Solar eclipse on August 21...anyone getting excited?

[Passepartout]

OK, I guess I'm under the Sun and Moon's influence. It was announced in the local fish wrapper that Southern Idaho Tourism still has some seats on buses they are taking VERY early on Eclipse morning, a lunch and an astronomer on board and (whoop, whoop!) the basic cardboard glasses. At least this frees me from driving, they have reconnoitered possible viewing sites based on weather/traffic. There will be people from all over, so this should be more fun to have a shared experience instead of a stressful drive and a solo look in the sky. It's only happening once in my lifetime and is affordable.

Jim

 

[Patri]

OK, I guess I'm under the Sun and Moon's influence. It was announced in the local fish wrapper that Southern Idaho Tourism still has some seats on buses they are taking VERY early...
Jim

Go for it! I certainly would. And give the print newspaper some respect. Have fun.

 

[VegasBella]

We may have to cancel our eclipse trip now that we don't have a reliable petsitter. I'm not sure we can find someone suitable for our menagerie in time.
I am trying to convince the husband to take the kiddo himself and I will stay and watch the animals since they haven't ever done a "boys trip." But husband is worried things might go off the rails and doesn't really want his first "boys trip" to have such critical timing as the eclipse requires. I would take kiddo and hubby stays home (like we often do during the Summer) but husband doesn't want that either. Ugh.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Those Maps of Eclipse's Path? 'Wrong,' Experts Say - Off By Up to Half-Mile at Edge
By Eric Adler, Kansas City Star/ Tribune News Service/ MSN/ msn.com

"Anyone who has been using online maps to decide where they intend to view the historic Aug. 21 total eclipse of the sun may want to take another look.

Those maps, provided by NASA and others, show a crisply defined, 70-mile-wide path of totality where the moon will block 100 percent of the sun. But they are not as precise as they appear, at least on their edges...."

Richard

 

[DaveNV]

My manager at work sent an email announcing that our workplace is going to witness an 89% eclipse. He says all meetings have been rearranged to provide time for everyone to go outdoors and experience the eclipse. The one caveat is we have to work overtime to cover any time we spend in the parking lot looking at the sky. Such a giver, my manager...

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

The one caveat is we have to work overtime to cover any time we spend in the parking lot looking at the sky. Such a giver, my manager...

The guy's name wouldn't be Ebenezer, would it? Could be he's catching flak from upstairs too. But, heck, the thing only lasts a couple of minutes of totality, and for your 89%, start to finish will probably be under an hour. After it max's out, you'll just shrug, and say, that's ALL???? and go back to work.

 

[dioxide45]

My manager at work sent an email announcing that our workplace is going to witness an 89% eclipse. He says all meetings have been rearranged to provide time for everyone to go outdoors and experience the eclipse. The one caveat is we have to work overtime to cover any time we spend in the parking lot looking at the sky. Such a giver, my manager...

Dave

There has been no metion at our work what they are going to do. It would be cool if they handed out solar viewers and gave everyone a half hour. Though it won't really impact me since I am going to be driving back from Toronto that day. I bought some solar filters the other day to take with us. I suspect we will be in Northern Ohio by the time the eclipse gets to its peak. Will probably pull off at a road side rest stop to check it out.

 

[Patri]

Our school district's first day of school is Aug. 21. Administration just today decided to postpone by one day. It is dismissal time at 2:30 p.m., exactly the peak time for the eclipse here. There would just be chaos, always part of the first day anyway. Our luck, it will be cloudy. And this way, parents will be responsible as to whether their kids look at the sun.

 

[fer829]

Our school district's first day of school is Aug. 21. Administration just today decided to postpone by one day. It is dismissal time at 2:30 p.m., exactly the peak time for the eclipse here. There would just be chaos, always part of the first day anyway. Our luck, it will be cloudy. And this way, parents will be responsible as to whether their kids look at the sun.

Would that be considered a "snow day" in August?

 

[Patri]

Would that be considered a "snow day" in August?

Yep. The makeup day is the first snow day makeup on the calendar, Jan. 2. I think Christmas vacation always run a bit too long, so this shouldn't be a big issue for parents.

 

[vacationhopeful]

My 3 sisters are wandering around the state of Oregon ... for the solar eclipse viewing (one from each of these states: TX, MD and CA). Hope they have the good versions of the viewing glasses else.

Personally, I can't see the draw for that type of trip ... almost like NYE and the ball drop in Times Square ... in the rain.

 

[FLDVCFamily]

No, if anything this eclipse has me aggrivated! Our kids started school a little over a week ago, and now they aren't going to school on Monday. The district has made it an "excused absence" for all students and made it absolutely onerous to bring your kids to school (lockdown, having to have an umbrella to pick up your kids, kids aren't allowed outside, no material taught that day...). In the past week, we've gotten 2 letters, 2 emails and a robo call from the school district encouraging us to keep our kids home. I swear this is reminding me of Y2K hysteria. We live in FL, so only in the 85% path anyways. The kids are only just getting settled into school and they already have a day off basically? Kinda ridiculous.

