I confess, it did a number on me, and for all the crowds, booked up motels, and exasperating freeway traffic, there were still a lot of people that stayed home. And why not? Partiality could be viewed from any state in the lower 48, and there's this once in a lifetime event going on, and well, what are you going to do? Don't tell me you won't go outside for a few minutes and take a look. I don't believe you. No wonder the glasses got sold out. And of course some people simply weren't interested in the eclipse, and I can grasp that.
But there is one thing I don't get, and I thought about it while all the falderal was going on. Is there anyone that didn't know it was going to happen? Of course, there had to be someone, somewhere, but how many people were like that? Friends of mine who drove to totality encountered that guy on the way home. Seems there was an odd discussion taking place outside the men's restroom at a gas station, where my friend gathered some guy didn't know an eclipse had taken place, so he asked him just to make sure he understood, and the guy said, "Well no, I didn't know anything about it. I was in the house, and it seemed like it got really cloudy outside for a couple of minutes."
And this was in the path of totality!
With all the people staying home, it's common to hear someone say they had 70% or 90% totality at their house. This is helpful in communicating a bit about what they saw. Sometimes it's presented as, "We had 92% totality where we were, so that's pretty good, right?"
Actually, it's neither good or bad. But this might suggest that 92% is better than 74?%, but not as good as 96%. I know this is going to sound fucking elitist on my part, but after experiencing totality, and watching the event through the stages of the partial eclipse, in addition to sounding elitist, this is going to seem absurdly obvious to the extent that I might sound daft for even bringing it up. But here's the thing; A partial eclipse is not a total eclipse. Furthermore 99% is no different than 30%, at least when looking at the sun. Sure it gets darker outside and maybe quieter. The temperature will drop a bit, and the wind may change. But when looking at the sun, which after all, is the main event, how do you compare a partial eclipse with a total eclipse? It's like driving along in a late model used Ford going 70 miles per hour,.... and all of a sudden finding yourself petting a rabbit, in a field of poppies no less. You can't compare the two. They are two different things.
And it is not a slow transition from one thing to the other. Totality occurs in a second, maybe two tops, and everything changes: Now it's one thing. Now it's something else. Off come the glasses because you can't see the corona with them, and there up in the sky is this fascinating black disk backlit with a cold white light that looks like it comes from an LED bulb. It's beautiful, magical, and will be gone in a couple of minutes, and will be years before it comes back. And no, pictures aren't the same thing. Seeing it on television is a digital image, but it's not the same. At least it wasn't for me.
At the end of totality, for just an instant, a small diamond of intense light occurs, the diamond ring effect as I've heard it called. You only see it for a second at most, because it instantly becomes too intense to look at, and you have to put your glasses back on to watch the rest of the event. That flash at the end before the eclipse flips back to a partial, punctuates the end of totality as everything changes back and seems almost like an anti-climax. Totality is over. Nothing to see here, folks. Best get in the car and beat the crowds home, "Gentlemen, start your engines!" And indeed, in a crowd of stargazers, the end of the eclipse does sort of sound like the start of the French Le Mans.
Quote from: SGOS on August 23, 2017, 04:36:57 PM
But there is one thing I don't get, and I thought about it while all the falderal was going on. Is there anyone that didn't know it was going to happen? Of course, there had to be someone, somewhere, but how many people were like that? Friends of mine who drove to totality encountered that guy on the way home. Seems there was an odd discussion taking place outside the men's restroom at a gas station, where my friend gathered some guy didn't know an eclipse had taken place, so he asked him just to make sure he understood, and the guy said, "Well no, I didn't know anything about it. I was in the house, and it seemed like it got really cloudy outside for a couple of minutes."
And this was in the path of totality!
I was wondering the same thing, and I did expect there to be at least some people who had no idea it was happening. Some people just don't keep up with current events.
(https://brightestyoungthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/tumblr_o3u46x1n571s7xfipo1_500.gif)
a guy on the job site walked around with a welders helmet letting guys take a look. He knocked on the office so I obliged him. It was pretty much like one would expect...I thanked him and went back to calculating floor penetrations. Big whoop.
