Solar Eclipse 2017

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T

The Hemp Goddess

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I am getting rather excited about the eclipse. Both my place in Oregon and my place in Idaho are in the path of totality. I experienced a partial solar eclipse in 1979, that passed over the NW US. I can say that I understand why solar eclipses freaked out primitive people. Even when you know what is going on, it is still rather unsettling. Like most people though, I have never experienced a total solar eclipse.
 
I remember the one your talking about THG in the 70's. I think I was in Chico, Ca at the time. My son was talkin about driving up to Salem to watch this one. Too long a drive for this old man but I'll check the 80% show we're supposed to see here in my part of northern Cali.
 
i thought about driving to see the total, but i should get a good show at my house, i am south of atlanta.
i bet a total did freak people out before communication was widespread.
 
Thought ya had to have special glasses to watch one of those things?
 
For me, it's not so much watching the sun but watching what it does to your surrounding space... Dark in the light of day.
 
I had a buddy who used welding glasses once and he didn't go blind.

I saw my first one some time in Jr. High School about mid/late 60's. They covered all the windows with black construction paper and used the pinhole concept.

I don't recall the one in '79.

I wonder if you can use your smart phone to view it. Just place the smart phone between your eyes and the sun and shoot a video.
 
Bet that would work Hackerman. The video is just on screen. Great idea,,plus the phone would block your eyes from the sun as you said. Damnt why didnt i think of that.
 
I did a little reading on it and it's not a great idea. It can be done but they warn about being careful not to look a the sun while lining up your phone shot.

Plus, it talked about having to zoom way up and that makes most phone cams too blurry to see it clearly. They said you almost have to use a tripod or phone stand.

More than a few articles said you will need an optical telephoto of 14x or better. There were also a few articles about pulling out the 35mm for some time lapse shots. I did see one article that said you can't take pics of the eclipse if you're a Republican. I didn't read the entire article so I'm not sure why (sneaked one in there didn't I LOL).

I think I'll pull out the old Rebel and see if I can get some decent shots. I have a bunch of filters and lenses. All I need to do is figure out which ones to use. LOL
 
:rofl:

Damnt Hackerman,,,now i cant take pics,,,basterds. LMFAO

I read that a #14 welding glass would work.
 
Personally, I really love my eyes so I won't be looking at it through anything. LOL I'm sure most of the things they say are OK but.... like I said, I love my eyes. And, I ain't a takin' no chances. LOL

Can you imagine the early eclipses of ancient times? Before we knew not to look at them.

No wonder the ancients thought they were signs of evil and curses and death. Imagine this giant black shadow covering your (god in many cases) sun. Of course you're going to look at it. And, as it becomes easier and easier to look at, you look at it longer. A few hours later it's over and you all sit around, amazed and confused.

2 days later 80% of your village/tribe is in screaming pain and/or blind.

Wow, thank god for the 21st century and those paper things that were around before the internet. LOL
 
Never thought about that Hackerman,,,damn that had to suck. Blind for a few moment's of wonder.
 
I used welding lenses last time. No problems and I can still see.:bong:
 
I can't wait. Seems I'm in the perfect spot. Supposed to be people from all over here that day. Being I live in a tiny boring place should be interesting.
 
Virtually every store in the area is selling the special eclipse glasses. I am guessing that this is not uncommon and stores across the country are selling them. Welding lenses are also okay, as duck has attested. However, it is not like the eclipse is making the sun any more dangerous. If you look directly at it any time with unprotected eyes, you are risking injuring your eyes.

Rosebud, you probably had a great view of the 1979 eclipse--you should have been about in the center of the path of totality.

2RedEyes, I'm with you. It is not so much actually watching the moon cross in front of the sun, but just watching the sky go from light to dark and then again to light. I hear that the cows will head for the barn and chickens will go in to roost as they believe that night is coming.

Bombbudpuffa, I think that is going to be the way it is. Other than the east coat and the west coast, the eclipse path is through some of the sparcest populated areas. I have read that many of the small town in the path are expecting big crowds. That is the reason I have decided to stay in Oregon instead of going to Idaho to watch it. I lived in a small resort type town there with very limited shopping. I image the one grocery store and the 2 gas stations will run out of everything. I anticipate traffic jams on the narrow winding 2 lane mountain roads. They are worried about cell service (which is spotty at best) being affected. In my younger days the crowds were okay, now not so much. I am happy to be able to sit out in my front yard and toke on a doobie while watching it all right here in Oregon.
 
When I was a kid, I remember my dad taking a window pane and smoking it up with a candle to make it dark and we looked thru that.
 

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