Thursday #694 ... does everyone have their eclipse glasses ready?

[cassiesmom]

The August 21 solar eclipse is making the news around here because it is supposed to be clearly visible down in southern Illinois, so people are expected to head down there to get a good look.

I don't have the special glasses... but I'm not sure I will get outside to see any of it or how much will be visible here in Chicagoland.

I'm drinking iced tea because it's a beautiful day in August in Chicago. I'll put the kettle back on and make another pitcher.

[cats4ever]

I got my glasses ready. Here in North Carolina, we will only see a 94% eclipse.
I'll be stuck at work, but I will try to sneak out, around 2:40pm. I typed it in our appointment book.:D

[Karen]

We'll only get a partial version here - 63% obscured - but I will make an eclipse viewing contraption anyway! It was been Vacation Bible School this week, and there was a space theme, so I have been making fin labels all week - things taste different when they are Eclipse Cookies, Galazy Greens, Man in the Moon Macaroni and Cheese, String Theory Green Beans, etc!

Tomatoes are ripening it seems every minute. I have been harvesting in my friend's garden all week, and there were two massive ones that were so ripe, the skins split on the one-mile ride to her house! Tomatoes the heft of softballs, those more flat than spherical. So tomato, mozzarella and basil salad anyone?

[mon]

My husband seems to be excited about the eclipse as well. I however am not. I expect it will appear to be a round speck in the sky, a whole bunch of people peering up at it with special glassholes and then seeing professional photos of the whole shebang on the telly a few hrs. later. How is that exciting? Any reason to celebrate works for me and maybe I'm simply a killjoy :( lotsa $ will be spent and it is a very lovely and harmless activity, am I missing something? Will cats care :rolleyes:

[RICHARD]

My husband seems to be excited about the eclipse as well. I however am not. I expect it will appear to be a round speck in the sky, a whole bunch of people peering up at it with special glassholes and then seeing professional photos of the whole shebang on the telly a few hrs. later. How is that exciting? Any reason to celebrate works for me and maybe I'm simply a killjoy :( lotsa $ will be spent and it is a very lovely and harmless activity, am I missing something? Will cats care :rolleyes:

Um, you aren't alone.

For some people - like me - It's a mix of science, geekery and a respite from the news of idiots battling it out in the streets lately.

It is a rare event, maybe something that will inspire some idiot kid into picking up a science book and looking at the sky, instead of looking at his feet. Maybe the next Neil Armstrong, John Glenn or Chuck Yeager will show up in a couple of years and say, "Hey, that eclipse in '17 inspired me to get into science, astronautics, astrophysics or aeronautics".

In history, eclipses weren't really understood - the Chinese thought it was a dragon that ate the sun - now? All the romance and boogeymen/monsters have been taken out of it so it's 'just' another reason for people to stand around and look up in the sky and go, 'ooohhhhhh'?

At the most? Someone is going to discover something unique and interesting about the event. At the least?
Maybe some of us will realize that there is something a lot larger in the world/universe than the petty stuff we are all sweating every day of our lives?

I kinda like to think that everyone will be united - even looking at a stupid eclipse - for a few minutes/hours, and that ain't necessarily a BAD thing?;)


"mamma always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun-
but mamma, that's where the fun is...."

-Blinded by the Light, Manfred Mann

[RICHARD]

The August 21 solar eclipse is making the news around here because it is supposed to be clearly visible down in southern Illinois, so people are expected to head down there to get a good look.

I don't have the special glasses... but I'm not sure I will get outside to see any of it or how much will be visible here in Chicagoland.

I'm drinking iced tea because it's a beautiful day in August in Chicago. I'll put the kettle back on and make another pitcher.


I read someplace that businesses are supposed to lose something like 600 MILLION dollars in lost revenue on the day......If you DO get to go out side? Find a group of people looking up into the sky - with APPROVED glasses (they look like the old 3-D glasses)and just casually ask them, "What do you see?"

Chances are someone will hand you their pair so you can take a glance to check it out? People are always willing to share something cool and unusual with the people around them - I call it the "HEY, check THIS out" effect?

You can always make yourself a camera obscura

http://jdaniel4smom.com/2017/06/camera-obscura-made-out-of-a-cereal-box.html

Pretty easy and something that is fun and simple to do!

[mon]

Um, you aren't alone.

For some people - like me - It's a mix of science, geekery and a respite from the news of idiots battling it out in the streets lately.

It is a rare event, maybe something that will inspire some idiot kid into picking up a science book and looking at the sky, instead of looking at his feet. Maybe the next Neil Armstrong, John Glenn or Chuck Yeager will show up in a couple of years and say, "Hey, that eclipse in '17 inspired me to get into science, astronautics, astrophysics or aeronautics".

In history, eclipses weren't really understood - the Chinese thought it was a dragon that ate the sun - now? All the romance and boogeymen/monsters have been taken out of it so it's 'just' another reason for people to stand around and look up in the sky and go, 'ooohhhhhh'?

