There’s a map here of the path of totality of the 1 August solar eclipse. I doubt that too many Dopers will experience the total eclipse, although **Nunavut Boy ** may be close.
It’ll be at about 50% here.
Ah, well. I’ve seen a total eclipse before, and though I’d love to see one again, I just couldn’t justify spending that much money and time to travel to the back of beyond to see it right now.
We tried to convince ourselves that it made any kind of logistical or economic sense to go to China or Mongolia for this, but failed.
We saw a total eclipse in 1988 in Palembang, Sumatra, and another one in Egypt near the Libyan border in 2006, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.
It’s really kind of hard to explain to people how really special a total edlipse of the sun is. People, it’s all or nothing. A partial eclipse of the sun is like almost coming but not quite. I saw one in Cabo San Lucas and even though it was a ridiculous ordeal to see it (People said that there would be no gasoline available and that everyone would be turned back Guerro Negro). My friend actually bought a piece of property in North Carolina where there will be a total eclipse in 2012 or something like that. That was planning for 21 years in the future. Since then, his buddy and fellow investor stole his girlfriend. Oh well, I’m there in 2012!
Nunavut Boy won’t be anywhere near the umbra. Iqualuit, where he lives, is on the South East of Baffin Island. The umbra just barely skims the North West. It looks like the only Nunavut settlement it’ll pass over is Grise Fjord, and the listening station Alert.
I saw a total solar eclipse when I was a wee thing. We were kept inside the school and all of the windows were covered, and we watched it on tv. I was about six or seven years old.
what? What? WHAT???
That’s like that horrible Ray Bradbury story about the kids living on Venus and they lock the one girl in the closet and she misses the one hour of sunshine…
I had an opportunity in Valdosta GA in 1970, knew about it about 4 years ahead of time and was on pins & needles waiting for it, and then it was totally overcast and we didn’t see a damn thing except that it got dark. :mad:
None since, I’m sad to report.
I remember a big deal being made about a total solar eclipse while I was in school – and this was back in something like 1976 or 77 I think, so early grade school. We were allowed to watch it, but they had us make these pinhole viewing devices that would kinda-sorta project the eclipse onto a white piece of paper; we weren’t allowed to look directly at it, something about our eyes melting or something.
Kind of anticlimactic, really. I watched a bright spot about two or thee inches in diameter being covered by a shadow. I could have done that with a penlight and the tip of my finger.
I suppose now a good pair of dark sunglasses or a welder’s helmet would be good for viewing it directly.
North Americans, just wait 9 years for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse which will go straight across the middle of the US (basically).
If one ever comes to my vicinity, you can bet your life savings on the fact that it will be overcast/rainy.
NO on the dark sunglasses. Stronger welder’s goggles are fine, but for most people it’s easier and cheaper to get a pair of eclipse glasses - science museums should have them in the gift shop, particularly if a solar eclipse will pass through the region in the near future, astronomy clubs often have them, school supply shops have them in the science section or can order them for you… and so on. They are cardboard frames with a particular type of mylar film where the “lenses” should be. This is not the same mylar that is used in balloons, in case anybody gets any ideas about whipping up a homemade substitute.
If you have a friend with a telescope, you can set up a viewing station by projecting the image from the telescope onto white cardboard. Just make sure that NOBODY looks through the telescope under pain of death (unless your friend also has a good solar filter, properly installed). Don’t do this if there are kids or stupid people around.
The pinhole technique is also safe, though the image may be a bit underwhelming, as has been noted. You can see some nifty images from a partial eclipse by looking on the ground under a leafy tree to see all the little crescent Suns… or you can cross your hands so your fingers make a mesh pattern to see the same result.
During the few minutes of totality during a total solar eclipse, it is perfectly safe to look at the Sun. The corona is no brighter than the full Moon. Just be ready to look away as soon as totality ends. When viewing the Sun at any other time, including when it it 99.9% eclipsed, protect your eyes, please?
I’ve made reservations to be on a cruise ship in the western Pacific for the longest (6 minutes, 38 seconds of totality) total solar eclipse of the century in July 2009. I’m so excited!
However many years ago when there was a total eclipse visible in Africa, the local science museum was going to show it on their IMAX screen. I went there to watch it and they had a “talking head” on screen discussing eclipses, and behind him, we could see a TV that was broadcasting video of the eclipse as it was happening (eclipses in the leaf shadows, shadow bands, string of pearls, and all) We were all yelling "Shut UP!! and cut to the eclipse!! They never did, the “talking head” kept droning on and on. SOOOOO disappointing.
I experienced an annular eclipse 15-20 years ago. It was so freakin’ awesome I can’t even imagine how much more spectacular a total eclipse would be.
I’ve seen two total eclipses … one in Hawaii in 1991, and on the island of Guadeloupe in 1998. And I saw a 99.7% eclipse in Paris in 1999.
I also saw the Transit of Venus from Vienna in 2004 … I photographed the entire transit (about 6 hours), and made a composite image of all the little dots crossing the sun.
A little late to the party, but –
I just got back from China, where I did see the eclipse. It was awesome. We were sitting on a sage-scented hillside near the Brown Mountains. I am soooo tired, having just completed a 13-hour plane ride home, but will write more anon.
Also, I am sooooo glad to be back in the U. S. of A., land of toilets you can sit on, and airports in which you don’t have to be physically patted down before every flight. (Yes, I know that’s true of many other countries too.) I do not intend to ever return to China.