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[Ed. addition] Please join in the comments with links to other sites that you have found. Also, what plans do you have, if any, for viewing the eclipse? Ignoring it? Getting together with friends? Traveling to get a better view? Would love to see comments with people's experiences of seeing the eclipse.
Also, I forgot where I'd seen it, but there was a suggestion to keep pets inside and away from windows, especially if you are where there is [nearly] total obscuration, as they may become confused and accidentally view the eclipse. I don't know about that. There seems to be quite a bit of wildlife that cannot go indoors during an eclipse and I'd never heard of large die-offs following an eclipse.
Maps for each of the United States showing the amount of obscuration at various points across the state and time of maximum obscuration.
Ars Technica story about what happens when you view an eclipse without protection.
The American Astronomical Society has a variety of resources at: https://eclipse.aas.org/
JAMA Ophthalmol journal article http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2648904 (doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.2936) explains damage that can come from viewing the sun directly:
Damage to the fovea in solar retinopathy (sometimes called photic retinopathy or solar retinitis) occurs in 2 ways and by 2 distinct physical mechanisms. The spectrum of sunlight contains a significant fraction of near-infrared radiation (700-1500 nm), which can cause direct thermal injury (burns) via heat. Because we cannot see this light, and the retina lacks nociceptive receptors to signal pain, damage can occur without our knowledge. However, the more pressing concern when viewing a solar eclipse is for visible light, which in excess causes photochemical toxicity through rapid accumulation of reactive oxygen species and free radicals. This is especially damaging to the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid, which contain an abundance of photoactive materials rife for oxidation: heme proteins, melanosomes, lipofuscin, and the like.
Sky & Telescope article http://www.skyandtelescope.com/2017-total-solar-eclipse/solar-partial-eclipse-rest/ general information on eclipses and some viewing suggestions.
Pinhole Astrophotography http://users.erols.com/njastro/barry/pages/pinhole.htm has a somewhat technical explanation of how you can design a device for projecting an image of the eclipsing sun. An example is provided where the author projected an image 24.1 cm in diameter at a distance of 25.9 meters from the tripod-mounted 5.9mm mirror 'pinhole'. (That's a BIG pin.)
[TMB Note]: One of the perks of living in Tennessee now is I'll be less than an hour's drive from the path of totality. The Roomie and I will be hauling some viewing glasses, five cameras, two phones, a cooler of water, and a pair of huge sammiches up to it to look for a good viewing/photographing spot in an hour or so. Expect at least a few good quality shots either this evening or by the morning, depending on how much offline life decides to keep me otherwise busy.
Any of you who beat me to the punch and can spare the bandwidth, feel free to post links to your own shots here. If you include a copyright release for us to do so, we may use them either in an update to this story or in a latter dedicated images story.
Enjoy the show and make sure not to burn your retinas out.
[Update]: Excuse the quality. My camera was confirmed to be a cheap piece of crap whilst The Roomie's was confirmed to be smarter than him. At least the auto-focus setting is smarter than him. And, lastly, excuse the lack of embedded video. It's been a long day and I can't be arsed to figure out how to get rehash to quit stripping the video tag out at the moment. Have a link to the video and be happy with it.
(Score: 3, Funny) by SomeGuy on Monday August 21 2017, @01:13PM (6 children)
I'm guessing that is supposed to mean animals might look directly at the sun, blinding themselves. Hmmm. As long as they have not watched Fox News, become convinced they should buy potentially fake eclipse glassless, and that they should spend the entire time staring directly at the sun, then they probably will be OK.
It will be interesting to see how many people burn their eyes out. Or if the bright blue LEDs in consumeroid garbage products have already blinded everybody.
That said, I plan to just to go outside for a while and watch it get dark without looking directly at the sun. Already know what the sun looks like. The more interesting part is what is going on all around as it gets dark. For example, if it gets cooler, if the crickets start chirping, if humans go crazy and start burning things, and so on.
(Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Monday August 21 2017, @01:24PM (4 children)
Some years ago I saw an almost complete eclipse in Germany and noticed that the automatic street lights came on as the light dimmed. Animals didn't seem affected.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @04:37PM (3 children)
I saw the total eclipse in 1999, also in Germany. Smack bang in the middle of the umbra shadow, in a major city. Weather conditions weren't perfect for viewing, there was a slight overcast and haze.
As in your case, automatic streetlights came on. But also, the whole city went real quiet, even the animals. No birds chirping, no dogs barking. A few moments of total silence. It was a surreal experience. In a way, the less than perfect conditions were probably helping as people didn't let out the moronic Oohs and Aaahs you can usually except at such an event, but were instead trying to actually see shit.
