It will be my first and probably last chance to see a total solar eclipse on August 11, 12:30 local time. I will head for Stuttgart, where it will last around two minutes, provided the sky is clear. Anyone else who will be able to see it?
------------------ "Since we know that the frames are 1/24 of a second, this means that the time delay between the two frames above is 0.83 seconds. If Alderaan was roughly Earth-like in size, then the first frame shows a superheated debris cloud roughly 17500 km wide, with large trails of debris that extend to a width of roughly 31000 km." Mike Wong Ex Astris Scientia
Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :
I'll be down in Cornwall.
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
Smack anyone you see without a dark lens to look through.
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Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :
I've got to get some of those. . . I just have so much to do right now! I'm moving to London next week, too, and I've yet to find a removals firm that doesn't pay through the proboscis. . .
Posted by Jubilee (Member # 99) on :
What time is that EST? .. And what kind of special lense do you need if you want to see it?
BTW, it won't be the last. Three lunar eclipses and two solar are scheduled for next year.
------------------ "S`io credessi che mia rispota fosse A persona che mai tornasse al mondo, Questa fiamma staria senza piu' scosse. Ma perciocche` giammai di questo fondo Non torno` vivo alcun, s`i`odo il vero, Senza tema d`infamia ti rispondo." - Dante`
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
The last time we could see one here, one of our people had a large colored glass. It's can be obtained at a welding supply place. I don't know how dark it needs to be, but find the info, and get one, it's the best way to see them.
I just called our other building, the guys not in today, so I can't find out how dark it needs to be.
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Posted by First of Two (Member # 16) on :
It won't be visible at all from North America, as it starts far off the coast of Nova Scotia.
The last eclipse I saw was an annular eclipse about 5 years ago that swept right over Pennsylvania. We used welder's glass to watch it, too. I saw another guy using about 5 sheets of exposed film, but that's not a good idea.
FYI, an "annular" eclipse is almost a total eclipse, except that because the moon is a bit farther away, it doesn't manage to cover the entire sun, leaving a ring of light around the moon at totality.
FYAAI*(The existence of annular eclipses is an excellent foil against a Creationist who asserts that the "fact that the moon eclipses the sun perfectly" is proof of a clockwork universe, and an argument for intelligent design.)
. *For Your Additional Argument Information
------------------ "When we turn our back on our principles, we stop being human." -- Janeway, "Equinox"
Posted by Baloo (Member # 5) on :
Nah! It only proves that god designs a little play into the system so it doesn't wear out too quickly when we (inevitably) forget to change the oil.
Cosmic moon oil! You're a genius! We'll make a mint.
------------------ "We took a small flight, in the middle of the night, from one tiny place to another." -- Ben Folds Five
Posted by Jubilee (Member # 99) on :
You can actually make that, you know.... It doesn't take much work at all.
------------------ "S`io credessi che mia rispota fosse A persona che mai tornasse al mondo, Questa fiamma staria senza piu' scosse. Ma perciocche` giammai di questo fondo Non torno` vivo alcun, s`i`odo il vero, Senza tema d`infamia ti rispondo." - Dante`
Posted by Orion Syndicate (Member # 25) on :
I wanted to go down to Cornwall to see the eclipse, but as always happens, I've gotten bogged down at home, so I'll have to settle for a partial eclipse at home and the full eclipse on the television. *sighs*
My uncles going though so I'm sure he'll tell me how brilliant it was and make me feel even worse...
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Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
For those opf us in the US, the Discover channel will show it at 6am est on Wednesday, and again Wednesday night.
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Posted by Coddman (Member # 10) on :
*pokes Kosh* You think you guys are the only ones who have Discovery?
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Posted by Jubilee (Member # 99) on :
Thanks Kosh for telling me that!!.. I was so scared I was going to miss it!
