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

[davenn]

I live in Charlotte, NC. My strategy is plan A: drive to mid-South Carolina, or plan B: drive to Tennesse. This I will decide the day before after previewing weather reports. The Carolinas do have loads of cumulus clouds in the summer, more than clear blue skies. Afternoon thunderstorms, day after day, are common. Also, the east and west of the Appalachian mountains always seem to have exactly the opposite weather. Rain here means a drought there, or vica versa.

for your region and anyone else in that area ...

for totality you must be within the purple lines and preferably as close as possible to the red line for greatest eclipse time

Dave

 

[davenn]

Hmm i think we'll arrange to be at our place in Idaho Falls for August , if Fair Anne feels up for it.

good looking spot, Jim

 

[davenn]

My wife and I are considering getting to the USA for this eclipse ... will mainly depend on the availability of finance ( won't get any or much change out of $10,000 for that trip) and leave entitlement from work

hopefully it comes about

Dave

Gosh ... It's almost a year since I wrote that and unfortunately the last 10 months hasn't been kind to me, health wise.
Unfortunately, this Solar eclipse chase isn't going to happen for me. I would have been heading to Carrollton, MO to stay with friends the centreline passes just a few of km's south of their home. ... C'est la vie

maybe if I live long enough, and the world hasn't ended, I will get to see the 2028 total eclipse where the centreline passes over my home in the inner west suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

This eclipse centreline has the distinction of passing over my current home in Oz as well as my
family home area back in Dunedin, New Zealand ... the chances of that must be "astronomical"

Dave

 

[mfb]

maybe if I live long enough, and the world hasn't ended, I will get to see the 2028 total eclipse where the centreline passes over my home in the inner west suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

Europe is not better, where the next one that hits inhabited areas is 2027 in Spain.

To everyone in the US: Expect traffic jams on all major North/South connections. We had the worst traffic jams ever in Germany in 1999, I would expect the same results for the US.

 

[OmCheeto]

...
To everyone in the US: Expect traffic jams on all major North/South connections. We had the worst traffic jams ever in Germany in 1999, I would expect the same results for the US.

Thank you for the warning.
Although population density comparisons might indicate that Oregon might not suffer from this condition:

Germany, population density: 227/km^2
Oregon, population density: 15/km^2​

I would recommend checking with the locals before making plans, if you are coming in from out of town.
Even on a Sunday, I would describe the drive from Seattle to Portland as a traffic jam.
And if Vancouver BC jumps on the road, nobody is going to witness totality.

Anyways, it would appear that NSASpook and I plan on being "on station" at least a day early.

Idaho Falls looks like an ideal location. (population: 59,000)
But for me, it's seems a tad too far to drive. (10.6 hours)
Although...
I lived there once, and Yellowstone(neat place) is just a stones throw away.
And I've a slew of very interesting cousins that live out in Idaholand.
hmmmmm...

 

[mfb]

Germany, population density: 227/km^2
Oregon, population density: 15/km^2

I would not expect the same road density.

 

[OmCheeto]

I would not expect the same road density.

Nor would I, from those numbers. Which is why I said;

I would recommend checking with the locals before making plans, if you are coming in from out of town.

More than half of the population in the state is located in one metropolitan area.
Oregon population: 4.1 million
Portland metro population: 2.4 million

hmmm... weird...
Germany, population density: 227/km^2
Portland metro, population density: 129/km^2 (and traffic sucks here, every day!)

Anyways...
We should get back on topic.

ps. This will be my first full solar eclipse that I'll have been able to witness. So please, EVERYONE, do not mess it up for me.

 

[jim hardy]

I lived there once,

I'll bet you know that landlocked mountain submarine in Arco

"Searchin' for that lost shaker of salt" ?

One might compose some interesting eclipse pictures from nearby "Craters of the Moon" .

 

[OmCheeto]

I'll bet you know that landlocked mountain submarine in Arco

I was driving a bicycle back then, so, no.

"Searchin' for that lost shaker of salt" ?

One might compose some interesting eclipse pictures from nearby "Craters of the Moon" .

Thanks! After my road trip to San Francisco last summer, some young acquaintances of mine described their similar trip, along with a stop at Yosemite.
Although I checked out Crater Lake, and scoped out this summers trip for the eclipse, I apparently did not realize Yosemite(never bin) was just a 3 hour diversion.

This, may be a VERY busy road trippish summer.

 

[tony873004]

Hotels in Oregon are booked, campgrounds are full or are not taking reservations. Eclipse is on a Monday. My strategy will be to leave Friday afternoon. 9 hour drive into Oregon. Shouldn't have much traffic 3 days early. Then just find a nice place to camp off road. Leave Monday afternoon after the crowds.

