Eclipse (1 Viewer)

The coverage from America on the British T.V. seemed to show well run events with people using eclipse glasses.
I hope that the general public seeing these realised what had to be done.
One news channel had ridiculous music blaring which drowned out the speech of interviewees.

I hope that U.S. Birdforum members had a good event.

I did not actually see binoculars being used, which is encouraging.

Beforehand, the newspaper advice was truly terrible with not one providing correct information and many providing dangerous advice.
However, yesterday the Daily Telegraph provided very accurate advice, I think copied directly from RAS website advice. So good for them.

A new hazard has emerged.
Camera phones.

Many people were using these for prolonged periods recording the Sun directly.
These devices do not seem wide enough to cover both eyes when held vertically, so I think that quite a number of camera phone users will present to eye clinics in the next few days with problems in one eye.

The Sun's elevation seemed quite high, perhaps around 50 degrees. I am not sure what the elevation was for different locations.

Personally, I am glad it is over, so we astronomers can take a break.

And to those who saw it I hope it will be a lasting and pleasant memory.

I took a peak through the special cheap paper glasses people were using.
I was at work and lots of people came out of the building to view it.
I didn't have 100% trust of the cheap glasses, so I only glimpsed the eclipse
for a few seconds. One guy took photos while the lens of the cheap glasses was over
his camera lens. Another guy said he took a quick glimpse without the glasses:eek!:
So there were those people who took risks ...pretty foolish.

With approx 70% of the sun blocked I thought it would be darker than it was...instead it was just a bit dimmer...just seemed a bit cloudy out.
I'm glad I had a look...it was fun.

At 91% it was clearly darker

edj
NW AR

Hi Binastro;

I am lucky enough to live on the path of totality and it was a very interesting afternoon.

As a retired surveyor I have a lot of solar filters lying around, 3 Topcon and about 25 of the Thousand Oaks band pass type, aluminized on glass (580-630 nm). I put a couple of these on a 7x42 for viewing.

At totality I could see nothing so had a quick peek with the naked eye to see the corona, diamond ring, etc.

What was more interesting is that the crickets and other nocturnal noises arouse and the birds went quiet and did not move.

What magnificent magical serendipity is woven into the cosmos to allow our orbiting moon (a long ago chance asteroid collision - which tilted our earth to give the seasons, and the spin to give us our days, and whose gravity gives us our tides and a lot of the weather) to be of more or less the exact size and at the exact distance required to completely* block out the sun during a solar eclipse ??????!!!!!!!! o

I mean ...... c'mon! Really!? .... it just blows the mind .... :cat:


Chosun :gh:

* In the path of totality - I did see reports (and irrefutable pictures) that due to the moon not being completely spherical with mountains and valleys and what not, that even at totality, unfettered, pure rays of sunshine were slipping straight past some valleys of the moon to earth. I hope folks weren't looking at that unprotected. Also, the 'diamond' on the 'ring' as the sun starts to emerge from totality seems to come about subtly, and deceptively rapidly - one could easily be lured into staring at that longer than is healthy .......

I hope there are no Triffid farms nearby! :eek!: :gn:

I got up at 4 a.m. and drove the 114 miles north to the path of totality. There, I would have had a great view of the eclipse but ... the moon kept getting in the way!!! Humph. :cat:

Bill

Thanks for the reports.

GG.
Yes 70% doesn't get very dark.

Edj.
91% is darker.
I had about 95% in 1999 and the light got very strange indeed.

Ron.
In 1999 my friends reported that the cows lay down to go to sleep.
There were numerous camera flashes a long way off in Cornwall from Devon.
I have a Topcon Super DM. A fine camera, Nikon quality, but the Exacta type bayonet didn't help as lens design was hampered.

Chosun.
Here on roads there are sometimes road signs saying 'Heavy Plant Crossing'. I suppose these are near Triffid farms.

WJC
The Moon is superior to the Sun as it shines at night, whereas the Sun only shines during the day.

Because there was about 50% cumulus cloud cover at my location the secondary effects of the eclipse shadow on the clouds were so spectacular that I found myself spending more time looking at those than the eclipse itself. I had heard of the 360º "sunset" you see near the horizon during totality, but what I experienced was stranger than that. I'll post some photos a friend took later.

I was first aware of a change in the intensity of sunlight on the landscape at about 25-30%. It was very obvious to me at 60%, which is about equal to the intensity of sunlight on Mars. From there the light became increasingly flat, dim and strange. Colors gradually lost their saturation and shadow edges took on an unnatural sharpness as the size of the light source shrank. The intensity during the last seconds before totality must be like sunlight falling on the cloud tops of Saturn or Uranus

I'm very very tired after many hours driving, so pardon what will be poor writing from fatigue, but here are some thought fragments on the eclipse.

***
Complete eclipses are awesome, magnificent, mind-blowing to experience.

Unfortunately, most people don't know what they are or why they are exciting to see. They don't know that the difference in what one experiences during a complete versus partial eclipse is one in kind, not degree.

Lack of proper research of the subject by reporters, and paranoia that readers will misunderstand, has kept good simple information out of most articles in the general media (internet, radio, newspapers...).

