Stargazing U.S. Solar Eclipse of Aug. 21, 2017

[UsableThought]

For those who are in a partial eclipse zone (like us in upstate NY), if you are near a rural area with woods, apparently you may be able to experience the leaves creating lots of "pinhole" effects, resulting in a deluge of crescent-shaped patches of light and shadow. We have several acres of woods right in back of the house so we'll see.

This must be a very well-known phenomenon but I hadn't heard of it before. My wife heard about it on a radio show featuring our local astronomy buff/author Bob Berman. I also found a web page from the 2012 eclipse with photos:

Tree Leaves as “Pinhole Cameras” During a Solar Eclipse

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

It's happening!

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Moon phase today: New moon (1st day)
[Meaning the moon is totally invisible]

This is the only time (phase) a total solar eclipse can occur, because the sun has to be exactly on the other side (180°).
Also it's not the moon's shadow that we see [as we speak] hiding the sun, but the moon itself; it's just that it's invisible because it's new moon ... (and not just because it's day and it's in front of the sun)
(obvious basic astronomy)

 

[anorlunda]

Guess who just showed up in Kentucky? In the picture are @jim hardy and @anorlunda .

 

[Stavros Kiri]

NASA's Live streaming:
https://www.nasa.gov/eclipselive/#NASA+TV+Public+Channel

See also for more:
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream

 

[diogenesNY]

Watching from Durham, NC. A few puffy clouds in the sky, otherwise pretty clear.

I saw about a 75% coverage eclipse in... oh... maybe 1973 or so, in New Jersey when I was in the third grade. It is supposed to be about 93% here. Really wish I could have gotten out of town to check out the totality... Hopefully there will be more opportunities.

Watching live coverage in Science Channel and tracking it on various websites.

Nature sure puts on some cool shows.

diogenesNY

 

[mfb]

Totality has started a few minutes ago, currently over the Pacific.

From Western Europe you can see a very shallow partial eclipse close to sunset. Map

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

less than 2 minutes until totality in Oregon!

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Just saw totality.
Alternative live streaming:
http://www.bju.edu/eclipse/

 

[jtbell]

The partial eclipse has begun in upstate SC, but clouds have been popping up. Maybe about 40% sky coverage. Keeping our fingers crossed...

 

[Janus]

Started watching the eclipse just outside the hotel but kept flirting with fog blocking the sun. Then a garbage collector passing by told us that if we just went down to the next traffic light, turned up the road and went another 3/4 mile, it was clear. It was, and we were able to catch totality. Amazing!

 

[nsaspook]

No totality but nice little patterns everywhere at 99%.

 

[Mech_Engineer]

I built a projector out of a box and some spare lenses I stacked up. About a 74% eclipse in Texas, made some nice designs in the shadows of the trees!

 

[diogenesNY]

Looks like the dragon disgorged the sun, and the world doesn't end this afternoon. :)

94% occlusion here. It got much darker, but a bit of an anti-climax... must make a point to get myself to the totality next chance I can get.

Definitely got the dozens of crescents through the leaves of the oak tree in the front yard. Cool effect.

No noticeable change in the behavior of several observed local animals. (Four cats and one dog).

diogenesNY

 

[Janus]

Was able to get a couple of shots of totality with our digital camera. Ended up collecting email addresses from other people in the small group we were with that didn't get as good a picture with their cell phones.
Will have to wait until I get home to transfer pictures from camera before I can post them. Spending the rest of three day at the beach before heading home tomorrow.

 

[anorlunda]

You'll kill me for this bad pun. That was totally beautiful.

It was a sight that I'll never forget.

 

[nsaspook]

Some off-grid solar energy power charts during the Solar Eclipse.

Same data, Linear, Log.

Log detail.

 

[mishima]

96%

 

[russ_watters]

We had about 50% clouds, but they dissopated right before totality. Thanks so much to @jtbell for inviting me to a good weather and great crowd spot at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. Here are some early, unedited photos, for a taste:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154792305019249&id=518344248

 

[Andy Resnick]

our (local) max:

Working on the timelapse...

 

[BillTre]

Today I realized that the moon has variable sunblock capabilities.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Timelapse. Not great, but good enough for now.

 

[jtbell]

As Russ mentioned, he came up from Charleston to escape the clouds there, and fortunately didn't get clouded out here! Here he is setting up in the morning:

About 25 minutes before totality:

The physics department was on hand, of course, at their own tent:

Six minutes before the Big Moment:

I decided not to fiddle with my tripod because of the high elevation of the sun which would have made it difficult to use my DSLR's viewfinder. Instead I tried a few hand-held shots which fortunately turned out OK with some help from Photoshop's curves tool. Note Venus (?) in the first picture!

 

[jtbell]

made some nice designs in the shadows of the trees!

Argh! I was going to get a shot like that, too, but forgot about it in the excitement. Also I stayed indoors for a significant part of the time because it was so beastly hot and humid outside.

I remember seeing those patterns during (I think) the 1979 eclipse, which I saw only as a major partial eclipse.

 

[Stavros Kiri]

What was that "vehicle" passing in front of the competing Sun and Moon? Did anyone get that guy's license plates number?

I did! "ISS 2017" ...

Note: This is a real video, originally broadcasted in NASA's live streaming. (I saw it while playing)

 

[davenn]

I decided not to fiddle with my tripod because of the high elevation of the sun which would have made it difficult to use my DSLR's viewfinder. Instead I tried a few hand-held shots which fortunately turned out OK with some help from Photoshop's curves tool. Note Venus (?) in the first picture!

love the corona shot ! well done Dave

 

[russ_watters]

All of the good ones from during totality (and some crowd shots):

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154758714584249.1073741838.518344248&type=1&l=1aaf9090c8

One embedded...

 

[russ_watters]

As Russ mentioned, he came up from Charleston to escape the clouds there, and fortunately didn't get clouded out here! Here he is setting up in the morning:

Awesome! Mind if I share these outside PF?

 

[stoomart]

Salem, OR

 

[OmCheeto]

From 6 miles east of Mitchell OR.

Took my breath away.

Spectral shot was a bit disappointing:

Both images were extracted from a 6 minute long video.
The autofocus spent about 90% of the time "out" of focus.

Zero luck on the "shadow bands". But I do have a 5 minute long video of a white sheet getting dark, and then light again, if anyone is interested. (I had a spare old camera)