# total solar eclipse visible coast-to-coast in US

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 21, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847 "2008-08-21T20:37:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/1 "2008-08-21T20:37:36Z")

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In exactly 9 years. 😃

> **[NASA - 
Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 Aug 21](https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html)**
>
> This page is part of the NASA Eclipse Website. 
> It uses Google Maps to create an interactive map of the  
> \<!-- \*\*\* #01 Total Solar Eclipse of xxxx --\>
> Total Solar Eclipse of 2017 Aug 21
> .

The hard part will be guessing where the skies will be clear.

There’s already lots of info on the Web, including Google Earth and Maps plots.

> **[Solar Eclipses - Google Earth Files (kmz) - Xavier Jubier](http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGoogleEarth.html)**
>
> Solar Eclipses Google Earth files (kml, kmz) by Xavier Jubier

> **[Solar Eclipses - Interactive Google Maps - Xavier Jubier](http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/SolarEclipsesGoogleMaps.html)**
>
> Solar Eclipses interactive Google maps by Xavier Jubier

Interestingly, it’s in the same Saros cycle as the eclipse that clipped SW England in 1999. [http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCSEmap/1901-2000/1999-08-11.gif](http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCSEmap/1901-2000/1999-08-11.gif)

And for those of us older folks who might remember the eclipse that clipped Maine in 1963, that’s also in the same Saros. [http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCSEmap/1901-2000/1963-07-20.gif](http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/5MCSEmap/1901-2000/1963-07-20.gif)

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**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/2 "2008-08-21T23:56:21Z")

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I know, I’m kinda pumped. Only about 50 miles away too! Wonder how much the plane rides will cost? It’d suck to be overcast that day.

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**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/3 "2008-08-22T00:07:52Z")

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Eight years ago I made plans to be in Carbondale Illinois for it. I talked with people about it less than a year ago and all plans are still valid. It helps that we are all currently “local”.

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**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/4 "2008-08-22T04:03:04Z")

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We have friends in Salem, Oregon. The ‘center’ of the eclipse path will be about 10 miles south of their house.

We’ll be visiting 🙂

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**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/5 "2008-08-22T06:48:38Z")

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Eight-year-old totnak is already making plans for a visit to the US West Coast to see this 😃

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**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/6 "2008-08-22T13:48:52Z")

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Way cool! Looks like a road trip is in order.  
Got a sister and a niece in the St Louie area who had better expect company…

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**Author:** ![Jelymag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jelymag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jelymag)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/7 "2008-08-22T14:19:05Z")

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I’m sooo glad I’m not the only astro-nerd looking forward to this. I recently informed my husband that we will be vacationing in South Carolina with the (currently non-existent) kids during that summer. He looked at me like I announced we were going to join the circus, but just smiled and agreed. He’s used to me dragging him outside for meteor showers and stuff, but THIS is going to be the best!

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**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/8 "2008-08-22T14:29:40Z")

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With my luck, I won’t be in the US when it happens. I missed seeing the total solar eclipse of 2006 by two weeks. (Okay, apparently it was only partial in Bulgaria, but it was total in Turkey, so it must have been pretty _close_ to total). I was especially grumpy about missing it because _years_ ago, **manhattan** and I had joked about having an Ankara EclipseDope and then I came _so close_ to actually seeing it!

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**Author:** ![Pithy\_Moniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Pithy\_Moniker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithy_Moniker)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/9 "2008-08-22T14:34:21Z")

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Oh yes, I will be traveling to see this. It looks like I won’t have to go terribly far.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/10 "2008-08-22T14:41:52Z")

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I’m currently trying to decide whether it’s worth going to Asia for the eclipse of [July 22](http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009.html) next year. It’ll be the longest of the 21st century; unfortunately the track looks pretty [cloudy](http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009iau/TSE2009-fig06.GIF) at that time of year.

Shanghai will see 5 minutes of totality, but the chances of clear skies aren’t so great. Having said that, it would be a cool place to visit anyhow.

I would urge everyone who can get to see a total eclipse to do so. Don’t think “Well it’ll be 98% here so I may as well stay put” or whatever - even a 99% eclipse is nothing at all to totality. I’ve seen three now (1999 in Hungary, 2001 in Zambia and [2002 in Australia](http://i33.tinypic.com/2up32nk.jpg)) and I have to see more 🙂 If I miss next year’s, I’ll be there in 2017…

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**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/11 "2008-08-22T15:42:18Z")

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Well, with this old pc, my clunky old browser and a dial-up line, I can’t get those fancy maps to work for me. I’m pretty sure I’m sitting nicely for the eclipse, so I’m thinking about sacrificing a goat, to persuade the sun to return. (And if it so happens that the goat gets barbecued and eaten, so be it.) I’m at about 38° 7’ N, 90° 37’ W, if anyone wants to confirm my eclipse viewing situation.

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**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/total-solar-eclipse-visible-coast-to-coast-in-us/460847/12 "2008-08-22T18:21:49Z")

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And if you miss this one, the continental US will get another total solar eclipse about six years afterwards. There’s even a spot in the Midwest that will see _both_ eclipses.