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Read Thread: Look Out Your Window!

Re: Look Out Your Window!
Board: Astronomy
Reply to: #190961 by Capt Kirk
Feb 26, 2008 8:05pm
Thread (disabled) Board
Great danger in looking at a solar eclipse.
You'll need to make sure you have filters, correct equipment, that the weather cooperates, and that you're in position hours ahead of time, arriving in region days before the event.


Technically speaking, you don't need any special equipment at all to view a total solar eclipse. =) It's a partial solar eclipse that can do some serious eye damage. (You can usually find some pretty cheap paper sunglasses with dark filters being sold nearby somewhere that will protect your eyes just fine.)

Obviously, the weather does need to cooperate. I'd recommend going to the region days ahead of time just to sight see in the area in any case. Why travel halfway around the world for an event that will last, at most, seven and a half minutes and not stick around for a few days before and after to enjoy some of the local scenery. You'd be a fool not to. ;o)

Speaking of weather, though, if you do go chase an eclipse, definitely find a place where the chances of good weather are optimal. That's why I ended up on a cruise in the Black Sea to view the 1999 eclipse instead of in Dartmoor where it was raining. =)

There wasn't anywhere along the eclipse path that Amanda and I saw in Panama that was good, but we decided to risk it anyhow. The most optimal weather projection for anywhere along the entire length of the eclipse was about 40%. I'd already seen two eclipses before, though, and we figured we'd have a good time in Panama even if the actual eclipse turned out to be a bust. Fortunately, we DID see the eclipse (wow!) and beat the odds, but was it ever close. There were actually clouds covering the eclipse, but it was a light enough layer of clouds that we could still see through them to the eclipse, and mere minutes after totality ended, thick clouds came pouring over. That last half hour, watching the sun come in and out of the clouds was pretty intense! Even a few minutes before totality, we were left wondering which would happen first--totality or the fast moving clouds rolling in.

Very exciting times, let me tell you. =) All the while we played with the 5-pound bag of ice that I bought. (You have no idea how much a 5-pound bag of ice is until you're in the Panama sun, sitting next to the tarmac of an airport for several hours!)

-- Ryan

PS. Instead of buying or hauling around a bunch of expensive equipment to view the sunspots and stuff, we latched onto a larger group meeting up for the event and used their equipment instead. Much more cost effective that way. ;o)
Re: Look Out Your Window!
Board: Astronomy
Reply to: #288487 by Green Tortuga
Sep 28, 2008 10:37am
Thread (disabled) Board
Welcome to the astronomy board!