USA Total Solar Eclipse

[Skull]

In August of 2017 a very rare (not since 5th century) total solar eclipse with cross the lower 48 of the USA from NW to SE. It is an amazing event; midnight in the daytime, plus a fantastic aura around the dark sun. Must wear eclipse glasses and the weather must cooperate.

Here is the path of totality, giving many places to witness this:

Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Path Through the United States

 

[Auld Phart]

I'm in the northeast.

will have to break out my big binoculars

 

[BULLDOG]

Never experienced a total eclipse of the sun, but I remember a Total Eclipse of the Heart. Bonnie Tyler was hot.

 

[Skull]

Some history of American solar eclipses:

Eclipse2017.org - Get to the shadow!

 

[Abishai100]

Eye of the Dummy


There's something great about 'skyway metrics.' I like looking at pictures of those giant storm systems in Jupiter (e.g., the Red Spot) and comparing them to creepy storm systems on Earth. It's all very humbling. I will definitely try to catch this cool solar event!

 

[waltky]

Granny wonderin' if it'll get cold enough to snow in August?...

Spectators Gear Up in US for Coast-to-coast Solar Eclipse
June 21, 2017 — The first total solar eclipse across the continental United States in a century is expected to spark watching parties and traffic jams as it darkens skies from Oregon to South Carolina, authorities said Wednesday.

During the August 21 eclipse, the moon will pass between the sun and Earth, blocking the face of the sun and leaving only its outer atmosphere, or corona, visible in the sky. It will be the first coast-to-coast total eclipse since 1918. Weather permitting, people can watch as the moon's 70-mile-wide (113 kilometers) shadow crosses through 14 states from 10:15 a.m. PDT (1715 GMT) around Lincoln Beach, Oregon, to 2:49 p.m. EDT (1849 GMT) in McClellanville, South Carolina.

'Be prepared'

With 200 million Americans within a day's drive of the path, national parks and highways officials are bracing for a travel surge. "Be prepared," Martin Knopp of the Federal Highway Administration said at a news conference, cautioning drivers against simply showing up. "It's not the time to pull over and be on the side of the road." Travel groups and many scientists will be heading to Oregon's northwest desert seeking favorable weather for viewing, according to the website eclipsophile.com.

A solar eclipse is seen from the beach of Ternate island, Indonesia​

Total solar eclipses occur somewhere on Earth every year or so, but most cast their shadows over oceans or remote land. The last total eclipse over part of the contiguous U.S. was in 1979. All of North America will experience a partial eclipse, though the difference between a full and partial eclipse is "literally the difference between night and day," said astronomer Rick Fienberg of the American Astronomical Society.

Temperature drop

He noted that even a 99 percent eclipse will not reveal the sun's corona. And during a total eclipse, the temperature drops and the horizon is ringed by the colors of sunset. "The sky gets deep twilight blue and bright stars and planets come out," Fienberg said. "Animals and birds behave strangely, like it's the end of the day."

A partial solar eclipse occurs March 9, 2016, as seen from Taguig city, east of Manila, Philippines.​

NASA said it plans to fly high-altitude research balloons and airplanes for solar physics and other experiments. Nearly a dozen U.S. science satellites will observe the sun and Earth. The U.S. space agency will also broadcast the eclipse live from locations along the path. Experts caution that the only safe time to look at the sun without special eclipse glasses is during totality when the surface of the sun is completely blocked by the moon.

Spectators Gear Up in US for Coast-to-coast Solar Eclipse

See also:

Solar Eclipse Mania Spurs US Festivals, Tours, Sold-out Hotels
April 04, 2017 - Get ready for solar eclipse mania. Destinations in the path of the Aug. 21 eclipse, which will be visible in the U.S. along a narrow path from Oregon to South Carolina, are going wild with plans for festivals, concerts and viewing parties.

Hotels in Casper, Wyoming, are charging five times their usual rates. Rooms at Idaho's Sun Valley Resort have been booked for years. An eclipse tour in Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park sold out in 10 minutes. The Smokies are among 20 National Park sites that will experience the total solar eclipse, from sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina to Wyoming's Grand Tetons. "We are expecting record visitation,'' said NPS spokesman Jeffrey Olson.

The annular solar eclipse is seen as the sun sets behind the Rocky Mountains from downtown Denver, Colorado​

Hopkinsville, Kentucky, population 32,000, and Carbondale, Illinois, population 23,000, expect 50,000 visitors each. The destinations, 140 miles apart, will experience about 2 minutes and 40 seconds of total darkness, among eclipse sites with the longest duration. Events in the region include an "Eclipse Con'' festival, concerts and tailgate parties. South Carolina's Clemson University also expects 50,000 people at a campus event that will feature astronomers and other experts. Twenty thousand people will gather in the Ochocho National Forest for Oregon Eclipse 2017, with music, yoga, theater, art installations and more. Wind River Reservation in Wyoming hosts "bring back the sun'' ceremonies. A Pink Floyd Tribute band plans a "Dark Side of the Moon'' concert in Jefferson City, Missouri. The South Carolina Philharmonic in Columbia offers "Star Wars Musiclipse.'' Sylva, North Carolina, has a "Moonlight Madness'' run.

