Reminder – total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017

[Starry2some]

Do not look directly at the Sun during the partial phases of a solar eclipse.

A total solar eclipse will be very nicely placed for much of the United States on Monday August 21, 2017. From Oregon to South Carolina, this is a great opportunity.

At the center of the narrow band on the map there will be maybe 2-1/2 minutes of totality and at the edges, about one minute. Outside that band it will be a matter of some darkening in the middle of the day but no totality and no corona. Click this map for your intended location for timings.
2017 August 21 Total Solar Eclipse - Interactive Google Map - Xavier Jubier

The following is based on facing south during totality. Very bright Jupiter will be around 50 degrees southeast of the Sun, while faint Mercury will be roughly ten degrees east of the Sun. About 10 degrees west of the Sun will be faint, red Mars, and farther to the west of the Sun will be unmistakably brilliant Venus. For reference, your fist at arm’s length subtends an angle of about ten degrees.

The Sun’s corona will supposedly be bright. We’ve read that if the corona were not so bright, we could see the Moon illuminated by earthshine (the effect that causes the phenomenon called Old Moon in the New Moon’s Arms; imagine this - standing on the Moon, one would see a very bright Earth.). The corona is said to be at a temperature of least one million kelvins! Compare that to the photosphere (“surface”) at 5800 K.

We might also see solar prominences during totality. They would be thin and uneven. Solar prominences show red in photographs, but why not look for yourself.

Campsites along the path typically book as soon as they are available. Our plan is to camp at a state park in southwestern Indiana and day-trip to an isolated spot in southern Illinois. Should you be in the southwestern Indiana area then, message us if you would like to join us for some night sky viewing.

Our eclipse plan is minimal equipment, just someplace quiet so we can hear the “night shift” (birds, animals) come to life. And comfy lawn chairs and coffee, of course. What are your plans?

[Ford Idaho]

I live in that band, bring it.

[SailorSam20500]

Heading to the FR Solar Eclipse rally in Sweetwater Tenn. Saw the announcement for the rally a week AFTER the last site was booked.
Got the number 1 spot on the wait list and jumped on the opening when someone backed out.
Folks going to the rally have designed a couple of nice T-Shirts, thinking about ordering a couple!

[Starry2some]

Ford Idaho, we are also thrilled this is so convenient because we have never seen totality. Hadn't heard of the rally, Sam, that is cool. Glad to hear it is sold out!

[ependydad]

I've contacted almost every campground in Oregon that is in the band of total darkness. Next I'm going to expand out beyond that and figure I'll have a 1-3 hour drive to be towards the center of the darkness band. Wouldn't be the first time I've gone to a lot of effort for 2 minutes of dark fun.

[BooBoo23]

I ordered my CE certified viewing glasses on Ebay yesterday. I shopped around and got a 2 pac for $2.95. I have a campsite reserved at a state park in SC right on the GA/SC border just off of I-85. I can remember many years ago seeing total eclipse but have no idea when that was, I'm 78 now. I was living in SW Iowa at that time. I used a pin hole punched through a piece of paper focused on another piece of paper to watch the eclipse indirectly. I remember one other time when the sun was blacked out and all the street lights came on but it wasn't an eclipse, I was less than a mile from a devastating tornado in Omaha.

[Starry2some]

BooBoo, if you want to track down an eclipse that far back, this website
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/...960&type=solar
lists them, and here I selected solar eclipses seen in North America from 1960 to 1969. Seems you may have seen a partial in September 1960, a total in July 1963, a partial in May 1967, or an annular eclipse in September 1969. I must have been too young to pay attention to all of those!

[asquared]

I am also heading to the Solar Eclipse Rally in TN.... I got the last open spit before the waiting list. Question for those more experienced with Solar Eclipses.... We will have the glasses for the eclipse. We have a small ioptron telescope we bought DD for Christmas last year. Can we use the telescope? Do we need anything special for the telescope? Thanks.

