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As we approach the one month countdown, I was recently reminded of a very goony but effective tip for total eclipse enjoyment: wear an eye patch over one eye from the start of the partial phase until totality. This lets the covered eye adjust to low light conditions during that time. Once totality starts and you remove the eyepatch, the dark-adjusted eye will help the other eye adapt more quickly, and overall you’ll see more of the Corona and more stars etc because your eyes would otherwise not be able to adjust to the lower light in time. I did this in 2006 and 2017 with good results both times. Just don’t injure yourself walking around without any depth perception for an hour. bawfuls fucked around with this message at 19:11 on Mar 4, 2024 |
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Mar 4, 2024 19:08
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I'm this close to springing for a glass solar filter for my ten-inch Dobsonian telescope. Two hundred fifty dollars for one. I feel like it would have better durability than film. Adapters that use film are sold out.
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Mar 4, 2024 19:48
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I have a film filter from 2017 that is still fine. Yeah it's fragile but it's not like you can play frisbee with a glass filter either, keep it in a case and it'll last forever. Amazon still has sheets of A4 baader film in stock so with some construction paper you can certainly make your own. But we're definitely getting into the "more difficult to buy necessary gear" phase as people become more aware of the gear requirements.
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Mar 4, 2024 19:56
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Partial is cool and all but if I had a sick telescope and a motorized tracking mount I’d care more about using it for totality anyway. You could just cover the end completely during partial phase and uncover for the main event
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Mar 4, 2024 20:02
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I would counter that the filter is still a good idea so you can do prep work before totality, making sure things are aimed properly and everything is tracking well. Also if you're in a public space I guarantee someone will ask if they can take a look.
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Mar 4, 2024 20:08
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Yeah sorry what I meant to emphasize was that a film filter with a diy housing is probably sufficient because it’s not the main event. A fancy glass filter would be useful if you’re gonna get into solar photography or something.
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Mar 4, 2024 20:35
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I found a film solar filter that is fitted to a ring that will work with my Apertura AD10. Seventy-six dollars after shipping, so that should last me long enough. That will give me plenty of time to get it fitted and ready for April.
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Mar 4, 2024 21:13
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I saw a post in my Facebook feed from a local bike shop (not my usual one, but one I've been to a couple times) that they were arranging a ride from O'Fallon to Fayetteville (Illinois) to catch the total eclipse. They had a van available to take folks back, or a slightly longer bike ride back to the shop to turn it into a metric century. It was a B-/C+ class ride, whatever in the hell that means. And I'm not going to lie, it was tempting, as long as B-/C+ isn't super fast. But, the location had totality of less than a minute. Which... is nice, but if I just drive to Mt. Vernon, I'll get a few minutes of totality. So, I'm driving to Mt. Vernon. We've got tickets to an event now, so Gosh willing, the weather will be good for at least a few minutes. The spot we'll be at has about 3:40 of totality. (Cross-posting to the bike thread.)
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Mar 7, 2024 05:07
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If anyone is going to Miramichi, NB, there's some info here: https://www.discovermiramichi.com/events/total-eclipse-totale. We are planning to go if it's sunny enough.
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Mar 8, 2024 22:34
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We're in the totality so all I have to do is step outside. All of the schools in the area canceled for the day and I took PTO because why not. Last night we took the kids to a local planetarium, they were showing a good video on their dome screen about how it all works with the orbital mechanics. Sadly it was overcast so we didn't get a chance to look through their telescope.
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Mar 11, 2024 00:02
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devmd01 posted:Sadly it was overcast
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Mar 11, 2024 07:33
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I just found out that a friend that used to live in the small town I live in now, moved to Burnet, TX, a couple years ago. So I have an invite to crash / or visit there. I will at least be able to have options. He's watching in his yard, but I told him we should climb up a hill to get a better vantage. So anyway—getting excited 
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Mar 15, 2024 06:41
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If you want to drive yourself insane we are now in the realm where weather models will make specific cloud cover predictions for April 8th. They are still changing wildly from day to day however, so not very reliable at all, yet.
