Total Eclipse Of The Heart

The Sandbox General
21

I know there are places in the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois that said by Saturday morning, “we are full, do not bother showing up.” Sounds like the forecast in Texas will be poor, I wonder how much that will drive people north into Arkansas and Missouri.

We’re still looking good on the farm, chance of clouds but I’m optimistic anything we get will be high clouds and we’ll still get a good view. More concerned about stupid people showing up and not having eclipse glasses and can we borrow yours? - which (1) I’ll be shocked if they show up with anything [eclipse glasses, food, drinks] and (2) I’ll tell them to just do what Donnie would do.

22

Sounds like everyone here is mostly a second timer?

My thoughts on totality duration… the extra time buys you some insurance against the clouds. Totality is cool, 1:30 is more than long enough to get the experience. If you are trying to get the perfect shot with fancy cameras, the time is welcome.

Hopefully you get to experience it in relative peace and quiet. This is something i really recall from 2017, like everything felt like it stopped for a couple minutes.

3 Likes
23

I had great luck in 2017. It was partly cloudy, but we missed all the clouds during the whole eclipse.

My sister is on the path, but she made the mistake of scheduling an MRI during the eclipse. I told her all the workers are going to leave her in the machine and walk outside. But it’s supposed to be cloudy there, anyway.

24

I remember the annular eclipse in 1994, we watched it at school. Didn’t travel to see the total eclipse in 2017.

We live about 2 miles from totality zone, so will be driving to see it. Will only be about a minute, but it’s not worth hours of commuting time back to see it for longer.

25

For the second time, I’ve had to cancel plans to travel to totality due to family medical issues. (Folks in southern Illinois can thank me for this; tomorrow would have been cloudy and stormy had I gone.)

Looks like I’m going to try to take a summer vacation to Australia in 2028, or maybe spring break in Alaska in 2033.

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26

Pretty much this.
Even if you are on the path, right before totality hits, it is still quite bright out and you cannot look toward the sun with your bare eyeballs. During the totality, you can look toward the sun. I took a pic of it in 2017, but all prior pics are through the eclipse sunglasses. Then I left and it took me ten hours to go what takes right now 7.5 hours. And most of that was the crawl on two lane highways.
So, people: if you are traveling to an eclipse site, get there early (dawn), and stick around the rest of the day. Cuz everyone will leave at the same time.

27

I didn’t really take pics in 2017, I had a couple of family standing there watching at the very end. I make contacts with people who were taking pictures, so I have those.

I may set laptop up and have it record after a certain point, and maybe take a couple pictures, but I think I may just do like last time: just stand there and enjoy the whole experience.

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28

I’d have to look, but in 2017 i think i took a short video panning around and then watched with my bare eyes!

29

3 minutes of totality at a private home is way better than 4 minutes in the midst of insanity IMO.

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30

Good choice

31

Agree with that take.

32

Yeah, unless something comes up tomorrow, i think I’m going to probably stay home and enjoy the calm 9x% coverage. I’d make the effort had i not experienced 2017… and given that was a step out the door for me, i think it will be hard to beat the experience.

33

My mom and I have been arguing this weekend about where her bestie lives. We’ll call her Jane. I have been to Jane’s house once, in 1995.

Me: Weather is looking iffy in Brookville.

Mom: Oh, I thought you were coming to Jane’s house!

Me: Well I’m considering it, yeah.

Mom: What’s in Brookville?

Me: Uh, isn’t that where Jane lives?

Mom: No, Jane lives in St. Leon.

Me: Oh! When did she move?

Mom: Gosh, maybe 1990 or so.

Me: That’s when she moved to Brookville. When did she move to St. Leon?

Mom: No, she never lived in Brookville…

Me: Yes she did, I’ve been to her house.

Mom: That was in St. Leon.

Me: No, it was in Brookville.

Back & forth all weekend about whether Jane lives in Brookville or St. Leon. I finally conceded that my mother must surely know where her bestie lives better than I do (and I haven’t been there since 1995, so I mean maybe I’m remembering wrong).

Me: Ok, so what’s Jane’s address?

Mom: 123 Chestnut Street, Brookville, Indiana… oh… she does live in Brookville!

Anywho, that’s the path of least resistance, so three generations of twig women are heading out to Jane’s tomorrow in Brookville, Indiana. Hope it’s sunny! I might yet change my mind… but that’s the current plan.

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34

Aw, it’s totality or bust for me.

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35

It’s going to be quite cloudy here tomorrow and I’m feeling anxious about traveling even 6 miles to my parents’ house. I’m thinking of bailing.

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36

6 hour drive, the sun and moon can go to hell for all I care right now. And then 6 hours back.

37

Did you see the last one? Totality is SO cool!!!

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38

Is it cool though if you can’t actually see it? I know it will get dark for about 45 seconds, and all that, but we won’t be able to see the corona.

I’m not easily impressed by nature. I would like to see the eclipse, but not if I can’t actually see it…

39

I’m impressed by nature but that doesn’t mean it outweighs my dislike of other people.

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40

If there’s cloud cover it will be considerably less cool.

But if it’s clear it’s pretty amazing. I’d hope for the best. There’s not another total eclipse over North America for quite a while.