Great Eclipse of 2017

I wasn't in the "path of totality," but:

Alaska's midnight sun >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> this eclipse.

 

Thanks for that.

So, is there someone (or several someones) from years ago you would consider the best at that from a different time?

 

Speaking of that, who here has watched midnight sun baseball games in Alaska?

 

I missed it by a few weeks when I was in Fairbanks.

The midnight salmon bake was pretty cool, though.

 

One of the players on the college team I used to cover played up there. Really enjoyed hearing him talk about it.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing all the people smart enough to wear the glasses, but too dumb to remember sunscreen.

It was quite the event though out here in Oregon. Kind of nice to remember what it felt like to have a mass of humanity all share the same moment (and not argue about whether it measured up to expectations immediately after.
I think the last episode of MASH was the last non-sports event like this.

I'd also like to add it was kind of nice that the West Coast got it first and not have to wait three hours after it hit the East Coast.

 

Even though I drove up here to get the full show, I admit I was a little skeptical of the scientists I heard interviewed the last couple of weeks who claimed being in 99 percent totality was barely worth it.

Wrong. Holy shit was that incredible.

When the last little chunk of the sun disappears (and after waiting around for a couple of hours, that sucker starts disappearing fast in the last couple of minutes), it looks like someone turned on the world's largest xenon bulb right behind this black disc. The most brilliant white light imaginable starts radiating out around it like a child's drawing.

I wouldn't necessarily spend hundreds of dollars on the pursuit, but if you're within a half-day drive or so for the 2024 version and can swing a day off work, I recommend going for it. And I'm nobody's idea of a science buff or outdoors person.

 

Meaning that 100 percent is way better than 99 percent? Or the same?

We were 87 percent and you had to have the glasses to see anything at all.

 

OK, now you've made me jealous. Seriously, I was disappointed, probably not least because I actually am pretty into space/astronomy/that kind of stuff, and would've loved to experience something like that. I wish I could've had your view.

 

Used a shoebox with a pinhole and some white paper to see it as a reflection and it worked well here in NYC when the clouds weren't blocking. Pretty damn cool

 

Meaning everything up to and including 99 percent was interesting (if cumbersome) in a nerdy sort of way.

At 100 percent it was like somebody flipped the switch to light up a new Disney attraction. My mouth flew open and stayed there a good 2-3 minutes.