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The August 21, 2017 Great American Eclipse


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Wow.....really a tremendous stretch of totals for the US inbound......starting with this year......I expect I'll be able to see the 2024 one in northern VT or upstate NY.....maybe my cards play right and I can get to Montana in 44 and then go home to NorCal in 45......52 decent chance - I'd only be 80.......after that I'm done.....too bad I'd have to make it to 107 to be bullseye in West Hartford in 79.....maybe....first things first.....2017 and one hell of a drive

IMG_0840.thumb.PNG.6b09e5cdde87186fb5088dbd1903f9b3.PNG

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On 7/23/2017 at 3:03 PM, wxeyeNH said:

This link was posted on another thread but really is very neat.  It predicts traffic for the eclipse.  https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/statistics/

This is a great site......I'm late to the party in planning but I'm thinking of flying to Atlanta and then driving to TN/KY/IL area and spending the night......if its in my car I don't care.....these maps help in deciding where there may be delays due to traffic and idiots......thinking I fly on the 20th and then just drive to my viewing spot.....gotta think I need to be in position early.......can't wait

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Also gotta be ready to relocate early if the forecast sucks ass......need to pick out 2 or 3 spots 200-400 miles away that I could reasonably get to......eclipse in my target region is like 1pm ish......could relocate if left early enough on the morning of the 21st......#ItsTooComplicated

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I also want to give some warnings for Carolinas. To state the obvious, almost all of East Coast chasers will head down to Carolinas via I-95, I-77, or I-81/I-26. That's the population potential of 1/3 of USA trying to fit into two states. Since our busy interstates are four-lane and worn out from frequent travel, traffic jams will be nasty. Expect us to be like rush hour I-95 of the Northeast.

This is especially true for those heading to our mountains. There are only two roads from Asheville to southwest NC towns and they are always bad during summertime due to vacationers, campers, and hikers. Loved the region for scenic views when I was a student at UNCA, but never really care much for frequent traffic jams on weekend days and I can't imagine how awful it will be with millions trying to view the eclipse from our mountain tops. Expect to be stuck for hours on way there and back. On top of that, western NC is often cloudy so it's a very risky area to view the eclipse. Upstate South Carolina will offer more breathing room and has the best chance of having less clouds. However, views are limited as that area is one large forest. Greenville/Columbia area will end up becoming one of main targets for East Coasters. Between Columbia and Charleston, we have two large lakes where clouds struggle to form above them if we get a typical summertime Cu field during afternoon hours. I will be heading to one of them as I know someone living on the lake. Charleston will serve as ground zero for East Coast travelers since the city is scenic and full of eclipse vacationers. Keep in mind that Charleston will see the totality for one less minute than beaches to northeast. South Carolina shoreline is another ideal area to view the eclipse due to sea breeze boundary pushing several miles inland and clearing up clouds above them, but they do have to hope that thunderstorm doesn't form along the boundary. Roads are also extremely limited to northeast of Charleston thanks to a large state forest.

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I think I posted this before....

Cu and Eclipses...

When I went to Aruba and watched the 3 minute AWESOME total eclipse in Feb 1998.  Early afternoon in the tropics.  We stayed at the Marriott right on the beach on the north side of the island.  A 3 minute total.  Wow, watching a total on a tropical beach is indescribable.  Anyhow... South side of the island, 10-15 miles south had a bit longer eclipse.  So many astronomers eclipse buffs decided to head there.   About 30- 45 minutes before eclipse totality a Cu field formed on the south side of the island.  Wow, a crazy traffic jam as everyone quickly relocated north.  So lesson is,  if the weather is good but there are Cu watch the direction and get ready to move quickly right before totality.  One cloud at the wrong 2 minutes and your screwed.   Cell service will probably be over stretched so getting 4G Satellite pictures and weather updates might be hard on Monday. Locate someplace that if you have to move you can!  We are weather freaks so we know cloud direction potenial convective blow ups etc.  Average Joe doesn't and will be hunkered down a couple of hours before totality. Have your car in a place you can move  if necessary.  Sure,  large synoptic weather systems can be forecasted days before but afternoon scattered convection can not.   Remember everything happens at totality...

