First time in 99 years: US total solar eclipse on 21 August excites scientists

[nitpicker]

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/aug/06/first-time-in-99-years-us-total-solar-eclipse-on-21-august-excites-scientists

First time in 99 years: US total solar eclipse on 21 August excites scientists

Entire US will fall into shadow as eclipse passes, with darkest path, or ‘totality’, contained in 70-mile (113km) ribbon from Oregon to South Carolina

Associated Press Saturday 5 August 2017 22.39 EDT Last modified on Saturday 5 August 2017 22.55 EDT

The sun, moon and Earth will line up perfectly in the cosmos on 21 August, turning day into night for a few wondrous minutes, its path crossing the US from sea to shining sea for the first time in nearly a century. Never will a total solar eclipse be so heavily viewed and studied or celebrated. "We’re going to be looking at this event with unprecedented eyes,” promises Alex Young, a solar physicist who is coordinating Nasa’s education and public outreach.

And the party planning is at full tilt from Oregon to South Carolina. Eclipse fests, StarFests, SolarFests, SolFests, Darkening of the SunFests, MoonshadowFests, EclipseCons, Eclipse Encounters and Star Parties are planned along the long but narrow path of totality, where the moon completely blots out the sun. Vineyards, breweries, museums, parks, universities, stadiums and just about everybody is getting into the act.
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Scientists are also going gaga. “This is a really amazing chance to just open the public’s eyes to wonder,” says Montana State University’s Angela Des Jardins, a physicist in charge of a Nasa eclipse ballooning project. The student-launched, high-altitude balloons will beam back live video of the eclipse along the route. atellites and ground telescopes will also aim at the sun and at the moon’s shadow cutting a swath 60 to 70 miles wide (97 to 113km) across the land. Astronauts will do the same with cameras aboard the International Space Station. Ships and planes will also catch the action. “It’s going to be hard to beat, frankly,” says Thomas Zurbuchen, head of Nasa’s science mission office.

At the same time, researchers and the just plain curious will watch how animals and plants react as darkness falls. It will resemble twilight and the temperature will drop 10 to 15 degrees.
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Expect four hours of pageantry, from the time the sun begins to be eclipsed by the moon near Lincoln City, Oregon, until the time the moon’s shadow vanishes near Charleston, South Carolina. The total eclipse will last just 90 minutes as the lunar shadow sweeps coast to coast at more than 1,500mph (2,400kph) beginning about 1.15pm EDT and ending at 2.49pm EDT. The sun’s crown, the normally invisible outer atmosphere known as the corona, will shine like a halo.
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[CottonBear]

1. This is so cool! I'm an an hour from the total eclipse zone!

I'm going to drive to the total eclipse zone. This is super exciting!

[lastlib]

2. Cue this:

(SOMEONE was bound to think of it................ . )

[logosoco]

3. That's on my playlist!

My first one is "Dark Side of the Moon"...it's like I've been waiting over 40 years for this!

But we are turning off all music as totality near so we can hear the birds quieting and the night bugs waking. (In my neck of the woods, our time of totality is usually a lull time for the birds anyway, so I am interested to see what happens).

I am sooooo excited for this moment! And so happy I can see it all right from my home! And I have all my family from Madison, WI coming down so they can see it, too!

[lastlib]

5. Where are you at? I'm in Kansas City MO.....

Last edited Sun Aug 6, 2017, 12:47 PM - Edit history (1)

30 miles east, actually--right at the edge of the path of totality! But I may have to work that day.

[logosoco]

6. SW of St. Louis!

In High Ridge.

I do hope you get the day off! It should be a holiday for everyone in the path (except for public services. I hear they are putting everyone on shift, just in case!)

[Towlie]

4. I'm ready, but it's a big gamble with a lot of things that might go wrong.

I'll be flying to a friend's home east of Nashville on Sunday, but there are a lot of things that could spoil this once-in-a-lifetime experience. My flight could be cancelled, my rental car reservation could be lost, and of course, the most likely way the experience could be compromised would be bad weather, which could be an overcast sky or even rain.

My only consolation is that I can be confident it won't get rescheduled.

[Igel]

7. The timing could be better.

A lot of schools have their first day of classes on 8/21.

Bummer.

Few administrators are on board with "let's have everybody outside and hand out goggles so they can watch a partial eclipse." In Houston, looking at maybe 66% or so partial eclipse.

Oh, yeah, and most schools here were built without windows in the classrooms. That makes the classrooms storm shelters so we can all shelter in place.

[SCantiGOP]

9. Here in SC,

Clemson University has decided to postpone the eclipse until Saturday so it won't interfere with football practice.

[Warpy]

8. I wonder how many will be refused entry by Asshole and his newly named ICE

gang of macho thugs keeping America safe from science and the arts.

[RussBLib]

10. Science Channel has been wall-to-wall coverage

Yea, Science Channel!