------------------ "S`io credessi che mia rispota fosse A persona che mai tornasse al mondo, Questa fiamma staria senza piu' scosse. Ma perciocche` giammai di questo fondo Non torno` vivo alcun, s`i`odo il vero, Senza tema d`infamia ti rispondo." - Dante`
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
(Encounter suit falls over, to reveal nothing underneith)
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Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
*Looks at cloudy sky*
*Knows that the weather in southern Germany is always better*
Posted by Orion Syndicate (Member # 25) on :
It is very likely that tomorrow morning will be cloudy and the eclipse will be difficult to see. I suppose I'll be the one laughing at my uncle now, not the other way around.
------------------ Do business with us, or we'll ruin you.
Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
*Looks outside again*
98% clouds.
Nevertheless, I will, I must see it. What is more important, protective glasses or umbrella?
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
Well, without the umbrella, you'll get wet. Without the glass, you'll go blind. Your call. @)
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Posted by Jubilee (Member # 99) on :
Pleh. I really wanted to see it.
------------------ "S`io credessi che mia rispota fosse A persona che mai tornasse al mondo, Questa fiamma staria senza piu' scosse. Ma perciocche` giammai di questo fondo Non torno` vivo alcun, s`i`odo il vero, Senza tema d`infamia ti rispondo." - Dante`
Posted by Jaresh Inyo on :
I've never seen one. I got all pysched for one, but then needed emergency medical treatment when someone I knew died of meningitis (Okay, so I can't spell it). They thought I might have had it, too. Well, obviously, I didn't.
------------------ Josh: I think they're getting to know each other a bit too well, if you catch my drift. Me: Oh, I agree. I think they're spending too much time together, that is of course, if you catch my drift. Asher: I think he's *ucking her, and he's cheating on his wife, and he's risking his marriage, and if his wife finds out about it she'll leave him and take their son, and his life will be ruined. If you catch my drift...
Posted by Orion Syndicate (Member # 25) on :
Jaresh, you spelled it properly.
I just saw a partial eclipse about an hour ago from outside my home and although there was still a lot of light, it had gotten noticably darker. I saw the total eclipse on TV and it made me wish that I was in Cornwall despite the clouds and rain.
My mom told me today that she'd seen an eclipse when she was growing up in Pakistan. She didn't know what was going on then because being from a poor agricultural family, they didn't get much information, except to not look up at it. I'm so jealous.
The stage is set, Lee will you enter and tell us about it.....
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[This message has been edited by Orion Syndicate (edited August 11, 1999).]
Posted by Nim (Member # 205) on :
Well, Stockholm got a 60% eclipse. I was the only one in my office with a certified pair of glasses I got from some science magazine, so I didn't get to look much myself. But what I did see...Golly!
Posted by Orion Syndicate (Member # 25) on :
Where I was, we got a 90% eclipse but as I said above, there was still plenty of light although I did see the sun get blocked by the moon and the clouds combined.
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Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
Damn, didn't get up in time for the TV broadcast. Hope it's on the news tonight.
------------------ Outside of a dog, a book is a mans best friend. Inside of a dog, it's to dark to read. Groucho Marx
Posted by Mycon on :
Bernd: I'm sorry for you. Stuttgart was a bad choice. The Austrians had more luck. We had a clear sky here in Switzerland, but the eclipse was only aprox. 97 percent, so it got a little bit darker, but it was quite unspectacular.
------------------ Mycon
Posted by Bernd (Member # 6) on :
Bad luck. We were about 30km north of Stuttgart, and it was cloudy all the time. Fortunately there were at least some gaps that let us look at the partial eclise. This was already worth the trip, I think. Then, about 15 minutes before the total eclipse the clouds totally covered the sun, and except for a brief moment at about 90% we couldn't see anything. No corona, no stars. The darkness was fascinating, though. Not quite as dark as I had imagined, but an illumination level in between sunset and moon light. The most impressive thing was how fast it got dark and then bright again.
The worst idea, however, was going to Stuttgart after the eclipse. It took us twenty minutes to get there, but three and a half hours to get the few kilometers out of the city again, caught in the country's longest traffic jam ever.
Posted by The First One (Member # 35) on :
Partial eclipse, shmartial eclipse. Believe me, if it's not totality you might as well watch it on TV. Mozambique ot Madagascar (whichever it was), 2000 or 2001 (likewise), I'm THERE.
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