2024 will be a better eclipse.  Longer eclipse, wider totality path.  Darker sky at centerline.... Early April can be very fickle but if you love this one  (you will) you will already be thinking about the next.  We had to book Aruba years in advance

2045  Looks to be even better.  I'll be 89 years old so not thinking about that one too much!!

 

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Booked perhaps the only room under $500 left within a couple hours of totality in central Nebraska... lucky that we'll be taking a family trip to Chicago at the time anyway, and a relatively small detour. There is NEVER traffic around where we're staying, but I expect there will be considerable traffic anyway. We'll have about 80 miles to drive the morning of, to get to a good place (targeting Hastings., will stay away from I-80 till it's done). Think I'll go find the Nebraska DeLorme atlas or something in case back roads are needed. Have not tornado chased, but I imagine it will be a similar kind of thing (though the only danger will be from the other cars!!)

Looked like Omaha still had a few reasonable rooms left a couple days ago.  More traffic issues there for sure.

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10 hours ago, mayjawintastawm said:

Booked perhaps the only room under $500 left within a couple hours of totality in central Nebraska... lucky that we'll be taking a family trip to Chicago at the time anyway, and a relatively small detour. There is NEVER traffic around where we're staying, but I expect there will be considerable traffic anyway. We'll have about 80 miles to drive the morning of, to get to a good place (targeting Hastings., will stay away from I-80 till it's done). Think I'll go find the Nebraska DeLorme atlas or something in case back roads are needed. Have not tornado chased, but I imagine it will be a similar kind of thing (though the only danger will be from the other cars!!)

Looked like Omaha still had a few reasonable rooms left a couple days ago.  More traffic issues there for sure.

I'm looking at flyingnin to Madison WI and then driving into the totality zone on the 20th.....hopefully I can get in and set up in time....looking at getting back to Madison and staying overnight at a friends house and catching flight back to Boston on Tuesday....price was under $400 which was lol

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On 8/1/2017 at 10:53 PM, ice1972 said:

Planning my trip now......I'm late to the party a bit but I've got a high school friend that lives in Nashville so I've hit her up on FB.....either I crash with her or find a cheap ass place within driving distance of totality that I can get to in the morning.....he'll maybe even just drive there in the middle of the night given the expected traffic problems....I don't mind crashing in my car for a few if I have to.....

I know Fella is going to Nashville and maybe a few others here.....have you guys picked out secluded rural spots along centerline or are you just gonna stay at your hotel?

I'm going to get up early and head to Gallatin.   I'm waiting until about Thursday or Friday to buy my plane ticket because I want to be sure BNA is the destination.  My plan is to get to Triple Creek Park which per photos is wide open.   My return will wait until 8/22 which gives me latitude to not worry about crowds too much.   

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Hey guys, I'm Nashville TN bound, bought tix weeks ago worried they would sell out.

If I had my choice, I'd go to Idaho or Wyoming for best chances of clear sky and scenery.

Will make an audible on where to set base in Nashville area. The good thing is even if traffic / infrastructure is totally shut down, anywhere in Nashville including airport will be in totality.

 

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4 hours ago, weathafella said:

I'm going to get up early and head to Gallatin.   I'm waiting until about Thursday or Friday to buy my plane ticket because I want to be sure BNA is the destination.  My plan is to get to Triple Creek Park which per photos is wide open.   My return will wait until 8/22 which gives me latitude to not worry about crowds too much.   