 

[geist1223]

We live in Salem Oregon and can step out into our yard to view. Thursday a plane load arrived at PDX after a 10 hour flight to view the Eclipse. Must have been an over seas flight. They were informed it would be a 14 hour Bus Ride to the Eclipse Festival near Prinville in Eastern Oregon. In normal times this is only a 4 hour drive. The backups on Hwy 97 started several days ago. Sometimes only a mile or 2 per hour. Authorities have recommended anyone driving to Eastern Oregon carry food, water, extra gas, and porta potties in their vehicle.

 

[paxsarah]

No, if anything this eclipse has me aggrivated! Our kids started school a little over a week ago, and now they aren't going to school on Monday. The district has made it an "excused absence" for all students and made it absolutely onerous to bring your kids to school (lockdown, having to have an umbrella to pick up your kids, kids aren't allowed outside, no material taught that day...). In the past week, we've gotten 2 letters, 2 emails and a robo call from the school district encouraging us to keep our kids home. I swear this is reminding me of Y2K hysteria. We live in FL, so only in the 85% path anyways. The kids are only just getting settled into school and they already have a day off basically? Kinda ridiculous.

That is ridiculous. It sounds like someone in a decision-making capacity in your district doesn't understand the science vs. myth of solar eclipses. Our school district is extending the day because the peak (we're at 99%) is exactly when elementary schools dismiss. They're providing eclipse glasses for every student in the district and using it as a learning experience. Though we're driving up to totality, so my kids will be out of school for the day anyway.

 

[CO skier]

I swear this is reminding me of Y2K hysteria.

There are a few photos of the Central Oregon traffic epoc-eclipse at this site:

http://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article167718217.html

Two days ago, I decided I did not want to arrive at my sold-out hotel only to be told that guests that arrived the day before were refusing to vacate my room. So, I reserved tonight at my Ogallala hotel in the same room type as tomorrow's reservation, so that I can be that guest that arrives a day earlier and does not leave until the morning of the 21st.

The moon affects people in different ways. Things could get a little crazy.

 

[VegasBella]

No, if anything this eclipse has me aggrivated! Our kids started school a little over a week ago, and now they aren't going to school on Monday. The district has made it an "excused absence" for all students and made it absolutely onerous to bring your kids to school (lockdown, having to have an umbrella to pick up your kids, kids aren't allowed outside, no material taught that day...). In the past week, we've gotten 2 letters, 2 emails and a robo call from the school district encouraging us to keep our kids home. I swear this is reminding me of Y2K hysteria. We live in FL, so only in the 85% path anyways. The kids are only just getting settled into school and they already have a day off basically? Kinda ridiculous.

My son's school started last week and they just announced yesterday that the lower grades could take the day off without penalty. Otherwise, they will be watching the NASA live stream in the classroom. They are not allowed outdoors during the eclipse because the teachers are afraid they will look at the sun without protective glasses and go blind.

So... we had already planned on taking the day off because originally we were going to travel to Oregon to see it. Now we will head over the community college planetarium and watch from there. Husband did end up going to Oregon so he will have stories and video to share with us when he gets back.. AND hopefully he will enjoy it enough that he will want to make a special family trip for the next one - Argentina in July 2019.

 

[Patri]

That is ridiculous. It sounds like someone in a decision-making capacity in your district doesn't understand the science vs. myth of solar eclipses. Our school district is extending the day because the peak (we're at 99%) is exactly when elementary schools dismiss. They're providing eclipse glasses for every student in the district and using it as a learning experience. Though we're driving up to totality, so my kids will be out of school for the day anyway.

Your school district is at great risk for a lawsuit if one child takes off the glasses to see what is really going on. I expect we are going to hear of cases where eyesight was damaged and the parents won't take responsibility for where their kid was at the time. I support schools not taking on the responsibility for the students' welfare if they have to be outside during the event (ie getting on and off the school bus). If they can keep them inside and watch it on TV or something, great.
The eclipse is actually something fun to take in, and I am enjoying seeing how the country is planning to observe it. It is unifying amidst all of our other troubles. The seriousness of watching it unprotected is getting big publicity this week. I have my Cheerios box ready as a viewer, but I have to be on the road part of the time, so am curious how the other drivers will be acting as the darkness approaches.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Glad I am home in the Northeast. And I think the best viewing will be on my living room TV.

Unfortunately, it most likely will be on ALL 500 of my cable TV channels.

 

[billymach4]

I am ready. Got my glasses.

