Great Eclipse of 2017

So, the path of the "total" eclipse (of my heart) is, what 40 miles wide or something. Does it look different in the very middle of that than it does on either end? Or is the only difference the length of time totality lasts? Is it worth it to get to the very center? 60 seconds or 90 seconds of eclipse is enough for me if it'll be too tough to get to the area where it's 2:30 or something.

I'm about 4 hours straight south of Casper, Wyo. in NW Colorado and trying to decide what my plans should be. @MileHigh is freaking me out a little about traffic. I can't decide whether to stick to back roads or head for the interstate (I-25). And I can't decide whether I just should head as north as possible until I get into totality or veer east and find a spot in BFE Western Nebraska. I just want to find a spot on the side of a dirt road somewhere.

Some of the back roads can be sketchy, and there are not many re-routing options if traffic on them gets backed up. But, there surely won't be nearly as many people there as there will be heading up I-25.

Of course, I may not have the option of going at all. My wife's pregnant and due Aug. 7, and she seems to think I'm joking when I say I want to wake up early Aug. 21, drive to Wyoming with a few friends and come back that night all while we (hopefully) have a 2-week old baby. I've tried to explain it won't be any different than me being at work, which I probably will be back to at that point. I'm kind of hoping her mom will still be in town so I have a guilt-free escape.

If we have a baby ON Aug. 21... she may magical. I don't know. Not totally sure how that works.

 

Guess I could have Googled that:
https://www.astrosociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Espenak.pdf

Interesting article all the way around, but here's my answer: Centerline or edge of totality, both offer the same view but for different lengths of time.

 

Mizzou has a pretty cool site for it. I didn't realize Columbia was in the path.

Eclipse 2017 // Mizzou // University of Missouri

 

Actually there are quite a few pretty cool songs that are indirectly or directly about eclipses. Should be a great soundtrack.

 

I have to head out of town on business that evening. I'll be in the 70-72% band.
Almost three hours do west of my house, so I'd be in the 70-72% band even if I stayed home.

 

My Learjet is in the shop, sadly.

 

Columbia, S.C., too. Billing itself as the "Total Eclipse Capital of the East Coast", they'll get 2:36 of totality.

 

We're supposed to max out at 99 percent totality but are close to city that will have the full deal. They are expecting insane traffic, so my deck will be just fine for me.

 

Just think how bad it would be if anyone actually lived in Wyoming.

 

On Monday, May 1, 2079 at 9:58 a.m., a total eclipse will begin in the suburbs between Philly and Trenton, and sweep up the Atlantic coast right through New York and Boston.

 

I'm gonna watch this eclipse from my roof so I can see it up close.