Total Solar Eclipse Aug 21

[Nancy OShea]

On Monday, a partial eclipse will be visible throughout the United States beginning at 9:05 am PDT and ending 4:09 pm EDT.

• Is anyone making Eclipse plans?
• Have you seen a solar eclipse before?

An estimated 12.2 million American's will be within driving distance of totality as the moon's shadow moves across the country from Oregon to South Carolina.   The Federal Highway Administration anticipates heavy traffic in totality zones before & after the event.   Drive safely.

[John T Smith]

No and no... I am really not interested in that

I will let someone with a TV camera and the correct filter do the work, and I will watch on the evening news

[John T Smith]

Wife has TV on local news and is watching right now... evidently, when the eclipse started it got REALLY foggy in Lincoln City on the Oregon coast

[Nancy OShea]

The sunny sky got noticeably dimmer here in So. Cal.

[Szalam]

You guys and girls, it was so cool! I've seen partial eclipses before, but it was nothing compared to this. This picture doesn't do it justice (I shot it on my iPhone with the Lightroom app). There was sunset color on every horizon, you could see the stars, it was so cool!

I live in Clarksville, TN, which is only a couple of miles from the center of longest totality.

I do not have words for how the experience felt. It was so cool.

[gener7]

I wonder how the Flat-Earthers are taking this?   "In a Democracy my ignorance is as good as your knowledge" -- Asimov

The fog came in before the eclipse here in San Francisco.

[Szalam]

Flat-earthers have all kinds of hilarious theories. In fact, they're using the eclipse to prove that the earth ISN'T round! I mean, if the earth is spinning towards the east so that the sun goes east to west, "WHY IS THE SHADOW OF THE 'MOON' GOING WEST TO EAST?!?!?!"

They seem to forget that the moon is also moving.

They also like to point out that the shadow of the moon isn't the same size as the moon is supposed to be and "OBVIOUSLY" that proves the whole thing false. Because you put something in front of a light and the shadow gets bigger, not smaller.

They seem to forget that the sun is not a flashlight - or anything remotely resembling a point light and is, in fact, quite a massive ball of light.

Anyway, if you want to look at what they're saying, it's only a Google search away!

[gener7]

Szalam  wrote

Flat-earthers have all kinds of hilarious theories. In fact, they're using the eclipse to prove that the earth ISN'T round! I mean, if the earth is spinning towards the east so that the sun goes east to west, "WHY IS THE SHADOW OF THE 'MOON' GOING WEST TO EAST?!?!?!

They are either into smart-aleck debate tactics, or willfully ignorant...or (I don't want to go there).

Anyway, if you want to look at what they're saying, it's only a Google search away!

I did. I stopped looking after this:

#NASA really dont want u lookin up at the #Eclipse without there Special #Glasses incase u see its not the #Moon infront of it , #FlatEarth

[Nancy OShea]

I'm guilty of watching trashy pseudo-science documentaries on Roku.   I thought I had seen everything but somehow #FlatEarth escaped my radar .

My favorite TPSD claims our moon is not a natural satellite.  It's a hollow space ship, intentionally parked in Earth's orbit by aliens from another galaxy.  And guess what?  They can prove it!!   Oh yeah, right.

[gener7]

Those are actually Twitter hashtags. I sometimes listen to Coast to Coast AM radio for a "flight of fancy" and sometime they have good moments.

"Fortean phenomena" or the truly mysterious and unexplained is fine, but not blatant anti-science and even worse risky advice based on it.

My favorite is one that claims our moon is not a natural satellite.  It's a hollow space ship, intentionally parked in Earth's orbit by aliens from another galaxy.  And guess what?  They can prove it!!   Oh yeah, right.

They probably are the same kind that deny we ever landed there.

I first heard of the Flat Earth Society in my grade school years--1968. The president of that outfit had a $5000 offer to anyone who could prove otherwise. Can you bet the Goal Posts were somewhere in the Gobi desert?

Gene

[SJRiegel]

I saw in in the mountains outside of Graysville, TN. - My sister lives there, so we had a family reunion along with the eclipse party. It was well worth the trip. Totality was amazing to see.

[Nancy OShea]

Of course you took pictures, right?

[Just Shoot Me]

Yeah we are installing more lighting at the job site.

[pziecina]

I'm in the u/k, but the eclipse can still be seen here.

I will not go out of my way to view it, but having observed two over the years, i can say that it is worth experiancing 'live' so to speak at least once in a lifetime, as there is a definite difference in the experiance from just watching one on tv.

[Nancy OShea]

I have only seen partial solar eclipses from Southern California.  Monday will be no different (72%).

[pziecina]

I've never been impressed with partial eclipses, (why i will not go out of my way, here in the u/k) as i always find myself thinking, "was that it then".

If you do ever get the chance to observe a total eclipse though, i can recommend the experiance.

[Nancy OShea]

pziecina  wrote

If you do ever get the chance to observe a total eclipse though, i can recommend the experiance.

It's definitely on my bucket list.

[Chuck Uebele]

Totally overcast where I live. It seemed to get a little darker, but if the eclipse didn't happen, that could be just an extra thick marine layer.

[Nancy OShea]

We had thick morning fog here too but it burned off before the eclipse.

[SJRiegel]

Not of the eclipse -- I was worried about ruining the camera sensor. I did get some nice shots of family.

[Barb Binder]

We went to Wyoming. Such an amazing experience. As we approached totality the wind picked up, the temperature dropped and both of my dogs turned their backs to the sun. We watched the moon's shadow rapidly approach us, accompanied by the sound of unseen people whooping from the west. (Reminiscent of a giant wave at a ballgame, but this one must have crossed the whole country.) Then it was dark. From our hilltop we had a 360 degree view of the sunset. Mount Laramie (which had been obscured by haze) suddenly appeared in the distance. Right after we had to look away, a friend snapped this with her phone. The sunrise is still visible behind us. And then it was over.

[Nancy OShea]

BarbBinder  wrote

both of my dogs turned their backs to the sun.

That's interesting.  I read that zoo chimpanzees were observed doing the same thing.  I wonder if the eclipse hurts their eyes.

[gener7]

I'm sure looking at an eclipse can damage their eyes the same as ours.  They instinctively know and comply. Interesting.

[gener7]

Rapper who stared at eclipse abruptly cancels concerts | New York Post

Am I crazy for watching the eclipse today w no glasses?” the rapper tweeted. “I’ve sungazed before and afterwards saw colors for a whole day. I didn’t die tho.”

He continued: “This ain’t the first solar eclipse and I’m pretty sure our ancestors ain’t have no fancy eyewear. Also pretty sure they ain’t all go blind.”

The rapper then nixed three upcoming performances without any clear explanation.

No comment, but definitely read the linked tweets.

[Nancy OShea]

And some folks think dogs & chimps are stupid....