 

[1oldman2]

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/sift...k-volunteers-across-us-capture-august-eclipse

 

[nsaspook]

Double check your room reservations!

http://www.kgw.com/news/investigations/hotels-canceling-reservations-for-eclipse-viewing-jacking-prices/424326842
http://www.kptv.com/story/34967905/gresham-woman-says-hotel-canceled-reservations-before-raising-prices-tenfold?autostart=true

 

[russ_watters]

Double check your room reservations!

http://www.kgw.com/news/investigations/hotels-canceling-reservations-for-eclipse-viewing-jacking-prices/424326842
http://www.kptv.com/story/34967905/gresham-woman-says-hotel-canceled-reservations-before-raising-prices-tenfold?autostart=true

Aw, heeeell no! I put a thousand dollar deposit on a beach house - if they try that on me I'm going to be a little unhappy!

 

[OmCheeto]

Double check your room reservations!

http://www.kgw.com/news/investigations/hotels-canceling-reservations-for-eclipse-viewing-jacking-prices/424326842
http://www.kptv.com/story/34967905/gresham-woman-says-hotel-canceled-reservations-before-raising-prices-tenfold?autostart=true

Actually, I was planning on sleeping in my truck.
One bad thing though, the number one spot on the following list was where I was planning on going:

10 top spots in U.S. to watch this summer's eclipse

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Ore.
...​

Argh! Maybe I'll go visit old Jim in Idaho. Nobody goes to Idaho.

 

[jtbell]

The viewing party at Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park looks interesting. I could do it as a long day trip from here. Unfortunately tickets are sold out already.

https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/2017-solar-eclipse.htm

 

[nsaspook]

Actually, I was planning on sleeping in my truck.

Plenty of open space for camping between here and Jim.
http://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=v.page&id=60

 

[anorlunda]

Hmm, I was thinking of driving 1000 miles to Asheville, NC to watch the eclipse. But after studying the probability of cloud cover in #57, I see that there would be a 60% chance of clouds. That's poor odds for such a long drive.

Now I'm thinking of joining @jim hardy out by Idaho Falls (#56). That's closer to a 2000 mile drive, but the chance of blue sky is more like 80%.

Jim, what's around there for campers with a car and a tent? BLM land?

 

[jim hardy]

wow lots of empty land

I never camped around there but campgrounds abound
Rigby, about 15 miles away is home of the Philo Farnsworth museum and almost dead center on the path
from https://www.campendium.com/idaho/rigby

Laramie Wyoming is a day's drive closer . Fair Anne and i have a favorite rustic motel there where we frequently overnight, check your pm's
We hope to be out there for it but with her chemo that is uncertain. OM also expressed interest

if enough PF'ers are interested maybe a local hotel would make available a block of rooms? Two suggestions in the pm.

Idaho Falls is a neat little town. Has a university, an art guild, a symphony, fabulous library, good museum all right in old downtown. South side of town is booming with every chain store known to man and a rush hour. Our place is on North side of town by airport so it's way less frenetic. I can bicycle anywhere in a half hour.

Hope to see you and OM and a lot of others there. Would invite everybody to stay with us but it's a one bedroom condo...

 

[OmCheeto]

I would not expect the same road density.

Speaking of road density, I'm now forecasting a nightmare of a drive for the Madras area, amongst other things*.
According to my estimations, Germany has approximately 40 times more roadway than does this area.
And every time I open another "Eclipsey" web site, more people are coming...

The famous Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona will be sponsoring an expedition to Madras Oregon for the eclipse, and you can see their plans and participate here. [ref]​

Flagstaff is 1100 miles away!

hmmmm...

Populations

80,600,000 Germany

vs​

38,800,000 California
_4,000,000 Oregon
_7,100,000 Washington
_4,600,000 British Columbia
_2,800,000 Nevada
---------- ----------------
57,300,000 total west coast region​

--------------
*other problems:
There are, at my last count, 10 gas stations in Madras.
Where are all these people going to poop!

---------------

Hope to see you and OM and a lot of others there. Would invite everybody to stay with us but it's a one bedroom condo...

Just don't forget that I have dibs on the couch.

But as I mentioned, I'm keeping my options open until the very last days:

distances from my house

miles location
_54 Salem, OR (I have a friend who has a house here)
108 Madras, OR (Looking logistically worse every day)
229 John Day Fossil Beds, OR (The round trip limit of my vehicle on 1 tank of gas: 500 miles)
428 Boise, ID (I have a boatload of cousins that live here)
552 Twin Falls, ID (I have another boatload of cousins that live here)
706 Idaho Falls, ID (PF party!)​

 

[jim hardy]

Just don't forget that I have dibs on the couch.

yep !

