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Eclipse 2017: NSF56k

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Posts

  • JragghenJragghen Registered User regular
    Feral wrote: »
    PantsB wrote: »


    Shit we all missed the Forrest for the trees

    I saw something like this.

    The sun is about 400x the size of the moon and about 400x as far away, so they appear to us the same size in the sky and that's proof of intelligent design.

    What they didn't mention is that it doesn't always appear the same size, none of the orbits are perfectly circular, the lunar orbit isn't even on the same plane as our orbit around the sun, and the rotation of the earth wobbles...

    ...if an intelligent designer did create our solar system, he was pissed drunk at the time.

    Also the moon is continuously drifting further away, so earlier in history the moon was MUCH larger, and later in history total solar eclipses won't happen (just annular ones), so it's a coincidence of being alive right now as much as anything.

  • SiliconStewSiliconStew Registered User regular
    Feral wrote: »
    PantsB wrote: »


    Shit we all missed the Forrest for the trees

    I saw something like this.

    The sun is about 400x the size of the moon and about 400x as far away, so they appear to us the same size in the sky and that's proof of intelligent design.

    What they didn't mention is that it doesn't always appear the same size, none of the orbits are perfectly circular, the lunar orbit isn't even on the same plane as our orbit around the sun, and the rotation of the earth wobbles...

    ...if an intelligent designer did create our solar system, he was pissed drunk at the time.

    And the moon's orbit is expanding by 1.5 inches per year so the last total eclipse will happen in 570 million years. Earth has already seen 90% of the solar eclipses it will ever have.

    Just remember that half the people you meet are below average intelligence.
  • Captain InertiaCaptain Inertia Registered User regular
    Feral wrote: »
    PantsB wrote: »


    Shit we all missed the Forrest for the trees

    I saw something like this.

    The sun is about 400x the size of the moon and about 400x as far away, so they appear to us the same size in the sky and that's proof of intelligent design.

    What they didn't mention is that it doesn't always appear the same size, none of the orbits are perfectly circular, the lunar orbit isn't even on the same plane as our orbit around the sun, and the rotation of the earth wobbles...

    ...if an intelligent designer did create our solar system, he was pissed drunk at the time.

    And the moon's orbit is expanding by 1.5 inches per year so the last total eclipse will happen in 570 million years. Earth has already seen 90% of the solar eclipses it will ever have.

    Bummer man

  • Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    https://youtu.be/43X9x4ZWwQg

    My bodycam video of the Total Eclipse in the zone of totality, at the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park in Hopkinsville, KY.

    8i1dt37buh2m.png
  • DasUberEdwardDasUberEdward Registered User regular
    I feel entirely remiss in my ability to accurately describe what I experienced in succinct and cohesive words. A buddy and I made the 8 hour trek down to Hopkinsville, KY on a bit of a whim and even though he isn't a space nerd like I him he wholeheartedly agreed that the phenomenon was so sufficiently rare and surreal that it created a memory that would last a life time.

    We hit a few snags on the way from our neck of Ohio and actually didn't make it into Hopkinsville in time to join the crowd but that didn't matter. We weren't the only people who knew what was happening. As we were approaching the town we both did a quick double check of our phone clocks because suddenly it wasn't so sunny.

    Fortunately we were still in totality as we managed to hit I-169 and all along the interstate you could see people set up in the hills and fields waiting for the eclipse. Then as if on cue the sky around us dimmed by another gradient and all of the vehicles on the interstate began to pull to the side of the road and turn on their hazards. It was a sight out of science-fiction as far as I could see up and down the highway cars were pulled off to the side and not a single vehicle was cruising down the highway.

    I think in this respect we had a pretty unique view. We were not in a large crowd. There was no one to cheer or clap. There was just suddenly a very real hush. I distinctly remember when I got out of the van by the roadside brush the sound of cicada and hopping insects being a nuisance. The temperature dropped, the lights faded, and the soundscape changed.

    There was a truly eerie and indescribable quality to the event.

    One of the most striking things to me under totality as that even though I've been watching videos and reading about every single second of what would happen during the eclipse my brain just couldn't fully process it. I specifically remember spinning in circles in awe on trembling legs as we were overcome by this alien sky and silence. Seeing the rows of cars lined up all with their hazards on gave the scene a really uncomfortable sense of dispense. No cheering and no clapping you could hear a few people say something about their glasses and I remember myself blurting out "holy shit that's Venus" in the not-so-night sky.

    After checking out a few youtube science channels that were documenting the event it's interesting to see that a lot of people had visceral reactions. My buddy admitted that his hands were trembling just a bit, I totally forgot to take pictures once we entered totality,

    I really wish I could adequately describe the experience. Pictures really don't do it justice but I think Destin from the channel Smarter Every Day summed it up pretty well

    "My brain stopped working."

