Total Eclipse of the Sun - August 21st

[ricks68]

Man, I can't believe that no one on this thread saw it at 100% except me so far. Spectacular is what we saw in Bryson City. For about 2 1/2 minutes we saw the corona without glasses on. Like out of a science fiction movie, only much, much better. If you didn't see it at 100%, you just plain missed out. It was entirely different than when it was less than 100%. Just spectacular. A lifetime event.

ricks

[ricks68]

We left Asheville at 8 this am and it only took us less than 20 minutes longer than normal to get to Bryson City. On the way back is a different story so far, however.

ricks

[rsvman]

Man, I can't believe that no one on this thread saw it at 100% except me so far. Spectacular is what we saw in Bryson City. For about 2 1/2 minutes we saw the corona without glasses on. Like out of a science fiction movie, only much, much better. If you didn't see it at 100%, you just plain missed out. It was entirely different than when it was less than 100%. Just spectacular. A lifetime event.

ricks

Sweet. I'm glad you got to see it. We had 87% here in Virginia, and I enjoyed it, but it's nothing like the total eclipse, that's for sure.

[Tom B.]

Man, I can't believe that no one on this thread saw it at 100% except me so far. Spectacular is what we saw in Bryson City. For about 2 1/2 minutes we saw the corona without glasses on. Like out of a science fiction movie, only much, much better. If you didn't see it at 100%, you just plain missed out. It was entirely different than when it was less than 100%. Just spectacular. A lifetime event.

We had 85% totality here in Richmond, VA. My son and I were able to see it through eclipse glasses, and I used binoculars to do a low-tech projection on a box top that I'd covered with white paper.

eclipse 2.jpg

It was cool, but nothing compared to the pictures I'm seeing from the totality path. I have family in Charleston, SC, and thought about going down there -- but the forecast was for cloudy skies and rain, so I figured 85% was better than nothing.

Talked to my mom a short while ago -- she said the clouds rolled in right after the eclipse started, then there was a break in the clouds of just a few minutes right at the time of totality. They literally got to see the totality plus maybe five minutes on either side before the clouds rolled back in.

So now I'm kicking myself. And checking out hotel prices and airfares for Austin, Dallas, Little Rock, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Montreal for April 8, 2024.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I have family in Charleston, SC, and thought about going down there -- but the forecast was for cloudy skies and rain, so I figured 85% was better than nothing.

We decided to watch from Middleton Place plantation. We dodged clouds and watched most of the eclipse up until about 5 minutes away from totality, and then the skies opened up with a crazy insane thunderstorm. It was still pouring by the time we got back to our hotel, 20 minutes away. The folks at the front desk said they had nothing but rain, so we got lucky where we were. Has been a great trip, even though we missed out on the penultimate moment.

[OldPhiKap]

Man, I can't believe that no one on this thread saw it at 100% except me so far. Spectacular is what we saw in Bryson City. For about 2 1/2 minutes we saw the corona without glasses on. Like out of a science fiction movie, only much, much better. If you didn't see it at 100%, you just plain missed out. It was entirely different than when it was less than 100%. Just spectacular. A lifetime event.

ricks

Just got home from a small town in SC that was in the totality for 2'34" or so.

Really unable to describe. Blew my expectations off the chart. The brightest light you can imagine, surrounding the blackest circle you can imagine right in the middle. Crickets going full blare, all at once.

We had about 99.8% where I live, but took the day off with the family and made the drive. Best decision I have made in a long time.

And yes, both my son and I had Pink Floyd's Brain Damage -> Eclipse timed perfectly in the headphones. Bam.

[DukieInKansas]

Amazing! Big storm this morning. Cleared about 30 minutes before the eclipse started, skies cleared. Clouds moved back about a minute after totality ended. Had about 1 minute 20 seconds of totality. As totality approached l, all the cicadas suddenly went silent. As we talked about that, we realized that we were whispering.
Fortunately, I only had to go about 20 miles for totality. Originally, I was going to be happy with 99.5%. So glad I made the effort to have the party at a friend's house.

[ricks68]

Just got home from a small town in SC that was in the totality for 2'34" or so.

Really unable to describe. Blew my expectations off the chart. The brightest light you can imagine, surrounding the blackest circle you can imagine right in the middle. Crickets going full blare, all at once.

We had about 99.8% where I live, but took the day off with the family and made the drive. Best decision I have made in a long time.

And yes, both my son and I had Pink Floyd's Brain Damage -> Eclipse timed perfectly in the headphones. Bam.