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Mar 27, 2024 17:11
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Star Man posted:I found a film solar filter that is fitted to a ring that will work with my Apertura AD10. Seventy-six dollars after shipping, so that should last me long enough. That will give me plenty of time to get it fitted and ready for April. This is the same dilemma I've been going through, I'd like to set up a tripod and take a time lapse with my dslr, but I don't want to damage the sensor and I don't want to pay all that much for something I probably won't use very frequently. So, I just hit on the idea of 3d printing a ring adapter to go over the lens, and slotting in one of the cheaper filters over top! Eg something like this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:525099 Hopefully this is helpful for anyone ever looking at filters. I'm so excited, I took the day off work and am headed out camping for the weekend 
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Mar 27, 2024 20:33
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bawfuls posted:If you want to drive yourself insane we are now in the realm where weather models will make specific cloud cover predictions for April 8th. They are still changing wildly from day to day however, so not very reliable at all, yet. I choose not to do this. I already had a stress nightmare about my Eclipse party being a failure last night. Bad viewing and zombies came out during totality.
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Mar 27, 2024 20:38
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Forecasts don't even start to get close to reality until a week out anyways. So on Monday start obsessively checking windy
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Mar 27, 2024 21:56
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Any of you experienced an eclipse with full cloud cover? Was it a big letdown?
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Mar 27, 2024 21:57
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I have not, but my understanding is yes. With full cloud cover you would not see the moon and the sun's corona, which are the main attractions. You'd barely notice that it got darker, you wouldn't see the 360-sunset, stars and planets, etc. Clouds are killer and dedicated eclipse chasers will go to great lengths to find clear skies for totality. In 2017 my dad was in Jackson WY, some of the people in his group got spooked by the forecast and hit the road at midnight the night before to drive for more favorable conditions. Jackson ended up being fine but clouds are the enemy here.
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Mar 27, 2024 22:19
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I'm pretty pumped, I press-ganged some family in Niagara to have a party that day and I'm pulling the kids out of school to see it. A bunch of Optometrists and libraries around here have glasses available for free, which is excellent.
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Mar 28, 2024 00:51
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bawfuls posted:Clouds are killer and dedicated eclipse chasers will go to great lengths to find clear skies for totality. In 2017 my dad was in Jackson WY, some of the people in his group got spooked by the forecast and hit the road at midnight the night before to drive for more favorable conditions. Jackson ended up being fine but clouds are the enemy here. How much did he get gouged for that trip?
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Mar 28, 2024 01:09
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I dunno, my dad was targeting Jackson for 2017 at least a decade before it happened. I think he started calling the ski resort about 5 years in advance asking when he could book a tram ride to the top for the eclipse. He had a big group of fellow eclipse nerds with him, like 40 people or something.
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Mar 28, 2024 01:11
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I'm planning on seeing the upcoming eclipse in Vermont, and I'm a little concerned about clouds. I went to SC to see the eclipse in 2017, and around 5 minutes before totality, a couple small clouds seemingly came out of nowhere and got in the way, disappointing a huge crowd of people. Everything going dark and hearing the night critters wake up was still a really cool experience though. Hoping to have better luck this time, but not counting on it.
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Mar 28, 2024 02:59
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I’m gonna be in Niagara too, so it’s a bit of a gamble. Don’t have a car so can’t easily move around to avoid the clouds. Worst case, there’s always 2016 in Spain
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Mar 28, 2024 07:30
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ymgve posted:I’m gonna be in Niagara too, so it’s a bit of a gamble. Don’t have a car so can’t easily move around to avoid the clouds. You don't have a car but you do have a time machine?
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Mar 28, 2024 07:44
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It's 2024 CE and I still have to explain to people that, yes, you can see a total eclipse of the sun with your naked eye if you're in the path of totality, and yes, it was visible in 2017. Just because you didn't see it yourself doesn't mean they're impossible to see. And in the meanwhile, I absolutely hate hate hate hate hate how much of a struggle it is to convince anyone to look at so much as Jupiter or the Big Dipper just once.
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Mar 28, 2024 12:07
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Khizan posted:You don't have a car but you do have a time machine? poo poo, meant 2026 of course. No total eclipse in 2016 even if I had a time machine.