    His video is in the spoiler below if you want to see what it's like when a rocket scientist forgets to take the lens off of his camera during a once in a lifetime event.

    steam_sig.png
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    Oh hey there was a thread for this.

    We took a trip to KC for the totality. The weather was absolutely shit but we totally lucked into a break in the clouds with about 10 minutes to spare. Behold my shitty iPhone picture!

    6ssbj3w4yn6e.png

    I remember the partial annular from 1984, this is the first total I've seen.

    Holy shit it was awesome. The most bizarre thing was that it looked like sunset at the very fringe of the horizon, everywhere. The sun was setting everywhere at once, and with the way the clouds broke, the whole horizon had that orange "sunset against the clouds" glow. Everywhere.

    Hurry up, 2024!

    Cog on
  • VeeveeVeevee WisconsinRegistered User regular
    Fortunately we were still in totality as we managed to hit I-169 and all along the interstate you could see people set up in the hills and fields waiting for the eclipse. Then as if on cue the sky around us dimmed by another gradient and all of the vehicles on the interstate began to pull to the side of the road and turn on their hazards. It was a sight out of science-fiction as far as I could see up and down the highway cars were pulled off to the side and not a single vehicle was cruising down the highway.

    Coincidentally, that is the exact opposite of what every state and federal highway administrations wanted to happen.
    The Federal Highway Administration has asked states to suspend all road construction Monday to ease the flow of traffic. FHWA also is changing interstate dynamic message boards nationwide: A total solar eclipse is coming. The sky will get dark. The sun will appear to go away in the middle of the day. Do not slam on your brakes. Do not be afraid.
    Maryland Transportation Authority, and AAA Mid-Atlantic are offering these tips on how to avoid trouble if you’re on the road during the eclipse:

    Don’t stop along the interstate or park on the shoulder during the event.
    Exit the highway to a safe location to view and/or photograph the eclipse.

  • DasUberEdwardDasUberEdward Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    Veevee wrote: »
    Fortunately we were still in totality as we managed to hit I-169 and all along the interstate you could see people set up in the hills and fields waiting for the eclipse. Then as if on cue the sky around us dimmed by another gradient and all of the vehicles on the interstate began to pull to the side of the road and turn on their hazards. It was a sight out of science-fiction as far as I could see up and down the highway cars were pulled off to the side and not a single vehicle was cruising down the highway.

    Coincidentally, that is the exact opposite of what every state and federal highway administrations wanted to happen.
    The Federal Highway Administration has asked states to suspend all road construction Monday to ease the flow of traffic. FHWA also is changing interstate dynamic message boards nationwide: A total solar eclipse is coming. The sky will get dark. The sun will appear to go away in the middle of the day. Do not slam on your brakes. Do not be afraid.
    Maryland Transportation Authority, and AAA Mid-Atlantic are offering these tips on how to avoid trouble if you’re on the road during the eclipse:

    Don’t stop along the interstate or park on the shoulder during the event.
    Exit the highway to a safe location to view and/or photograph the eclipse.

    Interesting, the most common sign we saw near on ramps said things like "Eclipse Parking $5" but I can't recall seeing any warnings coming into town.

    DasUberEdward on
    steam_sig.png
  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    Veevee wrote: »
    Fortunately we were still in totality as we managed to hit I-169 and all along the interstate you could see people set up in the hills and fields waiting for the eclipse. Then as if on cue the sky around us dimmed by another gradient and all of the vehicles on the interstate began to pull to the side of the road and turn on their hazards. It was a sight out of science-fiction as far as I could see up and down the highway cars were pulled off to the side and not a single vehicle was cruising down the highway.

    Coincidentally, that is the exact opposite of what every state and federal highway administrations wanted to happen.
    The Federal Highway Administration has asked states to suspend all road construction Monday to ease the flow of traffic. FHWA also is changing interstate dynamic message boards nationwide: A total solar eclipse is coming. The sky will get dark. The sun will appear to go away in the middle of the day. Do not slam on your brakes. Do not be afraid.
    Maryland Transportation Authority, and AAA Mid-Atlantic are offering these tips on how to avoid trouble if you’re on the road during the eclipse:

    Don’t stop along the interstate or park on the shoulder during the event.
    Exit the highway to a safe location to view and/or photograph the eclipse.

    Interesting, the most common sign we saw near on ramps said things like "Eclipse Parking $5" but I can't recall seeing any warnings coming into town.

    Apparently in Iowa the DOT was flashing these signs.

    iowa-dot-sign-eclipse.jpg

  • Knight_Knight_ Dead Dead Dead Registered User regular
    Our PennDOT ones were boring "SOLAR ECLIPSE TODAY" then "DO NOT STOP ON HIGHWAY".

