solar eclipse ☀️

[digimon]

there is gonna be a solar eclipse this monday (april 8th) but from what i heard/understand it’s going to be visible in north america (sorry other continents :c ) will you be in the path of totality? does anyone have plans to watch the eclipse as it happens? safely of course please don’t go burning your retinas for this i’ve been considering picking up some eclipse glasses but i’m also afraid that they won’t work for some reason and i’ll damage my eyes.

or has anyone had any experiences viewing other eclipses, whether it be solar or lunar c:

 

[Trent the Paladin]

Last I heard, we're not in the prime viewing area but we will probably observe some effects from it. I got to watch the 2016? Solar Eclipse at work, a small group of us got to share some of the special glasses to take turns looking at it.

 

[QueenCobra]

I might watch some of it depending how much comes in…I think I’m close to totality, but not 100%. (I’ll have to check again.) The one in 2018 blew me away, maybe because I never experienced anything like it. To hear kids scream with excitement from the school…that made it more fun and memorable to me.

Some of the eclipse glasses from Amazon, and most of the ones from eBay and Temu are not recommended. I believe Walmart, Lowe’s and Home Depot are selling some too.

 

[Bui]

I'm in the path right now! Unfortunately it looks like we'll have cloud cover over most of the path, but I'm hoping for some breaks where it will still be visible. I also accidentally left my eclipse glasses at home, but was able to buy some here (they were the same type and brand as the ones I had at home so I know they are trustworthy, I've also tested them just in case).

 

[Beanz]

it looks like my area will be able to see a partial eclipse but it looks like it's going to be cloudy. idk i hope i get to see at least a part of it.

 

[BobRocks20]

So the total eclipse will be on Monday, huh... I'd like to see it myself, but I'm afraid I won't have time. Usually during the weekdays I have homework to worry about.

Speaking of eclipses, I was reminded of an annular solar eclipse that occured months ago on October 14. I got to see it; first through a method involving paper, foil, and shadows, then using an x-ray sheet my dad let me borrow. Don't worry, my vision didn't get worse.

 

[Halloqueen]

I'm in an area with partial totality, unfortunately not full totality. Close enough, just under 100% but not actually 100%.

Unfortunately the weather report says it's scheduled to be mostly cloudy on Monday so there's a chance it won't even be visible here. If it is visible, though, I'll be checking it out. If not, oh well, wouldn't be the first time my skygazing has been ruined by cloud cover. Hope I'm still around for the next one if I miss this one.

I know I've seen a lunar eclipse before, but not sure if I've seen solar before.

 

[Bui]

Remember, even a 99% solar eclipse doesn't even hold a candle to 100% coverage. If you happen to be in a place that's right along the edge of totality but not inside it, it might be worth traveling that extra few miles to see it. Assuming the weather cooperates, that is! Which for a significant portion of the path doesn't look like it will be the case.

 

[Halloqueen]

Remember, even a 99% solar eclipse doesn't even hold a candle to 100% coverage. If you happen to be in a place that's right along the edge of totality but not inside it, it might be worth traveling that extra few miles to see it. Assuming the weather cooperates, that is! Which for a significant portion of the path doesn't look like it will be the case.

Just looked into it after reading this and it's going to be real booty cheeks in my area then. Theoretically could travel but likely won't. Oh well.

 

[digimon]

Remember, even a 99% solar eclipse doesn't even hold a candle to 100% coverage. If you happen to be in a place that's right along the edge of totality but not inside it, it might be worth traveling that extra few miles to see it. Assuming the weather cooperates, that is! Which for a significant portion of the path doesn't look like it will be the case.

woah hearing that the slight difference in coverage makes a big difference (even just 1%?!) is incredibly intriguing o: if i wasn't working and had the energy, i would maybe consider driving to the closest area that has 100% coverage. the traffic getting there and back would certainly be unbearable though i bet

 

[Midoriya]

I've already seen a solar eclipse in the past, so it's not a big deal for me. Coincidentally, I live in Texas and I'm fairly certain my area won't be able to view it due to weather, so I'll probably just carry on about my day like normal.

 

[Hyoon]

my city happened to be in the path of an eclipse before so it was pretty cool to see one. i think seeing one is good enough for me tho it would be cool if my city was in the path again regardless!

