Any plans for the April 8, 2024 solar eclipse?

[Sweetfancymoses]

I rearranged my work schedule and watched totality from Marion, IN. I'm glad I did. The difference between 99% and 100% was huuuge. The drive home was not quite like in Robin's picture but there were traffic jams with license plates from Michigan and Wisconsin.

 

[yknpdlr]

Here's the best I could do through a high sometimes tinner than other times full cloud deck. If only it could have been yesterday with bright blue sky horizon to horizon. From three Mile Bay on Lake Ontario NW of Watertown.

 

[Sdrew22]

Nothing but clouds in CNY, but we were able to see glimpses. Watching a wall of darkness come straight at me was wild and worth the mile bike ride.

 

[Curlymoe]

Hit the road at 6:30 in Albany, got to Schroon Lake, miraculously found a parking space by the water at 8 am. Took a nap then paddled the Rapidfire for a couple of hours. Lot's of families and friendly folks around and long lines for coffee at my favorite shop. Viewed through binoculars with fabricated filters which was great. Took twice as long coming home, but it was a good day and a unique experience.

 

[Robin]

I went to the barber shop in downtown Camden Maine to get my post chemo fuzz trimmed, barber kept looking out the window with his glasses. “Hey, I’m over here”
Driving home was strange, no traffic but lots of folks standing out on their lawns looking up in the sky.
Got home, yup, wife is standing on the lawn looking up in the sky. She had a flashlight in her hand…just in case.
Just a slight darkness, meh.

 

[Odyssey]

Yesterday I did some work in the morning before running some errands; made a tire change appt, picked up some engine oil, and a new swingset for the gkids. Can't wait to surprise them when they next invade our shores in a couple weekends time. Then it was groceries.
I and a friend installed ourselves on his back deck where we proceeded to solve some of the world's problems (only some, didn't want to over do things) as we tucked in to lunch. I'd brought some really nice salmon chowder (chowdah to some of you) and paired it with some wine.
Stupid glasses at the ready and we chillaxed. The overcast skies cleared just in time for the show. It was pretty amazing, but we caught a little too much sun. Never thought of sun block for our faces in early April. Strange days indeed. A story to tell the kids; as I'm pushing them on grandma and grandpas new swingset.

 

[Simuliumvenustum]

A friend and I drove 2.5 hours north to view the eclipse in the 99.6% totality zone near Bradford, VT, The traffic on Rt. 91 in Vermont was heavy as predicted. Given how heavy the traffic was, we decided not to drive to the 100% totality zone. The sky did not darken as much from where we viewed it as I hoped it would; it was more like a dark cloud passed over. It was still worth experiencing. Tthe wind picked up, and it became noticeably cooler during the peak of the eclipse, so that was cool. I took some rather poor pictures through a filter on my iPhone as a way to remember the event.

Traffic was heavy, as predicted.

This is as dark as it got although the auto exposure adjustment on my
my IPhone makes it look brighter than it was.

 

[yknpdlr]

we decided not to drive to the 100% totality zone. The sky did not darken as much from where we viewed it as I hoped it would; it was more like a dark cloud passed over. It was still worth experiencing.

Your experience would have been 1000x different and so much of a better lifelong memory had you got into the 100% zone. That final tenth of a percent of light from the solar disk is still like a bright flashlight shining upon the entire visible landscape.

 

[Boatman53]

Here is a shot from our viewing spot. Of course the phone camera makes it look brighter in the foreground than it actually was. The temp drop and the increased wind were significant. The sun was over my left shoulder.
Jim

 

[snapper]

Well, we made it up to the Boonville area and had a lovely day. My son-in-law from MA brought our two youngest grandsons and we spent the day at the BREIA Potato Hll farm. We got there early so we could walk all the trails. Had a nice picnic, tossed around the football and read while waiting for the big show. Of course, it was beautiful all day so it was inevitable that the clouds would roll in just before things were to kick off. We saw a lot of the moon moving in and then moving out again but totality was totally cloud covered. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the total darkness overhead and the cooling breezes that blew through while the temperature dropped.