    I thought they were silly in the morning, but after seeing it and being relatively unable to look away, I understand.

    aeNqQM9.jpg
  • CogCog What'd you expect? Registered User regular
    edited August 2017
    Mayabird wrote: »
    Apparently in Iowa the DOT was flashing these signs.

    *snip*

    There's been local news coverage of their signage. Considering the limitations they have to work in they manage to be fairly amusing at times.

    Also, holy shit the traffic on the way home from KC was godawful. 3 hour drive down there, 7 hour drive home.

    Cog on
  • ShivahnShivahn Unaware of her barrel shifter privilege Western coastal temptressRegistered User, Moderator mod
    DoctorArch wrote: »
    I was at 99% totality and it reached only dusk in brightness level. It's amazing what that additional 1% contributes to plunge Jackson Hole into night.

    Just for like, information, you actually are having more photons reflected into your eyes by the black text in a book during the day than you are by the white paper when you're indoors. This is the variation we have evolved to deal with. There are a ton of factors that make this the case, but you're never really aware of them.

    Until there's an eclipse and you realize that at 1% sunlight it still basically just feels like a cloudy day :P

  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    Shivahn wrote: »
    DoctorArch wrote: »
    I was at 99% totality and it reached only dusk in brightness level. It's amazing what that additional 1% contributes to plunge Jackson Hole into night.

    Just for like, information, you actually are having more photons reflected into your eyes by the black text in a book during the day than you are by the white paper when you're indoors. This is the variation we have evolved to deal with. There are a ton of factors that make this the case, but you're never really aware of them.

    Until there's an eclipse and you realize that at 1% sunlight it still basically just feels like a cloudy day :P

    Yeah, I didn't really believe it either, but the comparison with my parents' experience 1 hour north near Charlotte (98.89% total) vs. mine in Columbia, SC (in totality) was like day and night*. They just felt like it was a weirdly cloudy day with no clouds, while it was like being up before dawn for me. There was a catchy quote, I think it was in the Washington Post, about the difference between in and out of totality, "Its the difference between dating a guy and marrying him."

    *
    get it?! Hah!

    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Hey everyone, one of the photographers who took a really awesome photo, Jasman Mander, is selling prints and such - you can find them here: http://www.manderstudio.com/Oregoneclipse?utm_source=Eclipse+Photo+Orders&utm_campaign=c6b52832b7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_09_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a7adca0e76-c6b52832b7-162677305

    (I think he is processing all the orders himself so there may be a shipping lag!)


    You can also purchase the photo taken of the rock climber at Smith Rock by Ted Hesser here: http://www.tedhesser.com/wall-art/prints

    Just thought I'd mention it to the thread. I'm definitely buying one to commemorate my experience seeing the total eclipse. Hoping to be in TX in 2024 for the next one!

  • Knight_Knight_ Dead Dead Dead Registered User regular
    That one from oregon is real pretty. I love the shots of all the phases stacked up on top of each other.

    As someone who takes pictures from time to time, I do wonder if people who go through a lot of effort to take pictures of an event like this ever feel bittersweet about it, since you're spending so much time during the event trying to get the shot.

    aeNqQM9.jpg
  • VishNubVishNub Registered User regular
    Knight_ wrote: »
    That one from oregon is real pretty. I love the shots of all the phases stacked up on top of each other.

    As someone who takes pictures from time to time, I do wonder if people who go through a lot of effort to take pictures of an event like this ever feel bittersweet about it, since you're spending so much time during the event trying to get the shot.

    I have this argument with my girlfriend constantly.

    "How will you remember this without photos?"
    vs
    "How will you remember this if you spent the whole time posing me for taking pictures?"

  • ThawmusThawmus +Jackface Registered User regular
    Knight_ wrote: »
    That one from oregon is real pretty. I love the shots of all the phases stacked up on top of each other.

    As someone who takes pictures from time to time, I do wonder if people who go through a lot of effort to take pictures of an event like this ever feel bittersweet about it, since you're spending so much time during the event trying to get the shot.

    I really struggled, personally. I took a few pictures, but really just tried to take it in myself. In the end I wish I took a panorama shot from that rooftop, but I'm also glad I didn't.

    Clearly we'll fix this in the future by having drones that hover around us and take pictures, instead.

    Twitch: Thawmus83
  • MayabirdMayabird Pecking at the keyboardRegistered User regular
    Oh hey, Astronomers Without Borders has the details up now for their eclipse glasses donation program for kids in the next eclipse. They have drop off locations in most states (I saw that there are a couple libraries in town accepting glasses) plus a mailing address if none are convenient.

    Before you do, something you could do is check the sun right now with the glasses. There are two giant sunspots on there right now, and supposedly they are just large enough to be visible by the (protected) naked eye. I tried and couldn't tell but maybe other people might be able to see it.

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