Eclipse Chasers

Sharon Hahs and her husband, Billy, have chased 14 eclipses around the world from Mongolia to South Africa. They'll see this one from a family farm in Missouri, not far from their St. Louis home. "There is nothing else in our universe that looks like a total solar eclipse,'' said Hahs. "The air gets cool. You have 360-degree dusk. Nature sounds really happen: the cock crows, birds get quiet. We even had a horse cross our viewing area to return to the stable.''

People view an annular solar eclipse as they look towards the setting sun on the horizon in Phoenix, Arizona​

Michael Allen of Southampton, England, is a "keen amateur astronomer'' who considers the eclipse "a once in a lifetime opportunity.'' He can't travel alone because he has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, so his brother Nick is accompanying him on a three-day tour to Nashville with eclipse-viewing at the Kentucky border. Jack Bohannon of Anchorage, Alaska, plans to see the eclipse in Nebraska as the "culmination of a summer-long RV trip'' with family. "We were originally going to book an RV park in the eclipse path in Wyoming, but everywhere was full,'' he said.

Hotels

In small or remote destinations, hotels and campsites in the path of totality are completely sold out. But bigger cities still have openings. As of March 25, Nashville hotels were only 54 percent booked. Don't assume lodging is sold out because a travel booking site says so. Call hotels directly to ask. Many hotels are offering eclipse packages. Nashville's Loews Vanderbilt package includes eclipse viewing glasses, commemorative T-shirt, Uber gift card and bar credit. Hotel Jackson in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has an "eclipse concierge'' to help guests plan their $699-a-night stay. Consumers in Oregon have complained about hotels canceling reservations they made long ago, claiming rebranding or new ownership, then charging much higher rates for rebooking.

Location and Weather

 

[Skull]

It looks to be a fabulous event! Here is the NASA site which will cover it online from varied viewpoints:

NASA Prepares for Aug. 21 Total Solar Eclipse

 

[Skull]

If one misses the 2017 event, just wait seven years, another total solar event in 8 April 2024. The shadow runs thru central Mexico, then sweeps NE across Texas, exiting the US in Maine.

NASA - Total Solar Eclipse of 2024 Apr 08

 

[yiostheoy]

In August of 2017 a very rare (not since 5th century) total solar eclipse with cross the lower 48 of the USA from NW to SE. It is an amazing event; midnight in the daytime, plus a fantastic aura around the dark sun. Must wear eclipse glasses and the weather must cooperate.

Here is the path of totality, giving many places to witness this:

Total Solar Eclipse 2017 - Path Through the United States

Someplace in northeast Idaho would probably be a good place to go see it first hand.

It would be splendid to experience a total eclipse once in a lifetime.

 

[Old Rocks]

Line runs a few miles south of us. Will watch it from my sister-in-laws back yard. Providing the weather co-operates.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - buy the real kinda solar eclipse glasses...

How to avoid buying counterfeit solar eclipse glasses
August 11, 2017 - Experts are urging Americans watching the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse to buy smart when purchasing the necessary protective eyewear.

With counterfeit eclipse glasses hitting the market, NASA and the American Astronomical Society (AAS) suggest that consumers purchase off their long list of verified products to ensure safe viewing. Retired NASA astrophysicist and photographer Fred Espenak told ABC News that he has heard rumors of counterfeit glasses being sold online.

It is unclear if there are counterfeit glasses also being sold in stores or by street vendors. "The only way you can be sure that they're not fake glasses is to buy them from a reliable source," Espenak said.

Espenak recommends that people stick to the AAS's approved list of 12 companies that manufacture and/or sell eclipse glasses and handheld solar viewers, which have been verified by an accredited testing laboratory to meet the ISO 12312-2 international safety standard. "They've been put through a testing procedure to demonstrate that they're dark enough to prevent visible as well as ultraviolet and infrared light from passing through it," Espenak said. "They've gone through various laboratory testing in order to be certified for ISO testing. Filters have to be validated by the same standard."

How to avoid buying counterfeit solar eclipse glasses

See also:

Total solar eclipse 2017: Everything to know about the upcoming celestial event
Aug 3, 2017, The countdown is on for Aug. 21, when a total solar eclipse will arc across the continental United States for the first time in decades. Here's everything you need to know about this rare and striking astronomical event that you won't want to miss.

What is it?

A total solar eclipse is when the moon moves between the sun and Earth, lasting for up to about three hours from beginning to end, according to NASA. The lunar shadow will darken the sky, temperatures will drop and bright stars will appear at a time that is normally broad daylight. Retired NASA astrophysicist and photographer Fred Espenak said the experience usually lasts for just a couple minutes, but it's truly out of this world. "It is unlike any other experience you've ever had," Espenak, popularly known as Mr. Eclipse, told ABC News. "It's a visceral experience; you feel it. The hair on your arms, on the back of your neck stand up. You get goosebumps." "You have to be there," he added.

