OT: Eclipse

Drake744

#manrocket
Feb 12, 2010
12,645
1,729
Nashville
I've been an astronomy nerd all my life and that was so effing cool. We had 100% totality for like 90 seconds. Had my mother, my wife and 4 kids out on our pool deck... we have woods beside and behind us so the cicadas and frogs started chirping like it was night, and the 360 sunset was unreal. And totality was one of the few natural things in life that lived up to the hype. 7 years from now my 2 littlest ones will be old enough to understand (they didn't understand this one, just had fun in the pool ) and we will either travel to Paducah/Carbondale to see it again or by then my oldest will be a commercial pilot and maybe we will view it from the air...

Those of you who saw totality and were unimpressed, I just don't understand. .
Was it clear and sunny up there? I don't think the weather cooperated with a lot of Middle Tennessee (I'm assuming some places were good). Clouds started rolling in and it became mostly cloudy. More like a tease than anything else.
 

NSH615

...
Sponsor
Feb 13, 2013
11,117
981
I've been an astronomy nerd all my life and that was so effing cool. We had 100% totality for like 90 seconds. Had my mother, my wife and 4 kids out on our pool deck... we have woods beside and behind us so the cicadas and frogs started chirping like it was night, and the 360 sunset was unreal. And totality was one of the few natural things in life that lived up to the hype. 7 years from now my 2 littlest ones will be old enough to understand (they didn't understand this one, just had fun in the pool ) and we will either travel to Paducah/Carbondale to see it again or by then my oldest will be a commercial pilot and maybe we will view it from the air...

Those of you who saw totality and were unimpressed, I just don't understand. .

That's how I feel about the hype.
 

NSH615

...
Sponsor
Feb 13, 2013
11,117
981
Pete Weber just agreed on NHL SiriusXM radio that it didn't live up to the hype.
 

PredsV82

Rest easy, 303, and thank you.
Sponsor
Aug 13, 2007
35,252
15,250
Schroedingers box
Was it clear and sunny up there? I don't think the weather cooperated with a lot of Middle Tennessee (I'm assuming some places were good). Clouds started rolling in and it became mostly cloudy. More like a tease than anything else.

It was clear up here. A few wispy clouds were in the area but nothing obscuring the disc. Saw the signet ring and Baileys beads... amazing. It didn't get as dark as I thought it would, but could see Venus clearly, though not any actual stars
 

NSH615

...
Sponsor
Feb 13, 2013
11,117
981
It was clear up here. A few wispy clouds were in the area but nothing obscuring the disc. Saw the signet ring and Baileys beads... amazing. It didn't get as dark as I thought it would, but could see Venus clearly, though not any actual stars

I think this is partly why I was disappointed and underwhelmed. Still had a weird blue like sky here. I was under the impression it was going to be like night time skies for the totality.
 

Drake744

#manrocket
Feb 12, 2010
12,645
1,729
Nashville
If it was cloudy I can understand the disappointment. But if you had a full view, and weren't impressed, then you are made of stone..
My friends and I mentioned the eclipse maybe twice at the most before it happened. Ever since it happened my social media/texts/videos I've seen from many of them have basically been nothing but "whoa this is badass"
 

FossilFndr

RIP Steve
Jan 18, 2014
3,204
1,407
Fall Branch, Tn.
It definitely wasn't as dark as I expected but still plenty of difference from usual, but I enjoyed watching the surrounding area darken in the hour leading up to totality. That was my big takeaway I guess, I've seen pictures and video of an eclipse, but you never really get to experience what's going on at ground level.

I can say, when the sun was about 75% covered, the softness of the light was fantastic, my eyes would really appreciate if it was always like that. Then again, it's all relative, so if that was the brightest that it ever got, it would still be "too bright".

Me too, that light was pretty nice.
 

Bringer of Jollity

Registered User
Oct 20, 2011
12,834
7,876
Fontana, CA
Too bad we can't get people to get as excited about the night sky and the absurd amounts of light pollution that have destroyed any ability to enjoy it on a nightly basis. Science is only cool if you can make an event out of it and take selfies doing it or make money off it, I guess. My library's phones were slammed for the first two hours with calls asking for glasses (which we never had any of), lol.

Edit: That sounded a lot more critical than it was meant. Not ripping on anyone excited to see it today, just sad we can only get people hyped about being able to observe the sky once every X years.
 
Last edited:

PredsV82

Rest easy, 303, and thank you.
Sponsor
Aug 13, 2007
35,252
15,250
Schroedingers box
Lighten up, Francis.

