Solar Eclipse...

[CH4Ohio]

A Historical Perspective on Total Solar Eclipses in the U.S.

The total solar eclipse of 2017 will be the first in a century to cross the continental U.S., but more than a dozen others have passed over parts of the nation since the 1860s.

www.wunderground.com

This page will let you look at prior total eclipses to in the US if you're interested. There have been a couple in the last century that caught slivers of the country. The 2017 and 2024 eclipses will cut a swath across much of the US but only visible within that ~124 mile wide path.

 

[MH8675309]

He once starred at the sun with a pair of binoculars for over an hour

 

[CH4Ohio]

It's really fascinating to think about the impact that these events have had throughout history. This is from the NASA site . . .

History

Eclipses have been occurring on Earth since long before humans walked the planet. Throughout time, humans have had different interpretations of and reactions to these striking celestial events. The oldest recorded eclipse in human history may have been on Nov. 30, 3340 B.C.E. A series of...

science.nasa.gov

"The oldest recorded eclipse in human history may have been on Nov. 30, 3340 B.C.E. A series of spiral-shaped and circular petroglyphs was found at the Loughcrew Megalithic Monument in County Meath, Ireland. Petroglyphs are rock carvings made by pecking into stone. Immediately in front of a carving that shows overlapping, concentric circles, archaeologists found the charred remains of nearly 50 individuals. Scholars continue to research and discuss the meaning of the petroglyphs."

 

[Jstpssng]

A Historical Perspective on Total Solar Eclipses in the U.S.

The total solar eclipse of 2017 will be the first in a century to cross the continental U.S., but more than a dozen others have passed over parts of the nation since the 1860s.

www.wunderground.com

This page will let you look at prior total eclipses to in the US if you're interested. There have been a couple in the last century that caught slivers of the country. The 2017 and 2024 eclipses will cut a swath across much of the US but only visible within that ~124 mile wide path.

That's a good article. It must have been the 1963 event which I mentioned above.

 

[CH4Ohio]

The path of totality crosses over the extreme NW corner of my home state of PA. I booked rooms in Erie, PA a year ago. It's a 5 hour drive from home but well worth it IMO.

I took some advice from friends, who are seasoned "eclipse chasers". They recommend:

1 - Plan to view from a city in the path of totality, rather than a rural area. There are more hotels to choose from and more roads to handle the traffic.

2 - Book rooms the night before and the night after the eclipse to avoid the massive traffic jams that sometimes occur at these events.

3 - Book a room with a microwave & fridge and bring your own food. It is unlikely you will get a table at any of the local restaurants due to the crowds.

4 - Choose a hotel with a clear view of the sky. That way, you have the option to view the eclipse from the parking lot if gridlock occurs on the local roads.

5 - Fill your gas tank the day before to avoid long lines at gas stations on eclipse day.

Unfortunately, there is only a 30 - 40% chance of seeing the eclipse, due to the cloud cover in the great lakes region that time of year. It will be an adventure either way.

Good plan!!

In 2017 we drove about 6.5 hours to Madisonville, KY to see it. We headed home late afternoon after it was fully over. The Western KY Parkway was bumper-to-bumper at about 3 MPH. (Usually you can see for 3 or 4 miles and there's only a handful of cars in sight.) I watched several people step out of their cars and go 50' over to the treeline to pee then walk back to their car -- without the driver pulling over. Where it merged with I-65 headed North to Louisville, it was even worse and just incredible amount of traffic.

Really made me think about how bad it would be if we ever had an event requiring an actual evacuation.

It took us about 12 hours to get home but that's because we just crawled until we got nearly to Cincinnati. After that, traffic was heavy but moved at highway speeds.

Regardless of how it turns out, it's going to be a really interesting day!

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

We are in the totality path also. Have some friends coming from out of state to stay with us, so we took the day off work. A whole bunch of schools are closed for it around here. My work doesn't think it will be a big deal, we shall see.

 

[5030]

We had a full eclipse 5-7 years ago which was amazing to see. I think I saw one in grade school because I remember making the pin hole viewer. The eclipse I saw as an adult had a bigger impact on me. One could understand how an eclipse would freak people out who did not know that the sun would return.

The ones that 'freak' out are mostly flat earthers.

 

[5030]

We are in the totality path also. Have some friends coming from out of state to stay with us, so we took the day off work. A whole bunch of schools are closed for it around here. My work doesn't think it will be a big deal, we shall see.

Today, schools close if someone gets a fart sideways it seems.

 

[CH4Ohio]

The ones that 'freak' out are mostly flat earthers.

I think he was referring to how that might "freak out" ancient people who thought a dragon was devouring the sun or something . . . They likely actually were "flat earthers".

 

[Jstpssng]

I think he was referring to how that might "freak out" ancient people who thought a dragon was devouring the sun or something . . . They likely actually were "flat earthers".

I could be wrong, but suspect that a lot of priests back then knew what was going on and used it for their own purposes. What better way to get rid of someone you don't like than to offer them as a human sacrifice to bring the sun back!