This map shows the globe view of the path of totality for the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse.​

Espenak said a total solar eclipse can last as long as seven minutes. For the Aug. 21 eclipse, NASA anticipates the longest period when the moon obscures the sun's entire surface from any given location along its path to last about two minutes and 40 seconds.

What makes it so special?

There are four main types of solar eclipse: partial, annular, total and hybrid. According to NASA, total solar eclipses occur once every 12 to 18 months while partial solar eclipses, when the moon blocks only part of the sun, occur more frequently, though visibility varies. The total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 is particularly rare because it's the first time the path of totality exclusively crosses the continental United States from coast to coast since June 8, 1918. It's also the first continent-wide eclipse to be visible only from the United States since 1776. "That's the really unique thing," Espenak told ABC News. "It's not a particularly long total eclipse. It's not an especially wide path of totality, but it crosses the U.S. and no other country."

The diagram shows the earth-sun-moon geometry of a total solar eclipse.​

The last time the contiguous United States saw a total solar eclipse was Feb. 26, 1979, when the path of totality only crossed the Pacific Northwest. ABC News' Frank Reynolds anchored a special report on the celestial phenomenon at the time and pledged that the network would cover the next total solar eclipse in 2017. “So that’s it -- the last solar eclipse to be seen on this continent in this century. And as I said not until August 21, 2017, will another eclipse be visible from North America. That’s 38 years from now. May the shadow of the moon fall on a world in peace. ABC News, of course, will bring you a complete report on that next eclipse 38 years from now.” Reynolds said before signing off.

Who can see it?

NASA estimates more than 300 million people in the United States potentially could directly view the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. The relatively thin path of totality will sweep across portions of 14 U.S. states: Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. However, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in every U.S. state on Aug. 21. In fact, everyone in North America, as well as parts of South America, Africa and Europe, will see at least a partial eclipse, according to NASA.

Where can you witness it?

Related:

Best US cities to watch 2017 total solar eclipse
Aug 3, 2017, A partial solar eclipse will be visible from all of North America on Aug. 21. But only certain cities within 14 U.S. states will be able to see the total eclipse, the brief phase of the celestial event when the moon completely blocks out the sun.

Here are the best U.S. cities within the eclipse's path of totality to watch the spectacular sky show:

Salem, Oregon
The solar eclipse starts at 9:05 a.m. PDT and totality begins at 10:17 a.m. PDT, lasting for nearly two minutes. The city of Salem is already making plans for the big event. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will host a viewing party at the State Fairgrounds in the city. Life Church is offering dry RV parking on a large field at its property in West Salem for people looking for a spot to watch the eclipse.

Madras, Oregon
The solar eclipse starts at 9:06 a.m. PDT and totality begins at 10:19 a.m. PDT, lasting for about two minutes. The 2017 Oregon Solarfest and eclipse viewing will take place in Madras. The festival, which runs from Aug. 18 through Aug. 21, will have a three-day lineup of music and entertainment.

Idaho Falls, Idaho
The solar eclipse starts at 10:15 a.m. MDT and totality begins at 11:33 a.m. MDT, lasting for just under two minutes. The city of Idaho Falls is planning to host many guests in the region for the celestial phenomenon. According to NASA, the city will have four designated viewing locations -- Old Butte Park, Tautphaus Park, Freeman Park and Community Park -- where there will be public restrooms, public parking and plenty of wide open space to watch the eclipse.

Jackson, Wyoming
The solar eclipse starts at 10:16 a.m. MDT and totality begins just before 11:35 a.m. MDT, lasting for a little over two minutes. The centerline of the total eclipse will pass over the southern part of Grand Teton National Park in the Jackson Hole valley, making it one of the best places in the country to experience the astronomical event.

Eclipse Path August 21, 2017​

Steven Hawley, a former astronaut and senior manager at NASA, told ABC News he plans to travel from his home in Lawrence, Kansas, about 1,000 miles to Jackson to watch the eclipse. It will be his first time seeing a total eclipse from the ground. In 1979, Hawley witnessed a total solar eclipse from an airplane at an altitude of 43,000 feet. "We were flying through the [lunar] shadow. You could kind of see the shadow on the Earth's surface," Hawley told ABC News. "It's a unique perspective."

Casper, Wyoming

Additional:

How to watch the solar eclipse

 

[anotherlife]

Shadow stripes that are mysterious can be observed when only about 1 % of the sun is not covered. Very mysterious phenomenon, which is also called diffraction patterns. Basically new shadows develop, in wavy stripes, first expand, then thin out, each a few inches wide, making everything like a zebra.

 

[hjmick]

In August of 2017 a very rare (not since 5th century) total solar eclipse with cross the lower 48 of the USA from NW to SE.

So... 1918 was in the 5th century?