Also, too much talk in the media of stupid stuff like the sky going dark, stars showing, birds chirping, shadow bands etc and too little attention to what totality is really about--the corona and prominences.

Paranoia over eye damage (and speculation that events that have been observed safely by countless people might cause eye damage) has made many people afraid to consider, plan for, and embrace the experience.

Consequently, many fewer people experienced this eclipse, or knew what to plan for or do, than should have been the case. Millions experienced it, but too many who easily could have, did not. I hate to think of how many people watched the partial phases with eclipse glasses but didn't know to take them off (possibly because they were confused or afraid from misinformation and contradictory statements in press articles) during totality.

As an educator, and a lover of life, I find this state of affairs saddening. Sure, there's plenty else to be saddened by in about in our imperfect world, but this is one less bit of potential poetry missing from people's life experiences.

****

I, and my family (son, daughter, father, step-mom) and some family friends, made the most of it. We used eclipse glasses (commercial ones, also #14 welders glass, also homemade doubled exposed and developed BW silver film), binoculars and telescopes with filters to watch the partial phases (and many sunspots, and mountains of the moon in silhouette), both before and after totality. We also enjoyed projecting the sun, looking at crescents reflected from bits of broken mirror, the weirdly dim yet just as harshly direct (i.e. not diffused) lighting of the sun at high noon with no clouds, and the strange asymmetry of shadows (since sun becomes a linear light source). The odd darkness, approaching across the landscape from the west in the distance was also dramatic. During the brief transition between the last bit of the sun's disk breaking up to totality, we used naked eyes to see the end of Bailey's Beads. During totality, we used naked eyes, unfiltered binoculars, unfiltered scopes at 30x to see the whole sun, and unfiltered telescopes at ~100x to see the fibrous structure of the corona, and the (many!) fantastically beautiful bright magenta coronal prominences. My dad took a couple seconds out from looking at the sun itself during totality to look at helium emission spectral lines using a diffraction grating. I took a few seconds from direct viewing to fiddle with my camera to trigger an automated series of bracketed photos. I got some good ones, even though I didn't execute my plan perfectly and decided to just hope for the best rather than re-setting since I was more interested in seeing than recording the event. The 2 minutes 20 seconds of totality went by all too quickly, even though we were well prepared and wasted no time. We saw the diamond ring effect with naked eyes in the brief moment following totality, then went back to watching partial phases with filters 'til the eclipse was over.

This was my second complete solar eclipse. I saw the 1991 eclipse in Baja California (that one had ~6.5 minutes of totality!). My dad planned for that one and this one after seeing the 1970 eclipse in northern Mexico. His pictures of totality during the 1970 eclipse are the first photos in my baby book (I was in utero at the time). We aren't obsessive about eclipse viewing, but we hope to be able to make it to more in the future.

With a bit of caution and knowledge of what is and isn't dangerous in sun observation, there is nothing to fear and everything to gain in experiencing eclipses and totality. If you haven't seen a complete solar eclipse, take it from me and everyone I know who has, it is worth it.

--AP

Chosun Juan said:

...due to the moon not being completely spherical with mountains and valleys and what not, that even at totality, unfettered, pure rays of sunshine were slipping straight past some valleys of the moon to earth. I hope folks weren't looking at that unprotected...

Click to expand...

The quantity of light and duration at any one spot on the retina, especially given jittering motion of the eye, is too little to be of concern.

--AP

One of the better papers on the subject, 2016, from the American Astronomical Society. Check Chou's credentials.

Just south of 90% it was noticably dimmer. The shadow of leaves on concrete was quite different. Another thing I noticed, between showcasing the golden cresent on driveway via 10x45 bins, was the 1/10 of radiant energy. Made for a pleasant stroll viewing yuccas in bloom.

As if a Sundowner retractable awning commercial, but instead of merely patio, it made the whole yard about 20* COUP-lahr.

Thanks for the reports.

Alexis.
Unfortunately it is basic general science education that many people just don't have.
Many are fearful of science and even fearful of books and learning in general.
Few people have even basic arithmetic skills, relying on machines for everything.
Add to this the present day media, and of course the situation is not ideal.

It disturbs me a lot more when a whole group of people fearful of a non existing comet, actually a flare spot on a photo, commit mass suicide.

Also America seems to be the home of cults of all sorts.
There are some here but only a few.

The prediction for the end of the world because of the eclipse didn't happen.

I do understand the wish of total eclipse viewers to want others to experience it.

I have observed the Sun almost daily for 60 years.

Ron.
Chou is good.
This old computer won't open the link but I think I have read this before and will have a look on a newer computer.

Here it was cloudy so even the small partial eclipse was missed.

Thanks Henry and Nixterdemus.

Thanks Ron.
I read Dr Chou's paper and it updates his previous work.
It is very good and his advice should be heeded by person's viewing the Sun.

The paper does not mention that during the 1999 eclipse it was very cloudy over much of Britain. Even in Cornwall there was much cloud. Few people saw the total eclipse. So the eye damage was limited.