 

[Bui]

woah hearing that the slight difference in coverage makes a big difference (even just 1%?!) is incredibly intriguing o: if i wasn't working and had the energy, i would maybe consider driving to the closest area that has 100% coverage. the traffic getting there and back would certainly be unbearable though i bet

It sounds crazy, but it's definitely true, the sun is bright! Even when 99% covered the light from the sun coming through will still be 10,000 times brighter than that of a full moon! It will definitely get dark, but not to the level of a total eclipse! During a total eclipse, it becomes dark as night, stars become visible, the horizon (if visible) lights up like a 360 degree sunset, and the corona of the sun (its "atmosphere" in the most basic sense) becomes visible (even the slightest amount of sunlight is bright enough to block it out). The phase of totality is the ONLY time it is ever safe to look at the sun without eye protection. You MUST wear eye protection to observe the sun when any amount of the sun is not blocked by the moon. This phase might only last a few seconds if you're at the very edge of totality, but quickly increases to over a minute as you move toward the center (topping out at well over 3 minutes in the enter), so the further you can travel inward the better! If you want to watch it though, I would highly recommend downloading an eclipse timer app (there is one I use simply called "Eclipse Timer" which uses your GPS location to determine the exact time of the eclipse including totality, plus audio warnings when totality is almost over so you can look away in time).

Here is a visual representation of the difference between a 99.5% eclipse and a total eclipse:

Spoiler: 99.5% coverage

Spoiler: Total coverage

 

[Aniko]

I will also get the partial version of that eclipse, close but not close enough.

 

[Corrie]

I heard there was a state of emergency for Niagara Falls, Canada (projected 1 mil visitors!!) because of the amount of people coming there to view it. Wild stuff! I might take a peek (safely) but I won't watch the entire thing happen since I don't have any safety gear. They say you can get a bucket of water and watch it from the reflection safely but even that I'm not sure about. Hoping it's a clear sky that day!!

 

[Bui]

I heard there was a state of emergency for Niagara Falls, Canada (projected 1 mil visitors!!) because of the amount of people coming there to view it. Wild stuff! I might take a peek (safely) but I won't watch the entire thing happen since I don't have any safety gear. They say you can get a bucket of water and watch it from the reflection safely but even that I'm not sure about. Hoping it's a clear sky that day!!

A reflection is not sufficient, the light reflected will still be too bright to view safely for anything short of totality (which at totality, and only at totality, you can observe the eclipse directly without eye protection anyway so the reflection wouldn't be needed).

 

[himekirako]

the path is literally right under toronto so i don't think we'll be able to see it, but who knows! sadly the forecast says it'll be raining monday so i don't have my hopes up :0(

 

[moonbyu]

partial solar eclipse for me, it seems lol. my city's transportation services are offering special transit services to niagara falls to see the total eclipse but i don't have the time to leave my city, go to niagara falls and come back home all in the same day. not to mention, i don't have protection glasses. i'll just settle for watching a livestream

 

[ali.di.magix]

I'd love to be there, unfortunately I'm a bit far away from NA I truly love everything space related, NA friends please look out for me

I did watch a lunar eclipse many years ago. We had a cheap telescope, which actually worked really well to view it in full detail. So cool to watch

 

[OswinOswald]

I traveled (from CA) to visit my friends in Dallas to be in the path of totality! I made these plans about a year ago, before I started my new job last fall. One of my bosses from my old job in NY had gone to the last one in 2017 and said it was so life changing and such a different experience to be in the path of totality, so since then I looked up videos and I’ve been planning to see this one! Especially since the next one in Northern America/US will be 2045. Being in totality means the sun really gets dark and the animals notice and act differently, crickets chirp like it’s night, birds think it’s night, and visually the Purkinje effect is supposed to be really neat so your color perception is different. You don’t get any of those effects when you’re in an area that’s only partial, even if it’s 99%.

Actually my boss who went to the one in 2017 is also here near Dallas/Austin to watch this one too!

I did read a news article about a guy from Canada who is traveling from Montreal (which is already in the path of totality) down to Texas somewhere because totality will be maybe a minute or two longer down south; that’s real dedication!

Just hoping the weather cooperates and we don’t have clouds or rain! And hopefully the traffic cooperates too, apparently a lot of people have come this way to go eclipse watching!