 

[paxsarah]

Your school district is at great risk for a lawsuit if one child takes off the glasses to see what is really going on. I expect we are going to hear of cases where eyesight was damaged and the parents won't take responsibility for where their kid was at the time. I support schools not taking on the responsibility for the students' welfare if they have to be outside during the event (ie getting on and off the school bus). If they can keep them inside and watch it on TV or something, great.
The eclipse is actually something fun to take in, and I am enjoying seeing how the country is planning to observe it. It is unifying amidst all of our other troubles. The seriousness of watching it unprotected is getting big publicity this week. I have my Cheerios box ready as a viewer, but I have to be on the road part of the time, so am curious how the other drivers will be acting as the darkness approaches.

I understand the concerns for smaller children and I presume that our pre-K, K, and possibly 1st graders will only be outside for very limited periods of time. But my kids are in 3rd and 6th grade, both have already told me about discussions/instructions they've had with teachers about the eclipse and safety, as well as discussions I've had with them as well. We've received several communications from the schools and district about eclipse safety and procedures. I am confident that at my kids' ages, they understand the consequences and would follow instructions if they were in the school setting for this event. And if I remember correctly from previous partial/annular eclipses that I've been through (in the late 70s and early 90s), the only way to actually see anything interesting is through the treated lenses or using a pinhole device, because the sun is still too bright to really allow you to see the crescent when looking at it directly. I think by providing the glasses and a structured viewing experience, our schools are actually removing the incentive for students to look at the sun without protection because the glasses are the best way to see what's actually going on. It's too bad that our lawsuit culture has gotten to the point that some schools are shunning an educational opportunity and encouraging students to be at home where there may not be adequate eye protection or a caregiver who understands the safety issues, but at least it won't be the district's problem at that point.

 

[MLR]

We live near St. Louis, MO and they are predicting terrible chaos on the roads - especially if there are clouds and people try to 'get to a sunnier location' at the last minute. I hope they are wrong.

Fortunately, all we have to do is step out our backdoor and into an open field behind us and take a peek. We ordered our glasses (and glasses for all our kids/grandkids) from an 'officially recommended site' and they arrived from Germany last week.

Make sure to cover the aperture of your phone camera lens with the glasses and DON'T look while trying to photograph it. Personally, I plan to just purchase a professional photo. Safer and easier. Sometimes we can get so wrapped up with picture taking that we MISS THE MOMENT. :0)

Lots of parties, large and small planned for our area. We plan to just stay home and watch.

 

[puppymommo]

Thanks for sharing Annie's essay--I had read an excerpt from it, but not the whole thing until now. My fear is that, having read it, my expectations will be too high: I doubt I'm anywhere near as sensitive as she.

I thought exactly the same thing! I live in the totality zone and I don't care for crowds, so I was thinking of just sitting in my courtyard. But I finally chose a viewing party I can walk to, in case traffic is bad. I won't be out in the country like Annie Dillard, but I think it will be great.

 

[clifffaith]

So do you suppose whole tribes/ancient cities went blind while watching the serpent devouring the sun? When did humankind discover that there were consequences to looking at an eclipse straight on? My mother had an emergency cornea transplant yesterday. Told her she was lucky to get her dibs in before the eclipse damaged folks descended upon their opthamologists.

 

[WinniWoman]

I don't see what is so exciting about it myself. I remember my mom telling us when we were kids not to look at the sun during an eclipse. We stayed inside- it was a bit scary to us as it became dark for a minute or so. That was dramatic enough for me at that age. I work from my car but I did not get the glasses and I don't care about it- seeing it get dark will be enough. Then again, I am in NY and who knows what the weather will be anyway.

 

[MULTIZ321]

Be Smart: A Partial Eclipse Can Fry Your Naked Eyes
By Nell Greenfieldboyce/ Your Health/ Shots: Health News from NPR/ National Public Radio/ npr.org

"The day of the long-awaited coast-to-coast solar eclipse has all but arrived — and if history is any guide, it's likely that somebody's eyes are going to get hurt.

"The ones we're really concerned about are the people who have never seen an eclipse before — or just decided that, you know, 'Today is a nice day to go take a look at a solar eclipse' — and, 'Oh, I probably don't need to do very much to get ready to do that.' Then I get worried," says Ralph Chou, an optometrist and vision scientist at the University of Waterloo in Canada. He has seen 18 total solar eclipses.

You really can get blurred vision or blind spots after watching partial eclipses without protection, says Chou, even if there is just a tiny little crescent of sun left in the sky...."

A partial solar eclipse (left) is seen from the Cotswolds, United Kingdom, while a total solar eclipse is seen from Longyearbyen, Norway, in March 2015.

Tim Graham/Getty Images/Haakon Mosvold Larsen/AFP/Getty Images

Richard