I decided to go to Nebraska....further west lowers chance of cloud cover, save a synoptic system or something.....it looks very very rural out there.....I'll fly into Madison WI Saturday....rent the car and then drive to Omaha I think.....but Injavent booked room cuz I wanted to think about traffic on Monday morning and whether I want to be locked in.....maybe I'll just sleep in the car somewhere.....anyway haven't picked target yet but Broken Bow or Ravenna seem like nice spots away from 80.....probably would take the back roads whole way in.....this is gonna be insane.....then after it's over I'll head back to Madison.....lol....fly out Tuesday morning

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I'm so frustrated today.   My Mom, sister, brother in law and niece all live in Bend Oregon.  About 25 miles south of totality.  As someone who has seen a total eclipse and knows how mind blowing beautiful it is I have been trying to get my family to go just a bit north to get under totality.  No go.  Mother says too much traffic.  Brother in law and  niece say they can't get the day off.  My sister is off and keeps saying 99.5% coverage is  good enough and she is staying put.  Arrgghhh....   

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On 8/1/2017 at 11:01 PM, ice1972 said:

Wow.....really a tremendous stretch of totals for the US inbound......starting with this year......I expect I'll be able to see the 2024 one in northern VT or upstate NY.....maybe my cards play right and I can get to Montana in 44 and then go home to NorCal in 45......52 decent chance - I'd only be 80.......after that I'm done.....too bad I'd have to make it to 107 to be bullseye in West Hartford in 79.....maybe....first things first.....2017 and one hell of a drive

IMG_0840.thumb.PNG.6b09e5cdde87186fb5088dbd1903f9b3.PNG

That 2024 one ill make for sure ill be 34. The 2045 one I'll fly out to DR to see it. The 2079 one I would be 89 so hopefully I'll make it that far.

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49 minutes ago, dmillz25 said:

That 2024 one ill make for sure ill be 34. The 2045 one I'll fly out to DR to see it. The 2079 one I would be 89 so hopefully I'll make it that far.

The Disney parks will see over 6 minutes of totality in 2045, so that should be quite the show. That's approaching the maximum possible duration for any total solar eclipse, I believe. I can only imagine the festivities they'll host leading up to it.

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On 8/3/2017 at 11:26 AM, wxeyeNH said:

I think I posted this before....

Cu and Eclipses...

When I went to Aruba and watched the 3 minute AWESOME total eclipse in Feb 1998.  Early afternoon in the tropics.  We stayed at the Marriott right on the beach on the north side of the island.  A 3 minute total.  Wow, watching a total on a tropical beach is indescribable.  Anyhow... South side of the island, 10-15 miles south had a bit longer eclipse.  So many astronomers eclipse buffs decided to head there.   About 30- 45 minutes before eclipse totality a Cu field formed on the south side of the island.  Wow, a crazy traffic jam as everyone quickly relocated north.  So lesson is,  if the weather is good but there are Cu watch the direction and get ready to move quickly right before totality.  One cloud at the wrong 2 minutes and your screwed.   Cell service will probably be over stretched so getting 4G Satellite pictures and weather updates might be hard on Monday. Locate someplace that if you have to move you can!  We are weather freaks so we know cloud direction potenial convective blow ups etc.  Average Joe doesn't and will be hunkered down a couple of hours before totality. Have your car in a place you can move  if necessary.  Sure,  large synoptic weather systems can be forecasted days before but afternoon scattered convection can not.   Remember everything happens at totality...

2024 will be a better eclipse.  Longer eclipse, wider totality path.  Darker sky at centerline.... Early April can be very fickle but if you love this one  (you will) you will already be thinking about the next.  We had to book Aruba years in advance

2045  Looks to be even better.  I'll be 89 years old so not thinking about that one too much!!

 

Thanks I already booked a hotel for Watertown, NY for the 2024 eclipse, going right up I-81!  Wish we'd live to be around for the NYC-Boston eclipse of 2079 lol.

Even if its cloudy for the upcoming eclipse, you can sneak in a small period of partly sunny skies like I had with an annular eclipse a few years back and got to witness 90% of totality through 10x50 binoculars for 10 sec lol.

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6 hours ago, Juliancolton said:

The Disney parks will see over 6 minutes of totality in 2045, so that should be quite the show. That's approaching the maximum possible duration for any total solar eclipse, I believe. I can only imagine the festivities they'll host leading up to it.

Maybe by 2079 humankind will have the technology to be able to control eclipses to make them last longer and occur more frequently ;-)

 

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