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Mar 28, 2024 16:05
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It's still a bit early but I have been watching this guy's page of model projections since he put it up a few days ago. It has been consistently showing clouds/precip in Texas/Arkansas but the models seem to be increasingly confident about a clear day in New England, which would be the opposite of typical April weather. I'm wondering if the models are expecting a springtime severe weather-type setup in Texas. If so, those storms tend to start bubbling around mid-afternoon and it could be the models are just overplaying the chance of clouds from that, since totality in Texas is around ~1:30-1:45PM.
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Mar 31, 2024 13:12
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I like how there's a line of clouds/storms that almost perfectly follows the eclipse path through the midwest. I'm no meteorologist but my anecdotal experience is that forecasts a week out lean pessimistic. That doesn't mean Texas will have clear skies next Monday but I'd put my money towards it not being as bad as it looks now.
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Mar 31, 2024 13:29
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Porfiriato posted:It's still a bit early but I have been watching this guy's page of model projections since he put it up a few days ago. Here's hoping my Austin friend is right who wrote me yesterday, "Even on cloudy days the sun often peaks through." But currently a third of an inch or more in many locations of Texas on 4/8. 
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Mar 31, 2024 18:38
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This will be my reaction if the skies are cloudy in Texas on eclipse day:
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Mar 31, 2024 22:28
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Star Man posted:This will be my reaction if the skies are cloudy in Texas on eclipse day: Possible silver lining - I live where thunderstorms are non-existent (nearly) - maybe I can enjoy that and take some photos/video. And there's the 6 days not about the eclipse. Djimi fucked around with this message at 20:05 on Apr 1, 2024 |
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Mar 31, 2024 23:38
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It's going to be raining all week in western Pennsylvania, with a forecast of Sunday being clear and cloud buildup again Monday. Forecasts expect around sixty percent cloud cover. I'm cautiously optimistic.
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Apr 1, 2024 01:24
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didn't really know if i was gonna be free on this day until now - whats the last minute move on Western Indiana ya think? I'm about 4 1/2 hours from Terre Haute up in WI i kinda need a trip, so i thought about knockin some time and traffic out by driving to Chicago sunday night for some unrelated activities and then just checking the weather at 5:30am Monday morning and choosing a direction to take with a few options. I kinda feel like old country cemeteries might be a good last-ditch place to stop
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Apr 1, 2024 04:01
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At this point, I think anything that anyone has planned on doing, so has everyone else.
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Apr 1, 2024 08:00
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Star Man posted:At this point, I think anything that anyone has planned on doing, so has everyone else. 
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Apr 1, 2024 08:09
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Since we are now ONE WEEK away, weather forecasts are starting to get somewhat meaningful. This website has a nice dashboard which shows four different forecast models for April 8th, automatically updated when the models update. https://www.pivotalweather.com/eclipse2024/?m=cmceens&p=cloudcover_labeled&r=conus It also has an explanation about each model’s strengths and weaknesses. Here is the current run of the model it describes thusly “Its forecasts for cloud cover are the most nuanced and realistic available on this page” (Note that cloud cover is shown in blue here, clear skies in white)  The other three models disagree to varying degree on Mexico and the path between Texas and Ohio. But all models seem to agree now that Texas is likely hosed. If you have plans for Texas I would recommend investigating a plan B this week in case these forecasts hold. bawfuls fucked around with this message at 21:21 on Apr 1, 2024 |
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Apr 1, 2024 21:19
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Everything is bigger in Texas, even the clouds.
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Apr 1, 2024 21:21
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And to think a year and half ago I avoided looking at locations in new england because the weather is so notoriously gloomy this time of year.
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Apr 1, 2024 21:44
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Shiiiiiiiiiiit. We're going to be in Austin and really don't have a plan B.
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Apr 1, 2024 21:49
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I'm pleasantly surprised things are looking good for the 8th in Maine. Too bad there's a winter storm watch with up to 18 inches forecast for Thursday. I hope they didn't put the snow plows away.
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Apr 2, 2024 03:37
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