars will be visible in the afternoon.

Quite a cooincidence of nature that the moon currently is just the right size to block the disc of the sun.

Wars have ended due to eclipses. The Emperor of China had all his imperial astronomers beheaded because they failed to predict and warn the country about an eclipse.

Einstein's theory of relativity was finally validated when scientists travelled to a remote region to view an eclipse and observe that the light from a star BEHIND the sun was bent by the sun's gravity and visible during the eclipse. This is the only way that they could point a telescope at the sun (during totatlity) and view the corona and nearby stars. This was the event that finally made Einstein the most famous physicist in the world and put him on the front pages across the world.

People travel all over the world to see them. If you really aren't at all interested, you have no imagination, curiosity, or appreciation of the magnificence of nature. I hope you don't infect any young people around you with your indifference. Most people throughout history never see a total eclipse in their lifetimes. My parents and their parents never saw one. There hasn't been one visible here in over 218 years. (1806, three years after Ohio became a state.) The ability to predict them has been around for several thousand years. The ability for most people to travel to see one is very recent. This is likely a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people. If there's clear weather you'd be a fool not to experience it.

 

[CH4Ohio]

We had a full eclipse 5-7 years ago which was amazing to see. I think I saw one in grade school because I remember making the pin hole viewer. The eclipse I saw as an adult had a bigger impact on me. One could understand how an eclipse would freak people out who did not know that the sun would return.

The one you saw in grade school was probably a PARTIAL eclipse. We always made viewers for them too but there's just no comparison. It does not get darker during a partial eclipse -- the sun is still too bright to look at and still illuminates the Earth. They happen quite often really.

The one you saw in 2017 was the TOTAL eclipse in August. Thus the "bigger impact". We were able to travel to see that one. You use your glasses or a viewer to watch the moon move across the disc of the sun and then you see the classic "diamond ring" effect and can take your glasses off for a few minutes. AMAZING is right!

 

[Jstpssng]

Back when rock band "Phish" had what was supposed to be their last concert in 2003 or so, I happened to be working in a nearby town. I went home on Friday and when I got back heard all sorts of stories. People were leaving their cars on the interstate and walking, without worrying about how it would be when they got back.

Some of the warnings around here remind me of that. The eclipse will be right in the middle of mud season and authorities expect people to be looking for places to camp.

I look after ground which is right in the target area, it'll be interesting to see how many people have to get "rescued."

 

[CH4Ohio]

The details vary based on your location. Just referencing Ohio here and just for general context . . .

This site is informative. There's plenty of info out there that will let you enter your EXACT location and it will tell you if you're in the path, start, end, duration of totality, time, etc.

https://ema.ohio.gov/media-publications/ohio-total-solar-eclipse#:~:text=The%20last%20total%20solar%20eclipse,the%20Earth%20and%20the%20Sun.

A few interesting details . . .

"On this date, people within a 124-mile-wide band in the state of Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. This will be an exciting celestial event and we want Ohioans and our visitors to enjoy the day safely.

Areas in Ohio that are outside the path of totality will experience a partial eclipse. A total solar eclipse is a rare and spectacular event. On average, one happens somewhere on the Earth only once every 1.5 years. Only 21 total solar eclipses have crossed the lower 48 states in the entire existence of the United States.

The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806. The next total solar eclipse in Ohio will be in the year 2099.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon casts its shadow on the Earth as it passes between the Earth and the Sun. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon appears to totally obscure the Sun.

Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse. It's never safe to look directly at the sun's rays, even if the sun is partially obscured. The only safe way to look directly at a partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. Be sure you're familiar with solar eclipse safety tips.

Interesting Facts from NASA​

• After the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, the next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be on Aug. 23, 2044.
• We can’t normally see the corona – the Sun’s outer atmosphere – because the Sun’s surface below it is so much brighter. But during a total solar eclipse, the corona becomes visible, offering unique opportunities to study it.
• When the Moon completely blocks the visible surface of the Sun during a total solar eclipse, viewers can remove their eclipse glasses. A total solar eclipse is the only type of solar eclipse where eclipse glasses can be momentarily removed.
• When a solar eclipse reaches totality, nocturnal wildlife sometimes wakes up, thinking that it’s nighttime, and non-nocturnal wildlife might think it’s time to head to sleep!"

 

[bdhsfz6]

The path of totality crosses over the extreme NW corner of my home state of PA. I booked rooms in Erie, PA a year ago. It's a 5 hour drive from home but well worth it IMO.

I took some advice from friends, who are seasoned "eclipse chasers". They recommend:

1 - Plan to view from a city in the path of totality, rather than a rural area. There are more hotels to choose from and more roads to handle the traffic.

2 - Book rooms the night before and the night after the eclipse to avoid the massive traffic jams that sometimes occur at these events.

3 - Book a room with a microwave & fridge and bring your own food. It is unlikely you will get a table at any of the local restaurants due to the crowds.

4 - Choose a hotel with a clear view of the sky. That way, you have the option to view the eclipse from the parking lot if gridlock occurs on the local roads.

5 - Fill your gas tank the day before to avoid long lines at gas stations on eclipse day.

Unfortunately, there is only a 30 - 40% chance of seeing the eclipse, due to the cloud cover in the great lakes region that time of year. It will be an adventure either way.


***EDIT***

6 - Wear bright clothing to make yourself easier to see. During totality in crowded areas, people will be moving around in the dark watching the eclipse, and not paying attention.

7 - Don't plan to use your cell phones to call or text in cities along the path of totality . Cell towers in crowded areas will be overloaded.