Wow! You really scored with the music. I think if I had the music you had on when I was watching, that may well have been truly the ultimate experience for me. (Although, I was so stunned by what I was immersed in, there's a very good chance that it wouldn't have even registered in my brain that music was playing.) Congrats on your brilliant insight on the headphones and decision to go for the extra .2%. Knowing what you know now after experiencing the real thing, I bet you will be smiling for a long, long time.

ricks

[OldPhiKap]

Wow! You really scored with the music. I think if I had the music you had on when I was watching, that may well have been truly the ultimate experience for me. (Although, I was so stunned by what I was immersed in, there's a very good chance that it wouldn't have even registered in my brain that music was playing.) Congrats on your brilliant insight on the headphones and decision to go for the extra .2%. Knowing what you know now after experiencing the real thing, I bet you will be smiling for a long, long time.

ricks

Looking at Austin, Tx or Montpellier, Vt in 2024. It was that cool.

And for effect:

https://youtu.be/1Z39KZAryzk

[devildeac]

Looking at Austin, Tx or Montpellier, Vt in 2024. It was that cool.

And for effect:

https://youtu.be/1Z39KZAryzk

Hmmm, from another thread:

"Looks like viewing the 2024 eclipse will be best from either the Hill Farmstead brewery in upstate VT, The Alchemist in Stowe, VT or from budwom's front porch..."

Great minds and all like that .

[PackMan97]

PackMan97 and family had 2'10s in totality and loved it. Blew us away. 99% just wouldn't have been good enough. Had a blast visiting Greenville, SC. Such a lovey town. Went to Roper Mountain yesterday and their children's museum today. Plan on taking the long way home going past Hendersonville and flat rock for extended sightseeing before braving the interstate she home tomorrow.

[OldPhiKap]

Hmmm, from another thread:

"Looks like viewing the 2024 eclipse will be best from either the Hill Farmstead brewery in upstate VT, The Alchemist in Stowe, VT or from budwom's front porch..."

Great minds and all like that .

As long as we don't say good things about New Hamster, we can probably all crash at Budwom's place. Let's hot box him at the FSU tailgate.

[DukieInKansas]

As long as we don't say good things about New Hamster, we can probably all crash at Budwom's place. Let's hot box him at the FSU tailgate.

DBR party at Budwom's place!

[devildeac]

As long as we don't say good things about New Hamster, we can probably all crash at Budwom's place. Let's hot box him at the FSU tailgate.

DBR party at Budwom's place!

With some NC dew points regularly equal to or greater than 80 this summer, Mrs. dd and I have already inquired about July and/or August reservations at the Budwom Hotel/Inn/Guest Cottages starting next year. We'll try to be good inhabitants and speak highly of y'all...

[OldPhiKap]

With some NC dew points regularly equal to or greater than 80 this summer, Mrs. dd and I have already inquired about July and/or August reservations at the Budwom Hotel/Inn/Guest Cottages starting next year. We'll try to be good inhabitants and speak highly of y'all...

Since we've met numerous times, I can clearly say -- I appreciate you lying on my behalf.

[duketaylor]

Carbondale, Illinois (home to Southern Illinois University) is at the crossroads of today's eclipse and the one in 2017. And they're pretty stoked about it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...=.2bab91f8120c

Attachment 7588


Also, with Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" getting a lot of play today, it seemed like a good time to resurface one of the greatest music video parodies ever. (And a reminder of just how bizarre the actual "Total Eclipse of the Heart" video was.)

My good friend meant "and 2024, I believe."

Glad y'all enjoyed it, we did, too. Hope you can join us for a football game or 2, before hoops!!!

[devildeac]

Since we've met numerous times, I can clearly say -- I appreciate you lying on my behalf.

Any time/place/occasion.

[camion]

From Furman University in Greenville SC. Yes we had clear skies and totality. It was all I had hoped for, a beautiful sight.

Tidbits: the crickets began chirping several minutes before totality and the the ducks on the Furman "lake" clustered together during the dark minutes.

[gam7]

I may have been the first on these boards to catch totality. I was in Salem, OR. Not a cloud in the sky, low 80s, perfect conditions. So surreal.

As we approached totality, light steadily decreased and looking around, it kind of felt like I was seeing the world with sunglasses on. Then, boom. Night time in daytime, immediate temperature drop by about 10 degrees. The temp drop was a real surprise. So weird to be flirting with blindness for an hour and then be able to take the glasses off and stare right at it.

I kept thinking about how freaked out pre-astronomy humans must have been to see that happen. If I didn't know what was going on, I'd be like "holy moly, the world is ending." And then I'd spear a lion.

I saw the Northern Lights a couple of years ago, and it inspired a similar breathtaking reaction. I think this eclipse was cooler because of the multi-sensory impact - seeing the thing and the darkness, feeling the temp drop, hearing crickets (as others did) etc. And we are talking about interaction between multiple celestial bodies. But Northern Lights is a reasonably close second on my natural phenomenon list.

And why 2024? I'm thinking Chile/Argentina, 2020.

[-jk]

We were at Table Rock for totality today. Awesome. Partly cloudy, off and on, but it cleared up 10 or 15 minutes before totality, giving us a great view! And, yes, crickets...

-jk