Everyone was wearing the silly protective glasses sold around the country for some weeks prior. These were apparently made to stare into an exposed sun or arc welding equipment. With just a bit of haze in the air though, the eclipse was impossible to make out. After a few moments of nothingness, I took off the glasses and so was able to catch a few glimpses of something I will probably never again see in my lifetime. My eyes are fine BTW.
If you go see this one, I suggest having a fallback with regards to eye protection. Something less heavily tinted.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:33PM
I was in amsterdam during a world cup game awhile back, the situation was pretty much the same except when there was a goal you could hear the tv signal propagate through the city via the cheering. Also, it was interspersed by people running out of bars being chased by other people.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday August 21 2017, @11:00PM (1 child)
When the Sun is completely obscured by the Moon, then all you have for light is the Sun's corona. That can be viewed with the naked eye since it apparently is roughly the brightness of the full moon (with the Earth's atmosphere shielding us from the nastier EM components. It would of course be invisible in these glasses which are designed for viewing a light source a million times brighter. A lot of haze would not make a significant difference in making the solar eclipse harder to see.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Monday August 21 2017, @11:54PM
I noticed that today. When totality hit, I suddenly couldn't see a thing through the filters. I stole a few glances during totality and I don't notice anything different about my (sucky to start with) vision.
I'm so glad I traveled to see it. I was amazed at how bright it was outside with just the thinnest sliver of the sun showing -- dusky but not dark. I never realized how ridiculously powerful the sun is till that moment. Then all of a sudden the stars came out and there wish a blue-white ring of fire in the sky. If I had been alive some thousands of years ago and saw that, well, I can totally understand people sacrificing virgins or burning up crop offerings or whatever. It's a really powerful experience when you know what is happening -- if you didn't, it would be easy to really freak out.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @03:28PM
While I understand that those of us with brains can't impress enough upon normies enough that even if the sun is partially (or fully) obscured by the moon, starting straight at a giant, unshielded fusion reactor is not the best idea, it does kind of get irritating that people act like an eclipse is fucking Medusa. Glace at it even by accident and you'll go blind for life! OMG! zomg! eleven!one!
Really, isn't a pinhole setup the only completely safe way to observe the eclipse for an extended period of time? I know it's the only kind of setup I'd trust, but I also don't see a need, as amazing as this astronomical event is in a subjective sense, to stare at it for an extended period of time. The only measurements I could possibly take consist of "yep, getting darker, yep, upper atmosphere is now visible, yep, it's an eclipse."
However, seeing as how eclipses have always been superstitious events that fuel small, superstitious minds, this all reminds me. I need to feel out whether or not my 401(k) will tank and very quickly since I'm out of time to decide to move my money to safer but flatter investments. Trump gets elected, everybody has good bellyfeel, stocks go up! Eclipse, everybody has bad bellyfeel, stocks go down! I betcha....
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @01:16PM
The Totalitarian Eclipse.
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @01:20PM (6 children)
I'm with Randall, https://xkcd.com/1877/ [xkcd.com]
Too much ignorant hype.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @02:58PM
Regarding the hover text: How is general relatively looking solid when 95% of the observable universe is now made of stuff only detectable as deviations from the theory?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @05:45PM (1 child)
Randal is an idiot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allais_effect [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday August 21 2017, @11:06PM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:24PM (2 children)
Eclipse Birds
https://m.xkcd.com/1879/#comic. [xkcd.com]
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday August 22 2017, @07:40AM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 23 2017, @02:12AM
Yeah, I liked that one too.
(Give me 2 days between Munroe's efforts and stuff slips my mind.)
There's a solar eclipse about every 18 months, but, given the amount of ocean on Earth and numerous desolate areas, a bunch of those events go largely unobserved by significant numbers of folks.
-- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by VLM on Monday August 21 2017, @01:42PM (2 children)
Very paternalistic, which people like when applied to pets, not so much when applied to minorities. Also I think "looking at sun hurts" is established in humans long before they grow old enough to listen to their parents (figure age 29 or so) So if a three month old baby can avoid looking at the sun, I figure your average hound dog will be just fine.
One useful data point I can relate is where I live thunderstorms are "normal" or at least not unheard of, so during the day its not unusual for the outdoors to get very dark and then animals that are scared of thunder go into hiding, so if anything an eclipse will have scaredy cat-dogs hiding under beds. I am uncertain how well housepets or wild animals pay attention to clouds... it would seem visible and be a useful survival trait so they "should", but I've never seen observed dogs watching clouds, so they'll probably not realize that its dark out but not raining.
