Great Eclipse of 2017

[DanOregon]

Granted, I live in the zone so I didn't have to go anywhere - but really if you have a chance to take one of these in at some point - you should make an effort. Maybe not go someplace JUST for the eclipse, but travel 100 miles or so to get in the totality zone? Plan ahead and go visit a someplace in the region you've always wanted to go to? Absolutely. It was like Christmas, the Fourth of July, a rocket launch, and Old Faithful spouting all at the same time. Perhaps the best part is experiencing it with friends and family in for a visit and meeting people from all over the place to share in it. Truly special. Words and photos really don't do it justice.

 

[murphyc]

We're in 99.3% totality, probably about 30 minutes from the southern tip of 100% coverage in Oregon. I figured the last .7% wouldn't be a big deal. It was pretty cool. I watched the start from inside the office, then walked outside and found the view from the parking lot was better. So I got the camping chair out of my trunk and hung out next to the car for 20 minutes. Pretty neat how things cooled down, it got dark and lights turned on like it was evening. Co-worker and I thought it was cool.
Then we went inside. Our secretary had glasses from a regional coffee chain, which announced late Monday night they weren't sure their glasses would work. So she ended up watching the New York Times live feed on YouTube, I believe from Madras, Oregon. She showed us the 100% totality and it was indeed a huge difference. The diamonds looked awesome. The 100% was definitely much better, but then again I didn't have any crowds to battle. When I drove home, I saw southbound I-5 was a parking lot (this was at 5 p.m., about 6+ hours after totality ended).

 

[HanSenSE]

 

[Vombatus]

Granted, I live in the zone so I didn't have to go anywhere - but really if you have a chance to take one of these in at some point - you should make an effort. Maybe not go someplace JUST for the eclipse, but travel 100 miles or so to get in the totality zone? Plan ahead and go visit a someplace in the region you've always wanted to go to? Absolutely. It was like Christmas, the Fourth of July, a rocket launch, and Old Faithful spouting all at the same time. Perhaps the best part is experiencing it with friends and family in for a visit and meeting people from all over the place to share in it. Truly special. Words and photos really don't do it justice.

I'm hoping that's what it will be like when we know the nukes are coming and the world is ending - we just all get together and hug and maybe have sex.

 

[Vombatus]

Cool science:

The Ultimate Eclipse Photo Is In: NASA Caught The ISS Flying in Front of The Sun

 

[playthrough]

Here in Indianapolis, the eclipse didn't blow my mind. Intermittent clouds, not in the totality band, frankly I thought it would be darker. But looking forward to 2024 when we'll be virtually in it -- and in reading everyone's comments, I'll make sure to drive to the 100 percent range, which should be 30 miles away.

Could probably get a good price on eclipse glasses today too.

 

[YankeeFan]

Here in Indianapolis, the eclipse didn't blow my mind. Intermittent clouds, not in the totality band, frankly I thought it would be darker. But looking forward to 2024 when we'll be virtually in it -- and in reading everyone's comments, I'll make sure to drive to the 100 percent range, which should be 30 miles away.

Could probably get a good price on eclipse glasses today too.

2024 looks like it passes over, or near to, more metro areas than this one did.

 

[poindexter]

I'd like to know how they calculated the 2017 and 2014 eclipses back in 1932.
Slide rule?

 

[Stoney]

2024 looks like it passes over, or near to, more metro areas than this one did.

Lucky folks in that Southern Illinois/Eastern Missouri/Western Kentucky region are in it for both eclipses.

 

[MileHigh]

I'd like to know how they calculated the 2017 and 2014 eclipses back in 1932.
Slide rule?

http://www.bernadettebrady.com/Pdfs/SarosCycles.pdf

 

[bigpern23]

Best shot I saw of the eclipse yesterday.

 

[HanSenSE]

ICYMI

 

[User 149557]

2024 looks like it passes over, or near to, more metro areas than this one did.

Here's a fun game:

Is this a 2024 path of totality or a 1976 Kiss tour?

 

[Starman]

2024 should be an extravaganza to dwarf this year, with mid-game observances at 5-6 MLB Opening Day games.

 

[Chef2]

ICYMI

Somebody will be winning an award for that one.
Very well done.

 

[hondo]

I'd like to know how they calculated the 2017 and 2014 eclipses back in 1932.
Slide rule?

They got it right, didn't they?

 

[MileHigh]

Somebody will be winning an award for that one.
Very well done.

Better had Chicago been in the path of totality. Perhaps the same concept and do it at what the max was in Chicago.

 

[BTExpress]

Best shot I saw of the eclipse yesterday.

Hmmm . . . .

The eclipse is mighty big in that image, which suggests a telescope.

But the climber in the foreground obviously was shot with a regular camera (although zoomed somewhat, perhaps).

The size of the two things just doesn't make sense. What am I missing?

 

[User 11148]

I'd like to know how they calculated the 2017 and 2014 eclipses back in 1932.
Slide rule?

The Greeks were predicting them with incredible precision 3,000+ years ago.

 

[bigpern23]

Hmmm . . . .

The eclipse is mighty big in that image, which suggests a telescope.

But the climber in the foreground obviously was shot with a regular camera (although zoomed somewhat, perhaps).

The size of the two things just doesn't make sense. What am I missing?

Long lens, probably 600mm, shot from a distance. Think of it like this: The sun is so large and so far away, that no matter where on Earth I take a shot of it, it will appear a certain size when photographed at 600mm, probably nearly filling the frame. If I shoot it at 85mm, it will always appear to be a dot in the frame. So the "trick," if you can call it that, is the distance you stand from your subject. The further away you stand and the more you zoom in, the larger the sun will appear relative to the subject.

If I shoot a portrait of a person using an 85mm lens from 10 feet away, they'll take up probably 2/3 of the frame and the sun will be a dot in the distance. If I step back 300 feet and zoom in with a 600mm lens until the person again takes up 2/3 of the frame, the sun will, as always, fill a significant portion of the frame and look relatively huge next to the person.