Also the paper does not mention that it is thought some, maybe many, individuals with eye damage from the Sun either don't realise what has happened, or don't go to eye professionals either out of shame or for other reasons.

It also does not mention that some individuals are more sensitive to solar radiation then the average person, or that medication can make them more sensitive.
Nor the dangers of alcohol and drugs resulting in increased risk.

It does mention the poor advice and warnings.
It is quite depressing that so called science journalists from major and other newspapers have little understanding regarding solar eclipses.
I have seen so many errors.

Not only in solar matters but other science stories. These reporters with rare exceptions are not up to the job.

Personally I stand in awe of the absolute number of complete idiots driving back from the eclipse. Everybody acted like they had to be back in Sacramento in five minutes. I did not know the Oregon State Police had so many troopers. Those boys were busy. Big Summit Prairie in the Ochoco National Forest must have had 30,000 people on it. There are two main Forest Service Roads leading to it. South bound traffic on US Hwy 97 was a snarl.

The eclipse was however, a neat event :t:

I attended the 1973 eclipse on a ship, and spent all of totality recording an exposure series, and did not pause to view the corona.

I deeply regret that, and in retrospect, wish I had simply viewed the corona through binoculars, and left the photography to others.

I'll likely never see another, since the 2024 eclipse will probably be too late for me.

Just looked at some of the photos and videos taken by two top astro imagers.
They travelled to Hodges South Carolina to visit a friend with an observatory almost on the centre line.
The Corona looks beautiful.
They had clear skies.

Visually one describes the corona as absolutely awesome in the 18x50 IS binocular.

Interesting to read that some people who didn't have eclipse glasses applied sunblock to their eyes.
That's new to me.

I wonder what other forms of 'protection' were tried.

Sunblock to eyes.

Hmmm, wonder if they'll trigger a rush on Braille keyboards?

Binastro: Thanks for the good wishes
AP: Thanks for the detailed report
Ron: Thanks for the paper

I was lucky enough to witness 1' 40" of totality from Corvallis, Oregon last week. It was my first total eclipse, and the rush of experiences is still a bit difficult to process. While I made preparations a year in advance logistically, I was quite unprepared either technically or emotionally. First the technical--I wish I had read, studied, watched documentaries a bit more so I would have had a better understand of what I was seeing during totality. Last night I watched a very good documentary on this eclipse by NOVA on PBS. I had no idea that the corona extended so far beyond the surface of the sun and I assumed that what I was seeing was scattering in our atmosphere, though I couldn't understand the odd shape of it.

I brought my Opticron MM3 60 GA fitted with a Thousand Oaks glass filter. It performed admirably. We enjoyed viewing sunspots and granulation before and after totality. I also had my 8x30 binoculars unfiltered around my neck for watching birds and other wildlife as conditions changed. I watched a very confused Peregrine Falcon. Binoculars were also handy for some quick astronomical observations during totality, including prominences.

As I mentioned earlier to didn't know enough to look for filamentary structure in the extended corona. I was also too excited as totality approached and forgot to look for shadow bands. Totality was somehow both awesome and frantic. The minute and forty seconds felt like about 20 seconds. I did have the presence of mind to look for and see shadow bands after totality.

Alan

Well I had a nice little story written up but the brand new cat that has invaded the house stepped on the mouse and deleted it all.

Condensed version...my first total eclipse...for various reasons (cloud cover, traffic reports, crap forecast) I almost decided to head to the office instead of making a 2.5 hour drive into east central MO. That would of been the wrong choice.

I started at the last minute from heavy overcast and drove through three rainstorms with much grumbling and cursing. Last minute web surfing had led me to MoDOT's road condition maps which provided much needed gen on the local roads in MO, and saved me from disaster as a bridge was out on the initial route I had planned to use.

Once into MO a respectable distance from St. Louis I drove as far south as I could into the path of totality and into the best skies I saw all day. Not perfect, but blue, scoring 95/100, and with no time to spare.

As Alan mentioned totality was awesome and frantic. It arrived almost unexpectedly as it did not get nearly as dark as I anticipated. Naked eye view of totality is great, bins are better. You get to see the striations and variance in the corona and the deep orange solar prominence, just like in the photos. In 2 min. 25 sec it was over.

In rural MO I ran into few people and had no traffic delays. Saw maybe 20 viewer vehicles parked in small towns and on side roads. Read of a few reports of Chicago area birders running into stop and go traffic on I-55 and I-57 on their journey home from so. IL. A 5-6hr journey became a 13 hour journey with folks finally getting in at 3:00-3:30am.

If you have a chance to see a total eclipse I highly recommend it. My main regret is not having my bins mounted on a tripod. So I would recommend that for anyone else, unless you have a really steady hand. Also wish I would of had a little more background on checking for bailey's beads and shadow bands. We have another eclipse in the area (2.5-3 hrs ESE) in 2024 and my appetite has been whetted. Unfortunately I'm not sure Ill be able to dodge the unwashed northern horde.

I should have a nice story of a cat taking swimming lessons in the local sewage lagoons shortly...