Quote from: aitm on August 23, 2017, 09:09:32 PM
a guy on the job site walked around with a welders helmet letting guys take a look. He knocked on the office so I obliged him. It was pretty much like one would expect...I thanked him and went back to calculating floor penetrations. Big whoop.
/blase
Quote from: aitm on August 23, 2017, 09:09:32 PM
a guy on the job site walked around with a welders helmet letting guys take a look. He knocked on the office so I obliged him. It was pretty much like one would expect...I thanked him and went back to calculating floor penetrations. Big whoop.
Outside the sun goes out, and you are doing floor penetrations. You must be a lot of fun at a party.
"floor penetration"...sounds...kinky...
:signeew:
I still say it's worth it to see the real thing at least once. No partial eclipse, because 99% is not "good enough" - it's garbage compared to the full event. Of course, I'm an astronomy freak, so I may be biased.
gotta love a good eclipse. lol (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/joey-badass-eclipse-shows-cancelled-eyes-damage-tweets-chicago-toronto-cleveland-a7909451.html)
Well, not everyone was able to get the special glasses for the eclipse - but not to worry, sunblock will keep the sun out of your eyes!
:rrotflmao:
Report: Some patients treated for putting sunblock in their eyes during eclipse (http://www.wcyb.com/news/national/report-some-patients-treated-for-putting-sunblock-in-their-eyes-during-eclipse/611460337)
QuoteThose experiencing blurred or impaired vision after watching the solar eclipse may want to see an eye doctor.
Nurse Practioner Trish Patterson told our sister station KRCR it usually takes 24 hours before people start noticing symptoms, including visual defects or blurriness.
Pain is not expected because there aren't pain receptors in the retina.
Patterson said they treat looking directly into the sun the same as a welder's flash.
So far, she said they haven't had any patients with damage from looking at the eclipse, but they've had a few customers experience pain after they put sunscreen in their eye Monday since they did not have protective glasses.
"One of my colleagues at moonlight here stated yesterday that they had patients presenting at their clinic that put sunscreen on their eyeball, and presented that they were having pain and they were referred to an ophthalmologist," Patterson said.
She said it only takes a few seconds of staring directly at the sun for retina damage.
Other signs to look out for dark spots in the center of vision and cloudiness.
People experiencing those symptoms should get checked right away with a thorough eye exam using a slit lamp, and visit an ophthalmologist.
Well, how clever and resourceful some people can be...
That could have been an article for the Onion. How do people come up with this stuff?
"Evolution In Action" The dumbest will eliminate themselves from the gene pool...
Sadly, not fast enough...
Quote from: SGOS on August 23, 2017, 04:36:57 PM
I know this is going to sound fucking elitist on my part, but after experiencing totality, and watching the event through the stages of the partial eclipse, in addition to sounding elitist, this is going to seem absurdly obvious to the extent that I might sound daft for even bringing it up. But here's the thing; A partial eclipse is not a total eclipse. Furthermore 99% is no different than 30%, at least when looking at the sun.
And it is not a slow transition from one thing to the other. Totality occurs in a second, maybe two tops, and everything changes: Now it's one thing. Now it's something else. Off come the glasses because you can't see the corona with them, and there up in the sky is this fascinating black disk backlit with a cold white light that looks like it comes from an LED bulb. It's beautiful, magical, and will be gone in a couple of minutes, and will be years before it comes back. And no, pictures aren't the same thing. ...
At least it wasn't for me.
At the end of totality, for just an instant, a small diamond of intense light occurs, the diamond ring effect as I've heard it called. You only see it for a second at most, because it instantly becomes too intense to look at, and you have to put your glasses back on to watch the rest of the event. That flash at the end before the eclipse flips back to a partial, punctuates the end of totality as everything changes back and seems almost like an anti-climax. Totality is over.
It was amazing! And that isn't elitist, it is a fact. :)
Just got home a few hours ago from my great adventure. We had a place and found the weather was not going to be acceptable, so we packed up, drove almost all night thru fog along unfamiliar roads, arrived at new spot at 6am. 1:50+ seconds of totality. A guy a few spots down was on his 8th total, all the way to our neighbor, who taped 1/2 pair of eclipse glasses to the i-phone and got pretty good shots; this girl had decided a few days before to return to her hometown to view it. A park narc roamed around handing out glasses for anyone who didn't come prepared, they had plenty to spare!