I'm not rural enough to have local roosters. I wonder what roosters think of eclipses.
Speaking of clouds, its nice and overcast and I can't see the solar disk so nobody is going blind here. It'll still be cool for it to get almost dark in the middle of the day, anyway.
I want to experience the eclipse, not experience being an amateur eclipse photographer, so unlikely to get a pix unless its funny/snarky or really interesting. I am going to a local eclipse party (freelance contractor guys don't work when they don't want to...) so hopefully that'll be fun.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @02:16PM (1 child)
> I'm not rural enough to have local roosters. I wonder what roosters think of eclipses.
Roosters don't crow just at sunup like in the cartoons: They crow when the mood takes them, which is too damn often. They only have a reputation for crowing at sunup because that's about when they wake.
(Score: 3, Funny) by PiMuNu on Tuesday August 22 2017, @06:24AM
that's about when they wake.that's about when they wake everyone in the whole neigbourhood.
(Score: 2) by tibman on Monday August 21 2017, @02:09PM (5 children)
If you need to travel to your viewing spot then leave early. The highways are stupid packed with people.
SN won't survive on lurkers alone. Write comments.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @02:19PM (3 children)
> The highways are stupid packed with people.
Hmmm? That doesn't look right. Let's just make a subtle adjustment, see if that improves things a little....
> The highways are packed with stupid people.
Ah, that's better.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @02:57PM
+1 Informative
+5 Insightful
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:14PM (1 child)
Because driving somewhere to experience a total eclipse is stupid?
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Monday August 21 2017, @10:58PM
Because most people are stupid.
Driving doesn't disprove stupid (as demonstrated by all the youtube dashcam videos)
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 22 2017, @12:04AM
Charter share in a 4 seat Cessna. About a 2.25 hour flight, got to a small municipal airport right underneath the path, watched the eclipse, home before 2 pm. Great views of Puget Sound, Olympic Mountains, and all of our volcanoes going down and back, and totally avoided miles upon miles upon miles of parking lot (usually known as Interstate Freeways) we could stretching out below the landing gear.
It was epic.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @02:17PM (4 children)
If possible, watch the eclipse in a high place. That way you'll see Moon's shadow approaching at a great speed.
(Score: 2) by UncleSlacky on Monday August 21 2017, @03:20PM
Seconded - it's quite impressive to watch the shadow racing towards you, even through cloud cover.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @03:53PM (1 child)
How much dope do you recommend? How high should that place be...?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @04:54PM
5g shrooms
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Monday August 21 2017, @05:38PM
Bit of advice. During an eclipse, you can see the sun as a crescent with much larger holes than a pinhole. Like, the holes made by a humble paper punch. Hold it in the sunlight and look at the shadow it casts. This actually works better if it's not in focus. Hold notebook paper about 4 feet above the ground.
Even shadows cast by tree leaves will show this effect.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @02:54PM (7 children)
70 miles from the totality and I have no way to get there
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @02:58PM (2 children)
Run really, really fast. You still have time.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @03:02PM (1 child)
If they left yesterday it would be theoretically possible to make it by walking:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrianism [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @06:04PM
I followed your link and saw below the image:
Sounds like a headline from SoylentNews!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @03:11PM (3 children)
The partial eclipse will still be cool so go take a look.
Next biggie for us in North America will be the April 8, 2024 total eclipse [wikipedia.org] where the path of totality goes through Mexico, central US and towards the east coast of Canada.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @04:23PM (2 children)
+1 thanks! the next one goes right over me, so I'm not wasting any gas to get anywhere special today.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:37PM (1 child)
I've never seen a total eclipse; I wish I'd gone. Fingers crossed that we live to see a future one! The next total solar eclipse will be 2019-07-02 [timeanddate.com] in South America and the South Pacific.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday August 22 2017, @12:08AM
I've always wanted to visit Chile! Another reason.
(Score: 2) by stormwyrm on Monday August 21 2017, @03:47PM (4 children)
I hope this [gocomics.com] doesn't happen where you are!
Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:33PM (3 children)
for anyone else who's blocked:
Lucy walks off her doorstep. It is raining heavily. [archive.org]
She walks.
She approaches Linus, who is staring up at the sky.
Lucy looks up at the sky. She asks, "So how's the eclipse?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @08:39PM (2 children)
Heavy overcast cloud cover here, so yeah, close enough.
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Tuesday August 22 2017, @09:32AM (1 child)
We had that in '99, however it's still an experience in the path of totality. The lights still go out, the birds still god mad.
