Solar eclipse 2017 (8/21/17)

Bruce Jibboo

TCG Elite Member
Apr 18, 2008
19,791
155
Elgin
Solar eclipse 2017: The best places to see the rare phenomenon this August

On August 21, for the first time in 99 years, a total solar eclipse will cut through the entire continental United States. It’s going to be awesome. If you’re in the bull’s eye center of the moon’s shadow known as the totality — the sky will go dark for a few minutes in the middle of the day, stars will appear, birds will become confused and start chirping their nighttime songs. And it’s all because of a cosmic coincidence: From the Earth, both the moon and sun appear to be roughly the same size.

Most of the country will see a partial eclipse, which is also cool. But for the complete show, you need to be in the 60-mile wide path of the totality. Luckily NASA has mapped the path of the totality to an absurd detail.

As NASA data visualizer Ernie Wright explains in the video below, normally people draw the path of an eclipse by assuming that the moon’s shape is perfectly round. But “we know that the moon isn't smooth,” he says. “Around the edge of the moon we have these sort of jagged peaks and valleys.” The resulting shadow’s shape is not a perfectly smooth oval. “It’s more like a polygon,” he says.



il.jpg


https://youtu.be/MJgXaqW3md8

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/6/15/15804336/2017-solar-eclipse-map-united-states-nasa
 

ThirdgenTa

TCG Elite Member
Mar 17, 2008
5,156
140
Aurora
I planned on going. My wife told me it was a Friday a few months ago. I have off Fridays. She just informed me it's actually a Monday so I'll see if I can figure out how to get off work. There is an event at Garden of the gods on FB. 7,000 people going and 66,000 interested. Talk about a mess. Also the filters you need to photograph it are sold out or double the cost.
 

Lord Tin Foilhat

TCG Conspiracy Lead Investigator
TCG Premium
Jul 8, 2007
60,686
56,744
Privy Chamber
I planned on going. My wife told me it was a Friday a few months ago. I have off Fridays. She just informed me it's actually a Monday so I'll see if I can figure out how to get off work. There is an event at Garden of the gods on FB. 7,000 people going and 66,000 interested. Talk about a mess. Also the filters you need to photograph it are sold out or double the cost.
What filter is needed
 

Lord Tin Foilhat

TCG Conspiracy Lead Investigator
TCG Premium
Jul 8, 2007
60,686
56,744
Privy Chamber
Other than the party sluts in SIU, I think it may be better worth it to go to a podunk town to escape the crowds and buttfuckery of trying to go ANYWHERE. There's no way they're not going to shut the whole school and main drag down for this. It's going to be fucking huge. At least I think it will be.
Exactly what i was going to do. Pick a random ok sized town and go there.
 

Stink Star

Don’t Drive Angry!
TCG Premium
Jan 20, 2008
16,274
11,929
Big wood cock
Over 50,000 people plan on going to Shawnee. I would say stay the night but I heard the hotels are charging something outrageous like $300+ per night and they are booked solid

I’m staying the weekend in Nashville at my sisters house, then that morning I’m driving to Shawnee since it’s only like a 2 hour drive. Maybe I’ll stop by Hickok45’s house lol
 

Thirdgen89GTA

Aka "That Focus RS Guy"
TCG Premium
Sep 19, 2010
19,295
15,653
Rockford
Real Name
Bill
My dad in Carbondale is crazy excited over this since he's in to nature photography. That said, fuck going down there way too many people are supposed to be in area. From what I understand there are supposed to be a couple hundred thousand people down in the Carbondale area.



Exactly why I think going to the bigger towns in the path would be a mistake.

Anything in the path would work
 
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 90 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant. Consider starting a new thread to get fresh replies.

Thread Info