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Solar eclipse 2017

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by tochatihu, Aug 21, 2016.

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  1. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    One year countdown begins. Path of totality is well reported. Average prior cloud cover may influence your choice of viewing area:

    Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Eclipse 2017 cloud cover charts

    Most 'path' hotels are already booked up, so other options may be consulted.

    Only downside I can see is that solar corona is less exciting during sunspot minima.

    First-timers, need for sensible eye protection is not overstated.
     
    #1 tochatihu, Aug 21, 2016
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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i would love to be somewhere where it is almost dark in the middle of the day.
     
    #2 bisco, Aug 21, 2016
  3. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Birds really do act oddly during eclipse. Really.

    I had thought to hang out at SLC airport and pick flight to lowest cloud cover on day prior. That may not pan out.

    Perhaps other eclipse veterans will tell their stories here...
     
    #3 tochatihu, Aug 21, 2016
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i've not noticed that. i'll keep a bird's eye view on my cardinals this time.
     
    #4 bisco, Aug 21, 2016
  5. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    No good, Boston bisco. Get on the path of totality, within 20 miles or less.
     
    #5 tochatihu, Aug 21, 2016
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    can i take my buddies with me?:love:
     
    #6 bisco, Aug 21, 2016
  7. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Camping? Backpacking?

    How timely. Just yesterday, after returning from a week's wilderness outing in NE Oregon, I pointed out to the group that this year's originally planned destination in Idaho is right in the path of totality next year. That destination was nixed at the last moment by asthmatics concerned about air quality from an upwind wildfire. Next year would be an excellent time to try that destination again.

    Crowds permitting. Though this cloud cover map also suggests that some other places would likely be better eclipse choices.

    I was in a place to witness the February 1979 total eclipse. Unfortunately, the nearest hole in the solid cloud deck was 200 miles away. The spouse and I had better luck for the annular eclipse in May 2012, where a slight travel schedule adjustment kept us within the central track. The weather was great, the eclipse happened during dinner. We didn't travel with any viewing aides, but restaurant staff and fellow patrons brought numerous items. And I helped some fix up their pinhole projection viewers.
     
    #7 fuzzy1, Aug 21, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 21, 2016
  8. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Reminder: average cloud cover is climate and the day we care about is weather. This is why weather systems a day or two prior are really what we want to know.

    Length of totality is another consideration and peaks in S. Illinois. Should they happen to have stable high pressure, that would be great.

    Climatological low cloud cover (at low-elevation sites) extends from Madras, OR to Casper, Wyoming. The latter not being much of a tourist magnet most times :eek:
     
    #8 tochatihu, Aug 21, 2016
  9. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Most of youse guys won't enjoy looking at surface analyses, but this is how the game is played. See image below. See the blue H over Yellowstone (essentially) it is nice, but there are also two red Ls to the west and southwest. Conflicting air masses in the vicinity do not favor cloud-free skies.

    In contrast, see the blue H over Missouri. Oh baby, it calls out "here is your hole". The only thing I can guarantee is that the map next year will be different.

    Surface analysis.gif
     
    #9 tochatihu, Aug 21, 2016
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  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    And I can guarantee that my hiking group's plans will need to be pretty well settled well before a meaningfully accurate similar map for next year becomes available. (This year, the 'last minute' disruption was more than a week before departure.) Thus, I'll have to play the climate odds.

    But then, the eclipse will probably be a secondary goal for me. If you are coming over specifically to see it, last minute flexibility is essential.
     
    #10 fuzzy1, Aug 22, 2016
  11. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    I previously suggested that because solar cycle is currently low, solar corona may be 'below average' for this eclipse. I have since seen a photo from 2016 (Jan., Indonesia) eclipse with excellent solar corona. So, do not be dissuaded. Get thee to the centerline.
     
    #11 tochatihu, Sep 17, 2016
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    did anyone catch the lunar eclipse yesterday? we had a beautiful harvest moon, but no eclipse here.
     
    #12 bisco, Sep 17, 2016
  13. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    I was on the wrong side of the planet. But SpaceWeather.com has a photo gallery.
     
    #13 fuzzy1, Sep 17, 2016
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  14. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Reviewing pinhole camera boxes.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #14 bwilson4web, Jun 4, 2017
  15. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    Just now getting into the time when weather forecasts for all-important 21 Aug begin to show skill. Biggest feature is below-average T in middle of CONUS that apparently will persist. This may connect with more cloud cover there.

    Which cloud-cover forecast sites should we be looking at?
     
    #15 tochatihu, Aug 3, 2017
  16. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    I live in Columbia, SC. Totality is going to be a visitor here. Hotels booked. People are even renting rooms in their houses for crazy $$. Wife is trying to convince me to rent out 2 or 3 of our extra rooms.

    150 seconds of darkness. Should be fun. Our house is about 1/2 mile from Lake Murray and the lake is pretty much at the center of the totality path. The facility where I work is even better and is supposed to have ~153 seconds.
     
    #16 TMR-JWAP, Aug 3, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2017
  17. drysider

    drysider Active Member

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    Rexburg ID for me, assuming I can make it through the crowds that are expected. I have been working on my solar photography skills. I think it would be easy to spend so much time taking pictures that you miss the eclipse.
     
    #17 drysider, Aug 3, 2017
  18. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I got to see one years ago in Ohio at an astronomy club gathering. I was surprised at how the temperature dropped! And it was really cool seeing it through some of the telescopes.
     
    #18 jerrymildred, Aug 3, 2017
  19. tochatihu

    tochatihu Senior Member

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    2009 India/Asia eclipse probably passed over heads of largest # people. Maybe, since ever. This time, US path and high mobility of people off-track may get nearly as many eyeballs into play.

    Also it seems more science will be done this time than ever before including citizen science.
     
    #19 tochatihu, Aug 3, 2017
  20. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    Over here with partial a few years (decades) ago, it got very cold and all the birds and insects went really quiet, Shhhhh.. only a few homo sapiens were making a little noise.
     
    #20 RCO, Aug 4, 2017
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