Our trip home took the same 90 minutes as it always does. The first ten miles heading south on RT 12 is a 2 lane state road but once it merges with RT 28 coming in from Old Forge, it becomes a 4 lane all the way to Utica. While there was certainly more traffic than usual, it moved right along so it was an easy trip. Past Utica, there was no one. My guess is the vast majority were either from that general area or they'd gotten onto the NYS Thruway.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[JohnSand]

89% on Long Island. I had a really nice sail in my canoe for a couple of hours. At the peak coverage, the sunlight looked washed out, and the temperature dropped.

 

[yknpdlr]

The original forecast from 3 days prior said that my brother's cottage on the Lake Ontario shore north of Watertown, would be the best place to be. Sunday was a bluebird clear day, deep blue sky horizon to horizon. Bummer. Then a pesky warm front developed and traveled faster than expected from the west. I was watching the satellite view of clouds march across Lake Erie, heading this way. From the timing on the video, I calculated how long it would take for the clear back edge to get here. I thought about trying to outrun the cloud mass by driving on back roads (to avoid traffic) toward the east, leaving all equipment except binoculars behind. But it did not look like I could outrun it. Even so, it appeared that the mass would be overhead just at the critical time. I was right on that, except there were thick and thinner portions to view through. Bummer. But we did see the diamond ring clearly through binocs. I unfortunately did get to record it because I was watching for it visually. All I got was a few fuzzy through the clouds telescope images I posted above.

 

[ppine]

I learned about the eclipse from the Navajo elders, The Dine. Stay home, do not look at the sun and have a day of prayer.

 

[yknpdlr]

I learned about the eclipse from the Navajo elders, The Dine. Stay home, do not look at the sun and have a day of prayer.

and smoke payote and get high. No thanks, I'd much rather get high on learning and observing how the universe works.

 

[lowangle al]

and smoke payote and get high. No thanks, I'd much rather get high on learning and observing how the universe works.

First, I think my Native friends would find that insulting. Second, while the Navajo were in there homes praying during an eclipse, our white ancestors were probably outside burning their eyeballs.

 

[billconner]

Simuliumvenustum - thanks for posting the great pics!

 

[Robin]

and smoke payote and get high. No thanks, I'd much rather get high on learning and observing how the universe works.
[/QUOTE

Not cool to say that.

 

[Sturgeon]

I had planned to drive 2 hours from Toronto to watch totality from Fort Erie, on the Canadian side of the Niagara River as it exits Lake Erie near Buffalo. but the forecast was not looking favourable.

So, on Sunday, I drove 7 hours to the south shore of Montreal, and on Monday i chose a random town that was near the line of totality, in L'Estrie, the Eastern Townships of Quebec (that abut Vermont and New York). I ended up in Cowansville, about 2 hours drive south of Montreal, with clear skies.

What Yukon Paddler has said, I'll echo. 100% totality is vastly different from 99%. 3 minutes and 24 seconds of magic. Worth the drive.

It might be cool to be on the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain in 2026, or in Sydney in 2028...

Solar and Lunar Eclipses Worldwide – Next 10 Years

List of where the next solar or lunar eclipse is visible. Check if you can see it in your city.

www.timeanddate.com

 

[ppine]

yknpdlr,
Blessings to you.
Have no fear when you walk with your Ancestors.
Walk in Beauty.

 

[snapper]

@yknpdlr

My Native friends spent the day in ceremony reflecting on the relationship between Grandmother Moon and Grandfather Sun and their relationship to their daughter; Mother Earth. This is mentioned in all seriousness. I've learned a lot from these people and don't appreciate snarky comments towards them and their spiritual practices regardless of what you think about them.

Wonder if you'd be insulted if someone were to besmirch your religion or beliefs???

Until next time...be well.

snapper

PS - They too were observing how the universe works; to use your words. Just in their own way.