 

[mfb]

*other problems:
There are, at my last count, 10 gas stations in Madras.
Where are all these people going to poop!

Not this sh... again!

Yeah, expect traffic jams everywhere.

 

[1oldman2]

Here's some useful info from our friends at NASA, looks like Wyoming is going all out with the viewing parties.
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/2017_solar_eclipse_general_events.html

 

[tony873004]

In a few days from now (~April 17-20), the azimuth of sunrise will be the same as on eclipse day, August 21.
If you happen to live in the zone to totality, this may serve as a good preview of the Sun's position and motion on eclipse day.

 

[Stavros Kiri]

Getting closer every day! ... Looking forward too! ...

 

[tony873004]

Here is an updated simulation I made of the eclipse from different cities.
http://orbitsimulator.com/gravitySim...17Eclipse.html

The lighting conditions are simply my guess based on partial, annular and total eclipses I have seen. I've never seen the corona as both totals I attended were rained out.

 

[Blank_Stare]

I believe I am organizing an eclipse event in Makanda Illinois, for members of this forum, and friends.

Actually, the location is tentative...

I wasn't actually intending to organize an event, but hey!, I'm game, if there is interest.

I have started another thread for this purpose, which can be found here.

Feel free to chime in.

 

[OmCheeto]

Here is an updated simulation I made of the eclipse from different cities.
http://orbitsimulator.com/gravitySim...17Eclipse.html

The lighting conditions are simply my guess based on partial, annular and total eclipses I have seen. I've never seen the corona as both totals I attended were rained out.

Is that star that shows up in your GIF one of the stars from Leo? Perhaps Regulus?

I was trying to get an idea of what the sky would look like during the eclipse, so I snooped around in "NASA's Eyes.app", and found a "telescope mode".

Here's an image where I photoshopped your eclipse image over their star and planet map:

 

[tony873004]

Yes, the star near the Sun is Regulus.

 

[OmCheeto]

Another question, one of many, is [1]how dark is the sky during totality?
Is it like midnight? Or more like twilight?

I just skimmed this thread(and the new satellite thread) and found that of the 21 people responding so far, 6 have been on location for totality, and only two have witnessed it. (stinkin' clouds!)

My concern with how dark it is stems from something mfb mentioned a while back, as to how long it takes our eyes to adjust to darkness.

One site I visited says it takes between 10 and 30 minutes for our eyes to become adjusted, depending on how sensitive you want your eyes to be. Since totality only lasts ≈2 minutes, I'm afraid I'll miss the full "hallucinatory" experience, that I experienced when I stuck my head in my oven. (Science!)

So...

[2] Should I skip the dollar store eclipse glasses and go for the $20 wrap around models?
[3] Should I duct tape mylar around my head, until totality?

ps. My first question also appears to be the topic of a "citizen science" experiment: Activity Guide for How Dark Does the Sky Get During a Solar Eclipse?

This took me back to where I once discovered that my solar panel's no load voltage is proportional to incident sunlight. [ref] (My wording was a bit off in that post. My apologies.)

[4] Anyone know where to buy a voltage logger for <$100?

pps. I have several other questions.
[5] @tony873004 , is the brightness in your gif just a guesstimation, or is there science behind that? Some of my friends are like; "Whateva... I'm stayin' home. It'll be 98% covered from my front porch. What's the deal with totality?"

[6] Where the hell will the Milky Way be? To my knowledge, I've never seen the Milky way. I know the center is in Sagittarius, wherever the hell that constellation is.
[7] Where is Sagittarius?
[8] Why is everyone posting; "Google is your friend"?

ppps. Just as an FYI, I can recognize about 5 constellations: Big & Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, Orion, and Taurus. Everything else, is just a bunch of stars.

pppps. [9] I wonder how many famous astronomers are from Oregon? Hard to get into a subject when the subject of your study is never visible. (Stinkin' Clouds!)

 

[mfb]

Your eyes keep adjusting to the darkness for a long time, but 2 minutes is more than enough to see the corona.

It won't get as dark as a moonless night as you are not too far away from regions that do get sunlight, and parts of that light gets scattered. In addition, various man-made light sources will be around.

98% totality is just a very dark day. 99.9% is a very dark day. The magic happens in the last 0.1%.

[6] Where the hell will the Milky Way be? To my knowledge, I've never seen the Milky way. I know the center is in Sagittarius, wherever the hell that constellation is.

Easier to see during the night. But you'll have to get away from big cities to see it nicely.