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[LordBucket]

For those who don't get out much, today's solar eclipse is visible over the US west coast right now. It's not at the midway point yet. You might still have time to make a pinhole projector.

[SirAaronIII]

Ah seen it! Ah seen it! Ah seen the sky git all dark and then next thing we knows it was eclipsin'!

No seriously I was just outside.

[Sirus]

I saw it! My first solar eclipse, even though I wasn't in a very good spot to see it. Next time I'll have to make an effort to travel to wherever the effect is strongest.

[Furtuka]

Something I always wondered, what are the statistics regarding how many people damage their eyes from looking directly at these things? People always say not to do it, and with good reason. But I'm curious to know how many people forget, or fall for the snuck bait.

[LordBucket]

I'm curious to know how many people forget, or fall for the snuck bait.

I saw someone do it just now. He had sunglasses and figured that was close enough.

[penguinofhonor]

Damn my being in Kentucky.

[SirAaronIII]

Something I always wondered, what are the statistics regarding how many people damage their eyes from looking directly at these things? People always say not to do it, and with good reason. But I'm curious to know how many people forget, or fall for the snuck bait.

Well it IS looking at the sun. Doesn't matter if there's a moon between it and your eyes, it still burns.

[Sirus]

Something I always wondered, what are the statistics regarding how many people damage their eyes from looking directly at these things? People always say not to do it, and with good reason. But I'm curious to know how many people forget, or fall for the snuck bait.

Well it IS looking at the sun. Doesn't matter if there's a moon between it and your eyes, it still burns.

Actually, during a total solar eclipse (this was not one of them), you can look directly at the sun without protection for a few minutes.

[zombie urist]

I was able to see the eclipse and from a decent observatory. Supposedly the next time such an event happens here is ~2017.

[Karlito]

I was on the wrong side of the country to see it, but my dad thoughtfully emailed me a picture he took from a pinhole.

[Sir Finkus]

Cloudy here, so it was pretty lame.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Yeah, whatever West Coast. You enjoy your solar eclipses for now, but when you get annihilated by Apophis in 20 years, then who will be laughing? Oh yeah, the East Coast, which hopefully will be under the thumb of an independent Best Carolinian hegemony in 2032, assuming everything goes according to plan.

[Mictlantecuhtli]

It was pretty cool how we had plenty of clouds today. SIGH.

[Starver]

The last (total) eclipse in this country, I went to the area where totality would occur and... suffered clouds.  But it was still an experience.  I remember saying that if it was like that when I didn't see the sun disappear[1], I was really looking forward to actually 'not seeing it' in the future.

Since then, there's been a partial over my own area (not annular, which of course is something else to experience, but without the 'diamond ring' event, but partial in a similar way to if I hadn't left home for the above example) which I watched[2], but there was nowhere near a false-dusk/dawn effect.  Just the bite-taken-out.  Still I can see the wonder of any ancient civilisation experiencing it without having the advantage of an Antikythera Mechanism to take the mystery out of it.


(I forget when the next opportunity is, but I'm sure we'll all be told about it... Still, I'm going to go and check anyway.)


[1] IYSWIM, given it already wasn't visible...

[2] Went to the local DIY/craft superstores and constructed a pinhole device with a large-diameter plastic drainpipe, piece of food-grade tinfoil with a hole in it and some card to project upon/shield the edges.  Although in early stages I could 'glance' through hazy clouds a slice disappearing, much as I did during the lesser cloud-cover occasion of the earlier 'failed totality' event.  But I know enough not to actually stare at that, even through the clouds.

[LordBucket]

I forget when the next opportunity is, but I'm sure we'll all be told about it

August 21, 2017

I went to the area where totality would occur

something else to experience, but without the 'diamond ring' event

I vaguely remember having seen a total eclipse once as a child. Today's eclipse is the first ring of fire event I remember seeing. I remember the total being far more impressive. Though from my part of the world today's eclipse was more of a crescent sun than a ring of fire.