The Great American Eclipse

[Lorizael]

Anybody have plans for it? Going somewhere to see it? Just going to look up at the right time?

Was originally, tentatively planning to visit some friends in Idaho who are basically right under the path of totality, but didn't have money when tickets might have been affordable, so it's looking like that's not going to happen. Might do something at UMD's Observatory instead, where I'll only get to see a partial eclipse. Alas. But at least I'll probably have access to semi-fancy equipment.

[ZEE]

who cares.

[Lorizael]

Well, try to book a flight for some location on the path of totality if you want an answer to that question.

Anyway, solar eclipses are awesome. They're only possible on Earth because of a happy coincidence between the apparent sizes of the sun and moon. The 1919 solar eclipse gave us the first experimental evidence for general relativity, the theory that lets us probe the shape and history of the universe itself. Solar eclipses also revealed the corona of the sun, a wreath of anomalously hot plasma.

[Berzerker]

what eye wear do you recommend?

[Lorizael]

I don't have any personal recommendations. My best advice would be to do what this guy says, because he knows his stuff.

[BeBMan]

Despite all the White House turmoil at least Trump managed to bring about a Great Eclipse

[BeBMan]

He might not exactly say he caused the eclipse, but I guess Donald will claim he made the sun reappear

[-Jrabbit]

With Donald, it will assuredly be the Greatest Eclipse.

[Lorizael]

It will only be a partial eclipse anywhere he's likely to be (White House, Mar-a-Lago). Sad.

[pchang]

Even though we do not live in the path of the full eclipse, my wife wants to host an eclipse viewing party. What do you think would be the best website to stream to get the best view?

[BeBMan]

Anyone here who kows that episode of "The Strain", called Occultation?

Be careful

[Lorizael]

Even though we do not live in the path of the full eclipse, my wife wants to host an eclipse viewing party. What do you think would be the best website to stream to get the best view?

Well, NASA will be streaming it. https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-live-stream

...

A friend of mine has some family in Greenville, SC and has offered to do a road trip down there to see the eclipse. Looks like this might actually happen.

[Ming]

When I was at a wedding recently, somebody said they were hosting an eclipse party in Carbondale, Il. and that everybody was welcome. Later I found out that that will be very close to where the full eclipse will last for the longest amount of time.

[-Jrabbit]

Yes, I was tempted to make the trip, but then I realized I don't actually know anyone in Carbondale anymore.

[rah]

Amtrak is running a special train for the event.