That teeny spotlight from the sun was incredible! I describe it to people as the difference between seeing a pic of fireworks vs being at fireworks. Our pictures are nice, but they do not capture the moment.
I am hoping to view the next US totality in 2024. Learned alot from this one.
Quote from: chill98 on August 28, 2017, 12:33:13 AM
It was amazing! And that isn't elitist, it is a fact. :)
Just got home a few hours ago from my great adventure. We had a place and found the weather was not going to be acceptable, so we packed up, drove almost all night thru fog along unfamiliar roads, arrived at new spot at 6am. 1:50+ seconds of totality. A guy a few spots down was on his 8th total, all the way to our neighbor, who taped 1/2 pair of eclipse glasses to the i-phone and got pretty good shots; this girl had decided a few days before to return to her hometown to view it. A park narc roamed around handing out glasses for anyone who didn't come prepared, they had plenty to spare!
That teeny spotlight from the sun was incredible! I describe it to people as the difference between seeing a pic of fireworks vs being at fireworks. Our pictures are nice, but they do not capture the moment.
I am hoping to view the next US totality in 2024. Learned alot from this one.
I think it's important to realize that totality needs to be understood as a different than looking at a partial eclipse with glasses, which is why I didn't want to be considered elitist. You know, "You ain't seen nothing, until you seen what I seen."
I only have two other friends that traveled and fought traffic to see totality in my area. It was a first for both them and myself. They remarked when we got back together that thinking a partial eclipse is similar in some way to a total eclipse can be assumed true only by someone who has never seen totality.
Of course, for it to have the same impact that it does on you and I, you have to be interested in it. For those who are not, I would encourage them to stay home. The traffic can be a nightmare and it wouldn't be worth it. But thinking that a partial eclipse is enough to get the idea of the experience of totality isn't correct. The partial is an interesting sight in it's own right. It's interesting to think about a huge body like the moon passing in front of the sun, and since it does it in an hour or so, it's neat to consider how fast it has to be moving to accomplish that. Then consider the amount of energy that is tied up in the inertia of such a huge mass of solid rock. And this sort of thing is happening all the time throughout the universe. Of course, you don't need to see the partial eclipse to understand that. So I can understand that the actual experience might not be as important as comprehending the mechanics for most people. And for others, the mechanics aren't going to be important either.
If understanding the mechanics without actually attending the symphony is where it's at, I get that, but hearing the symphony is a different experience from understanding music theory. On the other hand, I'm not quite at the point where I will be an eclipse junkie. I understand traveling great distances at huge expense to experience skiing down hills. I can understand throwing away a career to surf or play golf. But I think another 3 or 4 eclipses would probably do it for me. LOL
Quote from: SGOS on August 25, 2017, 05:54:50 PMHow do people come up with this stuff?
we have warning labels on knives...
Quote from: aitm on August 28, 2017, 09:02:03 AM
we have warning labels on knives...
That's more due to a litigious society than user stupidity. "I wasn't warned knives are sharp! Give me a million dollars!"
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 28, 2017, 09:22:25 AM
That's more due to a litigious society than user stupidity. "I wasn't warned knives are sharp! Give me a million dollars!"
The coffee was hot. How was I supposed to know?
Quote from: SGOS on August 28, 2017, 08:24:06 AM
I think it's important to realize that totality needs to be understood as a different than looking at a partial eclipse with glasses, which is why I didn't want to be considered elitist. You know, "You ain't seen nothing, until you seen what I seen."
It was a first for both them and myself. They remarked when we got back together that thinking a partial eclipse is similar in some way to a total eclipse can be assumed true only by someone who has never seen totality.
But thinking that a partial eclipse is enough to get the idea of the experience of totality isn't correct. The partial is an interesting sight in it's own right. It's interesting to think about a huge body like the moon passing in front of the sun, and since it does it in an hour or so, it's neat to consider how fast it has to be moving to accomplish that.