(Score: 2) by kazzie on Tuesday August 22 2017, @09:59AM
Those pesky religious-funamentalist birds!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @03:52PM
Where will you be when the first total solar eclipse terrorist attack happens? [nasa.gov]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @04:08PM (8 children)
Saw an eclipse from my backyard in 1992. Made a pinhole camera and everything. The whole experience was underwhelming.
I already lost my eclipse virginity and now eclipses do not interest me.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @04:24PM (7 children)
That was an annular eclipse; there was no totality.
Your analogy is perfect -- you lost your virginity, but have never had an orgasm; now you can't understand why other people think sex is so great.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @05:09PM (2 children)
And that's when I quit masturbating. [oglaf.com] [nsfw]
(Score: 1) by John Miller on Tuesday August 22 2017, @12:51AM
Love the title of the comic! TRUMP in big letters. In capital letters. Not gold, it should be in gold. Let me tell you, when I masturbate, have sex, or get a hand job, I think of President Donald J. Trump. I always, always think of him. Our greatest President ever. Who is not a racist. Racially aware, but not a racist. And I have the most amazing orgasms, the likes of which this world has never seen before. Orgasms with fire, fury and, frankly, power. Try it, it's terrific! I promise, you'll have the most beautiful orgasms that you've ever had in your life. Or my name's not John Miller.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 22 2017, @01:54AM
well there goes the rest of my evening.... that comic is amazing!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:22PM (2 children)
There was an eclipse in June 1992 that was total in Uruguay and the South Atlantic [timeanddate.com] but I'm guessing the OP didn't experience that.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @08:36PM (1 child)
Iamgay from south Atlantis.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 22 2017, @06:45AM
Runaway2017 ran away from the eclipse, as obviously it was a sign of the second coming of Zog, the god of White supremacy. And, .. . once again it didn't happen! How many time do you have to get fooled by that preacher down the road at the MegaChurch, who seems to have a "special" relationship with not only your wife, but your daughters and nieces of a certain age? OMG! How many times has he predicted the end of the world, and how many times were we stupid enough to give him all our money so he could convert it into "BitCoin" that would be accepted in Heaven, so we actually could take it with us, anonymously! Except, not. Everything is written in the Great Book, including how much of a racist Runaway has been. He may object, but you know, omniscience is a bitch, bros! You going down, Runaway!
(Score: 4, Informative) by hemocyanin on Tuesday August 22 2017, @12:17AM
I would agree. I'd never seen any sort of eclipse before and I did sort of question my decision to travel when right at home, I'd have 85.5% coverage of the sun. Totality is totally different than partial. It wasn't what I'd call very noticeable with 50% coverage - kind of like a cloud passed over the sun. Even with just a sliver of the sun, like 99% coverage, I was amazed at how light it was -- maybe early dusk -- and then boom: ring of fire, stars, and after a couple minutes a bright flash on the edge. It was an incredible experience and I'm very glad I did it.
This time I only traveled a few hundred miles each way. I'd go thousands to see that again now that I've experienced it.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Monday August 21 2017, @06:40PM (1 child)
Be the first on your block to own a pair of eclipse glasses.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 2) by deadstick on Tuesday August 22 2017, @01:59AM
There was a headline in Denver warning people not to drive with the glasses on.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 21 2017, @07:11PM
Ignignokt [imdb.com]: Some would say that the Earth is our moon.
Err: We're the moon.
Ignignokt: But that would belittle the name of our moon, which is: The Moon.
Err: Point is: we're at the center, not you.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Entropy on Monday August 21 2017, @07:29PM (3 children)
It's clearly a sign of racism, and must be eradicated. How can we have equality, when some places in the US achieved total blackness, while others did not?
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Monday August 21 2017, @07:50PM (1 child)
Stupid #FAKENEWS Boston Globe says 92% of counties w/eclipse voted for me. Actual % much higher! https://t.co/3pwqpXsDD6 [t.co] 🇺🇸
(Score: 2) by realDonaldTrump on Monday August 21 2017, @08:10PM
...Next eclipse is in 2024. Re-elect President Donald J. Trump! #TRUMP2024 🇺🇸
(Score: 2) by chromas on Tuesday August 22 2017, @12:48AM
It's cultural appropriation! The sun's putting on blackface!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 22 2017, @03:13AM
Clearly Russian intelligence operatives are behind any future and prior eclipses. They cannot be trusted.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday August 23 2017, @08:04PM
This night methinks is but the daylight sick. -- William Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice"