The nearest totality viewing point to me is an 8-hour drive. Plus, I have no glasses. It's projected to be an 82% eclipse where I am, not much different than a cloudy day. I'll see it on the news when it's all over. Another alternative is NASA TV, which will have live coverage from 12pm – 4pm EDT:
Anyone here traveling to the path of totality? (Notice the clever use of the sunglass emoticon!)
Clever, yes indeed!
I'm in South Carolina and no more than an hour's drive from totality, but traffic is expected to be chaotic, so I'm content to get the 90% expected, plus I have to work. Thankfully my employer is accommodating us with an eclipse event, family day thing. I'm excited!
I remember the one on a cold day in March of 1970 when we set up a large cardboard box with the pinhole setup.
We here in Los Angeles will only get to experience around 70% of the sun being blocked compared to those in the northern states. But then, traffic here can be pretty chaotic anyway.
What about eclipses in the cinema? The only terrestrial one I can recall was in BARABBAS (1962), where the filmmakers staged the Crucifixion scene during a total eclipse in Italy in order to replicate the sudden darkness ("at the sixth hour") reported in the synoptic Gospels.
What about eclipses in the cinema? The only terrestrial one I can recall was in BARABBAS (1962), where the filmmakers staged the Crucifixion scene during a total eclipse in Italy in order to replicate the sudden darkness ("at the sixth hour") reported in the synoptic Gospels.
A solar eclipse figures into the conclusion of "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court."
Where did they get that "Dragonslayer" movie poster from? The kid didn't have headgear like that, there were no lava flows in the film, and most importantly that is NOT Vermithrax!
I might make a pinhole camera box to see this thing safely, just for the experience.
I didn't buy eclipse glasses, but if I did I'd be nervous to use them. What if they're counterfeit, from some foreign factory that's putting the "correct" ISO number on them for a quick buck? Maybe I worry too much.
A valid concern, Zap. I'd be skittish about using filters made for telescopes coming from the manufacturer of the scope. Logos can be counterfeited. And any kid who's played with a magnifying glass in the Sun knows how powerful the light is.
Many amateur astronomers use a telescope as a movie projector onto a white card. This is safe and affords a good view for many people. A pin hole in an opaque card is almost as good. Do a Web search for "eclipse under a tree" and you'll find lots of photos of eclipse "pin hole" images coming through the gaps between tree leaves, or even multiple images through a colander.
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