For those going to watch the eclipse

I’ll watch it on another box, called a monitor. IMHO if I’m not actually viewing it through protective eye-wear then I may as well be comfortable.

However, I did see the box being used the time I saw a 90% eclipse, it does have a sharp image and the smaller the the hole the better. can’t see driving for two days to put my head in box - but that’s just me.

BUT, it is really weird when the eclipse happens, all the birds freak out and get really quiet, it’s like they’re thinking “WTF, the days sure got short fast.” Of course it is distracting with all the people rolling around on the ground holding their face screaming “My Eyes! My Eyes!” as the $1 cheapy glasses lay crumpled on the ground.

Gawd, I can’t believe how much of a cynical old fart I’ve become.

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I’m interested in seeing the shadow bands that sometimes appear on light colored surfaces just before and after totality. I’ve see a YouTube and heard someone describe it as resembling snakes zipping across the ground. It looked like the convection currents you see in the distance over hot pavement to me on the video, but I’ve heard conjecture that it is caused by interference patterns of light.

One nice thing about those boxes (pinholes are great but small telescopes or binoculars work even better) is that these are not just for eclipses. For the science minded folks this simple device allows for daily (or weekly) viewing of the sun’s face and making drawings of the sunspots on the face. Much of the historical information we have on sunspot activity comes from folks observing the sun this way and making drawings…

http://obs.astro.ucla.edu/resource1.html

https://www.windows2universe.org/sun/activity/sunspot_history.html

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Drink a sixer of tall boys in 20 minutes before the eclipse, no telling what you’ll see.

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Well… I will probably try to live stream it from Columbia, Mo on monday. (Will be on my channel on twitch if I can get the stream working on my hotspot. Twitch)

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I bought an eclipse filter for my camera so with any luck I’ll get some decent shots. I think I’ll test it tomorrow.

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If it has a true optical view finder you will also be actually watching it.

Might as well make it something more … ritual … for such an occasion. Traditional absinthe. The stuff with hallucinogenic properties.

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I got some true old fashioned authentic Absinthe when working in Poland. I think the fact it was 66% ethanol had more to do with it’s psychotropic properties than wormwood. Although the shifting room colors were kinda cool, but the talking cats were annoying, it was all about them.

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This is the nature of cats.

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The former point is debatable (by which I mean will be debated, not whether the “other side” has a point). The latter point is not…

So, here my wife and I are in a little hotel room just south of Clarksville, TN, north of Nashville and near the Kentucky state line. I’m hoping for clear skies tomorrow.

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Lol exactly. I can honestly say I don’t get the hype knowing it will be back so soon

Heh…at my age I may not be around in 7 more years to see this again. So, it’s a big deal for me.

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Heck when I bought a new car battery couldn’t between a 24 month and a 36 month. Thought I might be wasting money.

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The hype I’m not really up for, but I’ve never seen a total eclipse and I can afford to drive up here and see this one. The one 7 years from now I never know. It’s in April and it might rain. Or we might move.

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It’s amazing what astrological events those of us of an age have lived thru:
Man landing on the moon.
The return of Haley’s comet.
The total eclipse of the sun.
The loss of a planet (pluto).
Dark Side of the Moon (pink floyd).

what else?

The awesome rise of Makerspaces!

The age of Aquarius and the free love movement?

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Does Michael Jackson’s Moon Walking count?

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