Total Solar Eclipse


Mark J

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I know this has been in the works for a few billion years now, but I just heard.  

There will be a total solar eclipse over North America on August 21.  The web page shows a map of the path of totality which extends from Oregon to South Carolina.  Still pretty good viewing in the rest  the US and even going to share a little with Canada and Mexico.  

https://www.space.com/33797-total-solar-eclipse-2017-guide.html

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It's a big thing here. "They" say that half a million people are coming that Monday, which will double the population of the state. People have been booking hotel rooms for two years. You can buy paper 3D-movie-style eclipse viewing glasses at the C-store  for five bucks (they just went up from $3).

My wife and I have a half dozen couples coming from out of state for an eclipse shindig.

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  • 1 month later...

The eclipse is almost upon us!

Does anyone have any new thoughts on the subject?

The "hoards" are showing up in town, traffic is clogging, the shelves at the market are noticeably bare, and the lines at the gas stations are getting lengthy.

My wife and I have the first wave of guests coming today and tomorrow. We will be having a dozen or so friends coming up from Colorado to view the totality.

It should be good fun.

I hope to have some photos to put up on Monday afternoon...or I'll burn the sensor out of my camera. Either way, it's all good.

D

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My son's high school was going to have their first fire drill Monday and pass out eclipse glasses for viewing the eclipse. We thought it was a very novel way to see the eclipse while still doing something "productive." But alas the school had to cancel it, because they were sold bogus glasses - several thousand of them.  We're now going to pull our son out of school for 30 minutes so he can see it. :D

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46 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

I think I'll watch this one on TV. 

No need. You'll be having a partial eclipse, which is cool too.

Drop that tab you've been holding since Woodstock, and watch the moon block out the sun.

Play some Pink Floyd.

You know you want to.;)

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1 hour ago, Mick S said:

Wish I could have gotten a place to stay when I started looking a year ago, but also kinda glad I couldn't. Too old for the crowds.

I wish you had too, or that I had put out an invite. There's plenty of space here for people to park and do some car camping. If anyone is within the travel timeline, and you want to come to Jackson to camp in your car, by all means, PM me. You've got a couple days still.

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57 minutes ago, davewyo said:

No need. You'll be having a partial eclipse, which is cool too.

Drop that tab you've been holding since Woodstock, and watch the moon block out the sun.

Play some Pink Floyd.

You know you want to.;)

I'll be digging into my reserve stash on Monday to get the full effect.

You ever seen an eclipse...

giphy.gif

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On 6/22/2017 at 1:29 PM, Mark J said:

I know this has been in the works for a few billion years now, but I just heard.  

There will be a total solar eclipse over North America on August 21.  The web page shows a map of the path of totality which extends from Oregon to South Carolina.  Still pretty good viewing in the rest  the US and even going to share a little with Canada and Mexico.  

https://www.space.com/33797-total-solar-eclipse-2017-guide.html

max totality and max vista are (different, but) both near by.  We opted for vista.  We'll take a chair up to the top of Brundage, where they will serve Mimosas and Bloody Mary's while we watch the shadows approach from Oregon (we can see the Seven Devils, Wallowa's and Blue Mountains) at 1700 mph.  

Wife had to be talked into leaving the house.

Folks are flying into our little air strip in big jets.  But if you can find a way to McCall, we have spare bedrooms.

 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Eric. said:

I'll be digging into my reserve stash on Monday to get the full effect.

Who you kidding? You got kids in tow. The most you'll be tripping on is the glucose high from Gummy Worms.

That's the story I'm believing.

It doesn't matter anyway. I think the statute of limitations is up on any contraband that has been in your sock drawer longer than your socks.

That's the law...as far as I know:wacko:

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I've seen three.   This one is six hours away.  We'll be avoiding the crowds for this one, and staying home.

Just before the Diamond Ring, look for the "shadow bands" racing across the ground.  My theory is that they are caused by gravity waves, maybe just from the moon, or a combination or the Moon's gravity, and Earth's gravity.   I talked to my Scientist friends after the 1970 eclipse about it, but they passed it off saying that there were no shadow bands in the upper atmosphere.  It is known that gravity bends light.  When the first ray makes it through an opening in Moon mountains, it will be the same as a pinpoint source.

Anyway, I'm publishing my theory here, just to have a backup, in case anyone else proves it to be true.

I also have my own theory about the expanding Universe, but that's another story. 

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Who you kidding? You got kids in tow. The most you'll be tripping on is the glucose high from Gummy Worms.

That's the story I'm believing.

It doesn't matter anyway. I think the statute of limitations is up on any contraband that has been in your sock drawer longer than your socks.

That's the law...as far as I know:wacko:

Actually the plans have changed...the kids will get to watch it at school so I'm free to raid the sock drawer and blast off.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

 

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I thought I was going to be off and maybe able to travel from Chicago to "The Path" , but alas, I'm working.  

Might claim I've started smoking and take cigarette break to steal a peak.

Would like to be able to say I was there, as in "in the path", but I have to admit the view will be better on TV.

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I've seen three.   This one is six hours away.  We'll be avoiding the crowds for this one, and staying home.

Just before the Diamond Ring, look for the "shadow bands" racing across the ground.  My theory is that they are caused by gravity waves, maybe just from the moon, or a combination or the Moon's gravity, and Earth's gravity.   I talked to my Scientist friends after the 1970 eclipse about it, but they passed it off saying that there were no shadow bands in the upper atmosphere.  It is known that gravity bends light.  When the first ray makes it through an opening in Moon mountains, it will be the same as a pinpoint source.

Anyway, I'm publishing my theory here, just to have a backup, in case anyone else proves it to be true.

I also have my own theory about the expanding Universe, but that's another story. 

Interesting ideas, Tom. I'd love to hear your thoughts regarding the expansion of the universe.

 

As for the eclipse, we're in the 96% coverage zone. I might take a peek over my lunch break, but I have been through at least 2 other 'near misses', and they are, frankly, not all they are cracked up to be.

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My theory on Universe expansion is that matter and energy are different states of the same stuff.  Matter attracts other matter, and energy repels. Every galaxy has a black hole at the center of it, that is converting matter into energy.  As the amount of matter decreases, the amount of energy increases, and changes in totals of both cause the expansion.   Since the differential is changing at some exponential rate, racing towards equilibrium,  the expansion is accelerating.

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