[aceinspp]

Also headed to FR rally solar eclipse at Sweetwater, TN. one of the first to get signed up. Should be a fun experience sharing with other Fogs. Later RJD

[SailorSam20500]

Originally Posted by asquared

I am also heading to the Solar Eclipse Rally in TN.... I got the last open spit before the waiting list. Question for those more experienced with Solar Eclipses.... We will have the glasses for the eclipse. We have a small ioptron telescope we bought DD for Christmas last year. Can we use the telescope? Do we need anything special for the telescope? Thanks.

Using the telescope will probably be less than fun. To keep it centered, you will be moving it constantly.
DO NOT use the scope before totality unless you bought one of the solar filters for it. The sun pushes a lot of energy and may melt the internals. And fry your eye in milliseconds if you look at it unfiltered. I'm not sure how much of an issue this is once totality starts - do some more research.

(Proud owner of a nearly antique Celestron C8, need to get the mirror re-silvered though. )

[Starry2some]

I would not look through a telescope for any part of a solar eclipse unless using a solar filter. If you happen to be looking during totality and it starts to end, as when a valley on the limb of the Moon allows some sunlight through, it could harm your eye. This is especially true if using a larger telescope. Trust me, we are always looking for an excuse to look through a scope, but we won't at all during a solar eclipse; it's not worth the risk.

[Herk7769]

You can place a piece of filter material on the forward end (light input) and watch the progress of the eclipse.

https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Filter-.../dp/B00DS7S52W

Please heed the warning about securely fixing it with strong tape. If the material should fall off, you could be blinded.

Another route is a professionally made cover for the front of the tube:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013SA3QTU...ing=UTF8&psc=1

[mountainjunkie]

Heard about the eclipse about a month ago and everything in the path of totality in Wyoming was already booked. (we're in the Denver area) Might reserve a spot a little further south and day trip it up to the main path.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by mountainjunkie

Heard about the eclipse about a month ago and everything in the path of totality in Wyoming was already booked. (we're in the Denver area) Might reserve a spot a little further south and day trip it up to the main path.

That's likely what I'm going to have to do.

[BooBoo23]

Originally Posted by Starry2some

BooBoo, if you want to track down an eclipse that far back, this website
https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/...960&type=solar
lists them, and here I selected solar eclipses seen in North America from 1960 to 1969. Seems you may have seen a partial in September 1960, a total in July 1963, a partial in May 1967, or an annular eclipse in September 1969. I must have been too young to pay attention to all of those!

Thanks for the link. From what I can determine it would have been June 30, 1954. I would have been a junior in high school then. After that I would have had a job and not able to take the time to watch.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I've contacted almost every campground in Oregon that is in the band of total darkness. Next I'm going to expand out beyond that and figure I'll have a 1-3 hour drive to be towards the center of the darkness band. Wouldn't be the first time I've gone to a lot of effort for 2 minutes of dark fun.

I used the Google Map link above and then opened RV Park Reviews - Trusted Reviews of Campgrounds & RV Parks and contacted every RV park within the total eclipse area. I checked online reservations for those that I could; some sites had messages on web pages saying they were sold out; and emailed another dozen or so. I got 2 emails this morning that said they had availability- one dry camping (no water/electric/sewer) and one with just water + electric. Looks like I'm staying just off of the centerline path!

[BooBoo23]

Originally Posted by mountainjunkie

Heard about the eclipse about a month ago and everything in the path of totality in Wyoming was already booked. (we're in the Denver area) Might reserve a spot a little further south and day trip it up to the main path.

You might check Nebraska. Go check in at the Holiday Inn in Grand Island, it's in the center of the path.

[timfromma]

I will be viewing from a KOA in Hopkinsville, KY

[Cowracer]

I live within the band, and my lake cabin is about 2 miles from the line of greatest totality. I am planning on being down at the lake to experience it firsthand. Of course, being Missouri, it will be cloudy that day.


Tim

[chroniekon]

Depending on the type of campsite you need, River Bend County Park has some openings. Maybe 30 miles from the center line of the eclipse. We have a family campout there every year. Nice campground right on the Santiam River.


45931 Santiam Highway
Foster, OR 97345
(541) 967-3917
parks@co.linn.or.us