April 8, 2024 Total Eclipse

[caseydog]

There will be a total eclipse of the sun on April 8 in the US. Dallas is going to get 95-100% coverage. This could be the third one of my life.

There is a NOAA interactive map at CNN.com. Here is a snap shot. Check it out to see if you will have the "total" experience.

CD

 

[Aunt Bea]

The eclipse has been big news in my area of Central New York.

Many school districts are closing for the day as a safety precaution, which makes no sense to me.

Our local baseball stadium is planning a game with eclipse glasses and a pause to view the eclipse.

I’m not sure which is more interesting, the eclipse or the preparations and exploitation of the eclipse.

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/uncategorized/astrobaking-eclipse-cookies

 

[taxlady]

I just checked it out, again, on a Canadian site. I should get 39 seconds of total eclipse at my house. A big swathe of the totality and partial eclipse is across Southern Quebec.

 

[dragnlaw]

Although it passes south of Toronto for a full, evidently I, in Hamilton/Waterdown am in the path. Should be interesting. I don't remember the last one, I remember it happening but don't remember what I did for it... if anything.

 

[caseydog]

Although it passes south of Toronto for a full, evidently I, in Hamilton/Waterdown am in the path. Should be interesting. I don't remember the last one, I remember it happening but don't remember what I did for it... if anything.

I just remembers that I've actually experienced three already, so this will be four... almost. The second one was about 90%. Th first was in New Jersey in the 60s. The second was in Texas early 80s, and I worked at a camera store, so we set up a rig to take great pictures of it. The third was around 2006 (?) and caught me by surprise. I was in Barcelona for a couple of days, and around noon on the first day, it went dark. I had no idea that was coming.

Weather permitting, I may try to photograph this one in April. I'll have to do research on how to do it with a digital camera without damaging my sensor -- or my eyes.

CD

 

[pepperhead212]

I'll make a note not to look at the sun that day.

 

[taxlady]

I won't hold my breath for a clear enough day to see that eclipse.

 

[Kathleen]

We have our eclipse viewing glasses ready, and have plans to travel to see it in its totality. It will be the second total eclipse I've seen. I've seen several partials.

I love watching the shadows on the ground as the eclipse starts and leaves.

 

[caseydog]

Okay, I did some networking with my pro-photographer peers, and YES, an eclipse WILL damage a digital camera sensor.

I just ordered a solar filter, which is an 18-stop neutral density filter, from B&H Camera in NYC. $102 with sales tax -- free shipping. My camera cost me six-grand, so 102 bucks is a bargain.

If you want to photograph the eclipse on April 8 with a digital camera, I suggest you get a solar filter for the lens you plan to use. If you plan to use your phone camera, you need to find something to protect that.

BTW, if you use a camera with changeable lenses, use the longest lens you have. I'm using a 70-200 Nikkor zoom. I would go longer, but that's the longest I own.

CD

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...I’m not sure which is more interesting, the eclipse or the preparations and exploitation of the eclipse.

View attachment 67868

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/uncategorized/astrobaking-eclipse-cookies

Himself definitely approves of the cookie visual.

Okay, I did some networking with my pro-photographer peers, and YES, an eclipse WILL damage a digital camera sensor.

I just ordered a solar filter, which is an 18-stop neutral density filter, from B&H Camera in NYC. $102 with sales tax -- free shipping. My camera cost me six-grand, so 102 bucks is a bargain.

If you want to photograph the eclipse on April 8 with a digital camera, I suggest you get a solar filter for the lens you plan to use. If you plan to use your phone camera, you need to find something to protect that.

BTW, if you use a camera with changeable lenses, use the longest lens you have. I'm using a 70-200 Nikkor zoom. I would go longer, but that's the longest I own.

CD

Himself said that for your camera, the filter you got from B&H is the correct choice. However, us regular Joe Schmos can get away with protecting a phone camera by taping a lens from a pair of eclipse viewing glasses over the camera lens. Or a piece of welders glass - but welders glass needs to have a Shade 14 rating to be safe. Any number glass 9 through 13 is inadequate.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

This will be our second total eclipse of the sun, the first being August 2017. We drove from MA to Spring City, TN for that one, staying in a Knoxville hotel for a couple of nights. This time we can reach the center line of totality in about an hour or two depending on where we want to go. I'm sure Himself is checking astronomy clubs in the areas to find out what they have planned.

Loverly is taking the kids out of school that day whether or not it's closed. She and her hubby already have scheduled the day off. She still remembers when we took her and Goober out of grade school and went to Toledo to view an annular eclipse - and she's not the science freak in the family!

 

[Marlingardener]

We are directly in the eclipse path here in central Texas. My husband has the filter for his camera, and we have the needed filtering glasses.
Schools here are closing for the day. Like Aunt Bea, I don't understand why, except it is a day off for teachers and administrators.

 

[dragnlaw]

I had to look it up - so according to news reports, some schools are closing as the eclipse is happening late afternoon, just as many school children are on their way home. For sure there will be many tempted to look. Wouldn't you want to supervise your child during that time?

 

[caseydog]

I had to look it up - so according to news reports, some schools are closing as the eclipse is happening late afternoon, just as many school children are on their way home. For sure there will be many tempted to look. Wouldn't you want to supervise your child during that time?

Yes, I would. In fact, I would prefer that the schools stay in session, and they take the kids outside to see the eclipse, with proper eye protection, and teachers there to supervise them.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

I agree, but they would definitely need extra supervision. 90% of them would follow instructions but there is always that 10% and I doubt very much that the schools would open themselves to that kiind of liability.

 

[caseydog]

Tomorrow is the big day!!!

Every hotel in and around Dallas is full, and people paid a lot of money for those rooms. Seriously, hotel rooms in the path of the eclipse are selling for double or more of their regular prices.

The big question is the weather. We have storms coming tomorrow evening, but it is not known for sure when clouds will start rolling in. Right now, it looks like thin high clouds, which will still allow decent view of the eclipse.

If it were happening today, the view would be perfect. It is completely clear.

This will be the last total solar eclipse over North America of my lifetime. I hope I get some good photos of it, even though as a professional photographer, I am not going to make a penny off of them. It is just something I want to do.

CD

 

[caseydog]

It was cloudy all morning, and then partly cloudy. Ten minutes before totality, there was big cloud blocking the sun. But, four minutes before totality, the clouds parted and it was pure sky.

WOW! Mother Nature gave us a great show! I'll post some more photos later, but here is an iPhone shot of my backyard at 1:42PM. My lights are on photocells, and they came on. It was that dark.

CD

 

[Aunt Bea]

Heavy cloud cover here.

I feel bad for the people that spent thousands of dollars to come here and spend three minutes in the dark.

 

[caseydog]

Heavy cloud cover here.

I feel bad for the people that spent thousands of dollars to come here and spend three minutes in the dark.

So sorry to hear that. I thought that was going to be my fate today, but things just worked out. Not just for me, but for a lot of people who spent a lot of money to come to Dallas to see the eclipse.

It was cloudy this morning, and it is cloudy right now, with storms coming later today. But, for that few minutes today, the skies were clear.

CD

 

[jennyema]

Fairly uneventful here on Cape Cod. It got weirdly dark/sunny and it got a lot chillier.

Burlington VT was the New England place to be.