Exactly. Was watching CNN as the Eclipse hit Casper WY, and of course they had an expert on, and they were showing g a split screen of Idaho where the Eclipse had already passed totality and the sun was getting brighter and Casper as totality approached. .. the idiot CNN anchor asked the expert to explain what was different between what was being seen in Idaho and Wyoming and I swear it was all he could do not to say "Duh" before explaining that in Idaho the sun was getting bigger because totality had passed and it was getting smaller in WY because totality hadn't happened yet...
 

Adz

Eudora Wannabe
Sponsor
Jun 18, 2005
7,515
3,100
Hermitage TN
Right before and during totality it was completely clear where I was. We were all in awe and agreed that it lived up to its billing. It got dark, not like night but twilight--the street lights came on and had it not been a 2 minute thing would have been necessary. Didn't get to see any shadow snakes, but the rays from the eclipsed sun were just stunning. As I was watching it before totality, when a cloud would go over the sun it made a huge difference in what you could see with the eclipse glasses.
 

Marty Party

Back @ The Bridge
Mar 2, 2012
4,942
2,124
Nashville
ace.mu.nu
It was awesome. No clouds and 100% totality at our work location. The sensation of it getting dimmer and dimmer, as if you had sunglasses on, until it went full on dark. Seeing those weird, traveling, lines on the pavement right before and after it went dark was cool also.

Everyone loved it. That minute and change of totality seemed shorter as it went by so fast.
 

Legionnaire11

Registered User
Jul 12, 2007
14,101
8,151
Murfreesboro
atlantichockeyleague.com
Exactly. Was watching CNN as the Eclipse hit Casper WY, and of course they had an expert on, and they were showing g a split screen of Idaho where the Eclipse had already passed totality and the sun was getting brighter and Casper as totality approached. .. the idiot CNN anchor asked the expert to explain what was different between what was being seen in Idaho and Wyoming and I swear it was all he could do not to say "Duh" before explaining that in Idaho the sun was getting bigger because totality had passed and it was getting smaller in WY because totality hadn't happened yet...

The difference is that in your scenario, the scientist is annoyed at the reporters stupid line of questioning. The cartoon was the reporter trying to get information and the scientist having nothing to offer, implying that there's no scientific value to the event and it's being (or was) hyped up as just something trivial to watch happen in the sky.
 

PredsV82

Rest easy, 303, and thank you.
Sponsor
Aug 13, 2007
35,252
15,250
Schroedingers box
The difference is that in your scenario, the scientist is annoyed at the reporters stupid line of questioning. The cartoon was the reporter trying to get information and the scientist having nothing to offer, implying that there's no scientific value to the event and it's being (or was) hyped up as just something trivial to watch happen in the sky.

no, the point was, as awesome as it is, its a very simple concept and there isn't a lot of "basic" science to it for the average layman.
 

adsfan

#164303
May 31, 2008
12,621
3,665
Milwaukee
I just got back from Benton, IL about 1 hour ago. I was trying to get to Carbondale, but the IL DOT closed one lane on I-57 in 3 places. Traffic backed up 5 or 6 miles and 30 mins at each one. I saw totality, the sky darkened like a sunset, but not like night. I had about 90 secs or so of totality and got a few pictures. I will probably go back in 2024. Scratch one item from my bucket list!

I forgot to add that the sky looked odd, kind of like twilight and that shadows looked very sharp, like lines drawn on the ground.
 

Gnashville

HFBoards Hall of Famer
Jan 7, 2003
13,684
3,511
Crossville
While the total eclipse was in a cloud I did see 3 planets Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. Mercury was in the cloud also. Someone in my group thought I was a genius since I knew which planets we saw. Then he noticed I was using my astronomy app (SkyView) on my phone.
 

HoptownPred

Registered User
Apr 12, 2011
74
1
Hopkinsville, KY
It was pretty much what I expected. The effect was quick and then it was gone. The gradual turn to darkness then back to light was fun to experience. Our town got some good publicity. Hoptown was having fun for a couple of days and that's not a bad thing. No clue how many people showed, but officials claim a possible $30 million impact. Our town deserves a 1st star of the game for its efforts.
 

PredsV82

Rest easy, 303, and thank you.
Sponsor
Aug 13, 2007
35,252
15,250
Schroedingers box
I hope BFC and Viqsi et al decided to stay until tomorrow morning before driving back. I65 is a parking lot as is the Western KY parkway. My son left over 5 hours ago on what is normally a three hour drive and he still hasn't made it through Elizabethtown
 

Dave is a killer

Dave's a Mess
Oct 17, 2002
26,507
18
Cumming GA
I hope BFC and Viqsi et al decided to stay until tomorrow morning before driving back. I65 is a parking lot as is the Western KY parkway. My son left over 5 hours ago on what is normally a three hour drive and he still hasn't made it through Elizabethtown

Can you imagine Carbondale ? :amazed: I read that is one of the few cities that's getting this one and the one in '24
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->