If understanding the mechanics without actually attending the symphony is where it's at, I get that, but hearing the symphony is a different experience from understanding music theory.
I knew it would be very cool to see, but it went beyond my expectations. The girl with the 1/2 solar glasses taped over her i-phone only decided to view it because of the talk of other people around her. And when it was over, she was really glad she had seen it. It had become a big deal for her. She said she only decided to do it because it was her hometown and she had a place to stay, plus visiting family. After it was over, she said it was totally worth it, and her and her boyfriend (from texas) were going to start planning for the next one, which will be on home territory for the guy. And all the kids who were running around playing and being kids, stopped and watched the sun quietly, bursting out in excitement at totality, just like us grown-ups. They got it too.
Like you describe so well with the Hearing the symphony is a different from understanding the theory. A partial is not the same, even if it is 99%. Totality is a different experience.
I wondered if this was where Tolkien had gotten the idea for Eye of Sauron. I thought about the impact on ancient cultures who witnessed these events now that I had seen it for myself. And I was really glad we moved locations, gaining an extra 45 seconds of totality.
Camping the next several days brought encounters with other people and their perspectives. One lady had viewed it from Rocky Mt. Nat. Park up at the Alpine vis center. They had set up a bunch of scopes for people and she got a pretty good shot. She watched a moose come out onto the alpine meadow to eat; and that is what the park narcs were observing, the effect on wildlife. Another lady was just south and east of where we were and on a hilltop, where she could see the shadow coming across the prairie until it hit her site. Another girl had driven to casper wyoming at the last minute, only to find herself sleeping in a ditch because there were no campsites left, who couldnt wait to show us her pics. It seems Casper knew how to throw a party! A guy I chatted with talked about the tent cities across the landscape of wyoming. And as we drove down from Scottsbluff to Colorado, for over 100 miles, there were police at every intersection directing traffic, hours after the eclipse had ended. Like 6 hours later, they were still out there at these far-flung intersections, directing traffic. The people around us from colorado were joking about how they had shut the state down for the day, no one was left. I would estimate 25-30% of the people stayed another night on location to avoid the traffic mess in these places with few roads to anywhere.
And when I return to work tomorrow, I will recommend that everyone there have the same experience I did, in 2024. Pictures are not the same. A partial is not the same as totality.
Quote from: SGOS on August 28, 2017, 09:44:35 AM
The coffee was hot. How was I supposed to know?
Actually, "the coffee" was considerably hotter than it was supposed to be, well above the temperature McD's established for that drink.
Despite the disappointment with the weather, the trip to Nashville was pleasant enough. Even though I'm not particularly a fan of country music, I quite enjoyed seeing the Grand Old Opera (my inner editor rebels at 'Ole Opry'). Also, the Parthenon in Centennial Park was nothing short of amazing.
But wow. The motorists and pedestrians both are shocking. I'm amazed the morning local news wasn't just wall-to-wall accident reports. In simplest terms, Nashville drivers generally give a shit neither about which lane they're in nor whether you're in their way, they're coming through, and fuck you for existing. And pedestrians are exactly the same way. 'Excuse me' is apparently not a phrase of any relevance to Tennessean pedestrians.
And the other thing is that you are actively assumed to be both straight and Christian. Two shows were nearly ruined for me by the unnecessary intrusion of religious -- and specifically Christian -- performances.
Overall, nice place to visit but I don't think I could live there.
Nashville Parthenon ... definitely something to see ;-)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenon_(Nashville)
Saw it in 1997, after the Athena statue was put up.
Didn't that piss of the evangelicals?
Quote from: Unbeliever on August 29, 2017, 12:27:17 AM
Didn't that piss of the evangelicals?
So? - Dick Cheney
Don't stereotype regions and religions. Nashville has C & W music ... and any Baptist will tell you, that is the Devil's music.
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on August 28, 2017, 09:22:25 AM
That's more due to a litigious society than user stupidity. "I wasn't warned knives are sharp! Give me a million dollars!"
People who do something stupid should not be rewarded for their stupidity. It is one thing to discover after the fact that some drug causes unexpected harm. It is quite another to complain a coffee was hot or a knife was sharp.