At the most? Someone is going to discover something unique and interesting about the event. At the least?
Maybe some of us will realize that there is something a lot larger in the world/universe than the petty stuff we are all sweating every day of our lives?

I kinda like to think that everyone will be united - even looking at a stupid eclipse - for a few minutes/hours, and that ain't necessarily a BAD thing?;)


"mamma always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun-
but mamma, that's where the fun is...."

-Blinded by the Light, Manfred Mann

Hey! I like the way you are looking at it, I may warm up to the whole idea. Maybe. All the eye safe goggles or whatever are sold out so since my husband will be at work, he wants me to turn my back to the old eclipsaroonie then hold up the big I pad so I can see it and record it at the same time without going blind or burning out my retinas or corneas etc. Weather permitting, it does sound doable. Weird ,but doable . Maybe.

[catland]

I was fortunate to live just 30 miles from the totality zone so we drove down this morning. We were blessed with perfect weather- not a cloud in the sky.

We were not at the center, so we had just over a minute of totality, but it was worth every second. I wish I was a poet, so I could describe how amazing it was. The minutes leading up to it were surreal. Then the sudden dimming, as day turned to twilight.

This morning's experience truly made me feel connected to our solar system. I felt like I was on another world where the sun was dimmer than our own. This was a real bucket list moment and I'm so happy that I got to experience it.

drinks for everyone!

[Karen]

That's so cool! Maybe the next one I will find myself closer to totality!

[cassiesmom]

Tomatoes are ripening it seems every minute. I have been harvesting in my friend's garden all week, and there were two massive ones that were so ripe, the skins split on the one-mile ride to her house! Tomatoes the heft of softballs, those more flat than spherical. So tomato, mozzarella and basil salad anyone?


Absolutely! Yum! *pouring wine to go with salad*

'm disappointed that it was too cloudy in Chicago yesterday to see the eclipse clearly. It definitely got more dim and then more bright. Richard- I thought the best example of science geekery was Chicago meteorologist Tom Skilling's reaction to the eclipse. His brother is the former CEO of Enron, so it's nice to see the name all over the Internet again for a good reason.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/weatherman-cries-tears-joy-eclipse_us_599c8a9be4b0d97c3fffa0c2

[RICHARD]

Absolutely! Yum! *pouring wine to go with salad*

'm disappointed that it was too cloudy in Chicago yesterday to see the eclipse clearly. It definitely got more dim and then more bright. Richard- I thought the best example of science geekery was Chicago meteorologist Tom Skilling's reaction to the eclipse. His brother is the former CEO of Enron, so it's nice to see the name all over the Internet again for a good reason.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/weatherman-cries-tears-joy-eclipse_us_599c8a9be4b0d97c3fffa0c2

I love it....I watched the reruns of the reporting and saw a few reporters/weather people get choked up about the event....

I grew up in So Cal, a real hot bed for science/space and all things that go up in the air.

I was thinking about all the things that I HAVE geeked out about - I remember the moon landing and later on was able to see some moon rocks on display at the museum in Lost Angeles. I have watched rocket missle launches from Vandenberg AFB.

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbmultimedia.htm

I have seen launches in the morning, evening and during the late night hours. The most beautiful are the sunset launches, The sun backlights the exhaust trail and it turns into a gauzy sheet in the sky that disappears as the sun goes down!

The Space Shuttle flyovers and landings were pretty radical too. I spent many hours after a shuttle launch watching them trying to catch the Space Station...You still can watch the ISS fly over on a clear night....It starts as a little dot on the horizon and grows as it passes overhead....then it fades and winks out.....

My favorite memory is watching the shuttle fly into Palmdale, CA to be refurbished.

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.u_tzFmLg7ViqActUg5LCiQEyDM&w=300&h=200&c=7&qlt=90&o=4&dpr=1.05&pid=1.7

THAT was happenstance....I hadn't kept up with the trip and was parking the car when I heard the sound of a huge jet flying over head. I thought "this sucker is gonna crash!" and looked up. I REALLY GEEKED OUT, jumped back in the car and flew down to the airstrip where I got to watch it land...Later on I got to walk thru that 747 at an airshow. It was a large empty 747, but it was the idea that it did such a hard job......the photos do not do it justice...
At that same airshow I got to hold one of the heat tiles that they used on the ship and got to chat with a scientist at the exhibit.

I was really upset afterwards. The have some really HOT women working for NASA, sorry if I sound petty, but brains and looks? I wasted my misspent youth!

I have also geeked out over stuff I have seen thru a telescope! The rings of Saturn are just fantastic! Venus is another treat - it goes thru phases, just like the moon! And don't start me on the meteor showers.....

:)

[mon]

I guess the Donald didn't go blind. I'm sure he'd lie about it if he did.

[Karen]

I guess the Donald didn't go blind. I'm sure he'd lie about it if he did.

I am sure he just looked up for a second - but that's the shot everyone took - and spread. Any longer than a split second, and Melania likely elbowed him!