Looking like Rochester may end up working out for me, even though it's historically been cloudy.

I'm planning on being in central Texas. 8 days out showing thunderstorms. I'm not going to change my plans till a 48 hour weather forecast.

We are 7-8 miles off center line. People are going crazy around here prepping for an onslaught of people coming to see it. I hope that's all a big nothing burger.

89-90% totality here in SE PA

My in-laws are out in Columbus, OH today and it's 100% totality there, I wish I could have gone.

Just read that an easy way to test your eclipse glasses is to put them on indoors, you should not be able to see ANYTHING, even looking directly at a bright light. I just tested mine and they were a complete blackout.

Looks like everyone in Texas might get screwed by heavy cloud cover today.

If you don't have a safe way to look at the sun during the eclipse, there is another way. About four years ago we had a partial solar eclipse here (we'll have an 88% one today) and I took this photo of the sidewalk of my neighbor's house at the height of the event. This is the sunlight coming through the leaves of a tree and instead of seeing the outline of leaves you get to see a bunch of cresent images caused by the eclipse.



Wish that I had had a smoother surface to photograph the phenomenon.

quote:

Just read that an easy way to test your eclipse glasses is to put them on indoors, you should not be able to see ANYTHING, even looking directly at a bright light. I just tested mine and they were a complete blackout.

I think I might still have a pair from 2017 but I'm not sure what I did with them.
I'll probably just watch this one on TV. We aren't in the path of totality.

Just a few years back, the path of an eclipse passed over Wyoming. I seriously underestimated the interest in it. My wife and I got up that morning and decided to drive north 150-200 miles to watch. Traffic. It was mostly from Colorado, streaming into Wyoming. Bumper to bumper, green plates to the horizon and beyond; I guess they underestimated too. Never made it. Stop and go traffic on a two-lane Wyoming highway 100 miles or more from our destination. Turned around and went back home.

I have my mom's old Colander ready. If you are familiar with quinoa, that's what it reminds me of

After seeing five of these , I've completely run out of stuff to sacrifice to insure plentiful crops, healthy livestock and bountiful game.

Itwe might be in for a tough summer

quote:

Originally posted by clubleaf206:

If you don't have a safe way to look at the sun during the eclipse, there is another way.

An eclipse pinhole viewer is also something you can do. I made one for the 2017 eclipse and brought it to work then when it came close to the event I went out into the parking lot and was thinking "Man I'm gonna look like a dork out here with my head in a box!"

I look around and soon there were over 100 of us dorks with our heads in boxes, LOL

Our house is in the 98% path, but we drove out to my parent's house in Ohio last night after I got off work. We're supposed to get about 3 minutes of totality here. So far I haven't noticed any increase in traffic, but we're in a pretty small town, not a big urban center. We are heading back home this evening... hopefully it's not too bad if we wait a few hours after its over before we leave. Skies are partly cloudy...hoping it clears up a little more in the next couple of hours.

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
So far I haven't noticed any increase in traffic, but we're in a pretty small town

We just came back from town. Chik Fil A was slammed with out of state plates. Every pull off between here and town had an out of state car pulled in it. People reserving their spots I guess.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

quote:

Originally posted by 92fstech:
So far I haven't noticed any increase in traffic, but we're in a pretty small town

We just came back from town. Chik Fil A was slammed with out of state plates. Every pull off between here and town had an out of state car pulled in it. People reserving their spots I guess.

We're currently in Ashland, which is about midway between Cleveland and Columbus, right off of I-71. There's a big open field that's part of the county park system a couple of blocks from my parent's house. They have a bunch of porta potties set up and have been gearing up for big crowds. I walked the dog down there about an hour ago, and the small parking lot was starting to fill up, but there was nobody out in the field yet, and no cars parked on the road. There's a few hours to go yet before it starts, though.

Normally it's a 3.5 hour drive home straight west on US30. It was fine coming out last night. I'm hoping that doesn't turn into a traffic nightmare today because I have to get up at 4:30am for work tomorrow.

For those of us under clouds or far from the optimal eclipse path, NASA live is a good option:

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by clubleaf206:

If you don't have a safe way to look at the sun during the eclipse, there is another way.

An eclipse pinhole viewer is also something you can do. I made one for the 2017 eclipse and brought it to work then when it came close to the event I went out into the parking lot and was thinking "Man I'm gonna look like a dork out here with my head in a box!"

I look around and soon there were over 100 of us dorks with our heads in boxes, LOL

I completely forgot about a pinhole box! My cousins and I made one from a shoebox back when we were kids.

I saw the solar eclipse in 1993. My Father signed me out of school and I viewed it through two plates of the darkest welding glass. Based on what I've read here I should have holes in my retina. I don't, or at least I can't tell 30+ years later.


It was interesting. A box to check. Definitely not a life defining moment or even that memorable TBH. I could go the rest of my life without seeing another and never get the feeling like I missed out on anything.

After driving many hours, overpaying for a hotel, I'm in a prime location to observe the clouds.

We have scattered clouds with the sun breaking through. With my ISO 12312-2 glasses, I can clearly see a partial eclipse, 1/3 of the sun covered.

I just got to the dermatologist in midland for a torture session. A sweet lady in the parking lot stopped me and asked if I saw the eclipse, and offered me her eclipse glasses. So i gratefully accepted and took a brief look. I felt a kinship with all mankind. Or whatever.

It has started here. There are some thin high level clouds, but I'm getting a good clear view through the glasses.