Eclipse day less than one month away!

[James_Ball]

Anyone planning to watch the eclipse on August 21?

I already have the day off work just for it

[ScottHorn]

I'm excited. I actually bought 1 m x 0.5 m of ND5 film (neutral density 5, OD 5.0 at all wavelengths, it looks like a mirror unless you're looking directly at the sun). I'm planning to use that in conjunction with my 3d printer to print off some GOOD eclipse viewing glasses, and perhaps some camera/telescope filters for friends. All the cheap cardboard ones I've seen pass more red/orange wavelengths, and block the lower wavelengths. They work, but they give the impression that the sun isn't "white". As far as taking off work, I'm already in the band of near totallity, so I'll take off to the parking lot for a few minutes.

[James_Ball]

I bought some of the Thousand Oaks Optical film to make my filters and also have some of the Celestron 2x viewers on order, hopefully to arrive before the eclipse.

My house is actually sitting near the center of totality, work is on the very edge so that is why I am taking the day off Also my house is within 20 miles of the maximum totality near Cerulian, Ky. When I saw that two years ago I couldn't believe how fortunate I was to have gotten the house I did.

Hoping for clear skies for everyone on eclipse day.

[Steve Reimer]

I'm heading for Solarfest in Madras Oregon. The way things are going I won't need any viewing glasses, I'll just look through the smoke.
I'm looking forward to the traffic jam afterwards too.

[James_Ball]

I saw someone made an estimate that 2.1 million people from California are planning to travel to Oregon for the eclipse. I definitely would not want to be there for that

We have had three weekends of totally clear skies, now they are forecasting possibility of thunder storms for the 21st But it is Kentucky so the weather can change in 5 minutes from storms to clear blue skies so I still have hope.

I finished the solar filter for my scope this weekend. I took the film I bought and a 4" PVC plug and cut a 3.5" hole in it and mounted the film inside. It fits perfectly on my 90mm ETX scope.

If I get rained out on this one, I guess I will have to travel to the South West for the next one in 2024.

[GOM]

Hi James

Did you notice the amazing drop in temperature during the eclipse?

It is what I noticed most during a total eclipse in the UK

Regards

Ralph

[James_Ball]

Hi James

Did you notice the amazing drop in temperature during the eclipse?

It is what I noticed most during a total eclipse in the UK

Regards

Ralph

Definitely felt the temperature drop. I would estimate about 10F standing in my front yard.

I posted some of my photos here https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/5887 ... r-eclipse/

There are also tons of other photos on the site that are even better than mine )

[KM-USA]

I saw someone made an estimate that 2.1 million people from California are planning to travel to Oregon for the eclipse. I definitely would not want to be there for that

Smart! Took them over 3 hours just to get out of such parking lots at camping areas, then traffic all the way back...

I was playing senior softball at that very time (9:45-11am), in a region where there was only partial eclipse, and some there had special glasses. I'm not interested at all in astronomy; to me, seemed like diminished light like on a cloudy day, which it was anyway, with intermittent clouds.

News really hyped that, for sure. At first schools bought viewing glasses for the kids, then liability fears crept in, and they just made sure the kids all stayed inside.

[Peter Apps]

. At first schools bought viewing glasses for the kids, then liability fears crept in, and they just made sure the kids all stayed inside.

And then they'll wonder why kids grow up stupid and dependent on authority.

Peter

[Steve Reimer]

It only took 13 hours to drive the 300 miles back home. I wouldn't even think of trying to take 97 south (towards Bend and California) afterwards. We waited in the parking lot for 2 hours after (lunch and relaxing) and southbound traffic wasn't moving at all during that time.

[James_Ball]

My sister and nephew left for home about an hour after totality. My nephew sent me a photo of the traffic as they were getting on I69 south. The south bound lane was empty(going towards Hopkinsville) but the north bound lane looked like a parking lot. They headed east on the parkway and my sister said they were making about 50mph most of the way in bumper to bumper traffic so they jumped off at the first exit and took the back roads home.

A guy at work said his daughter took eight yours to drive home to Lexington which is normally about 3-4 hours.