April 8, 2024 | Eclipse Weather

[clm]

2 hours ago, Hiramite said:

My thoughts/observations:

It was like Christmas morning, so much preparation and anticipation then its over rather quickly....but you don't want to miss it.

The sun is actually pretty "small" when its high in the sky.

It didn't get as dark as I expected but a couple planets still visible.

Turnpike traffic wasn't too bad after other than a couple lengthy 20mph slowdowns in construction zones. (Maybe because I was in the middle of the totality zone the whole 35 mile trip.)

Is "post-eclipse let-down" a thing??

 

What else you folks got????

Traffic to and from work was lighter yesterday.  What I got this morning was tooooooooooooo much traffic.  Took me over an hour to get to work.  🤬

[clm]

9 minutes ago, Hiramite said:

What to do with your eclipse glasses…
 

https://time.com/6964871/solar-eclipse-glasses-donate-2024/

What I always do every day with them, drive to and from work.  🤪

[Hassaywx1223]

Example of the size of the solar prominence we saw yesterday compared to the size of our planet! Thats just crazy 

[Rickrd]

Clouds rolled in at time of peak here in Easton, PA. Big nothing burger here. Bummer

[Inferno]

The clouds cooperated with us, for the most part, in Chaumont NY. Was so happy to see all of this with my family, my children. What a glorious day

 

 

Edited April 9 by Inferno

[Ohiobuckeye45]

ugh I'm still struggling to move on, I have so much work to catch up on from the build up yesterday and during but finding it hard to refocus, what it truly means to "let all the stresses of life go" for a little bit of time

[MaineJay]

18 minutes ago, Ohiobuckeye45 said:

ugh I'm still struggling to move on, I have so much work to catch up on from the build up yesterday and during but finding it hard to refocus, what it truly means to "let all the stresses of life go" for a little bit of time

Spain 2026 

[MaineJay]

Seriously though, seeing it once was amazing, but totally feeds the urge to see another. 

 

[clm]

13 minutes ago, MaineJay said:

Seriously though, seeing it once was amazing, but totally feeds the urge to see another. 

 

I never did get to see a total eclipse.  Only partials in the 85 to 95% range.  Want to see a total.  I can try waiting until 2079.  

[Hoosier]

1 hour ago, MaineJay said:

Seriously though, seeing it once was amazing, but totally feeds the urge to see another. 

 

Yeah, I was hooked after the first one.  Definitely want to get to all of the total eclipses in the CONUS, and maybe take in one or two of them overseas.  

I've already been looking at a little bit of info for the 2044 eclipse in the MT/ND area lol.  I'm trying to imagine that one... going to look freaky since it's near sunset and the sun will be so low on the horizon.  

[MaineJay]

14 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

Yeah, I was hooked after the first one.  Definitely want to get to all of the total eclipses in the CONUS, and maybe take in one or two of them overseas.  

I've already been looking at a little bit of info for the 2044 eclipse in the MT/ND area lol.  I'm trying to imagine that one... going to look freaky since it's near sunset and the sun will be so low on the horizon.  

If I didn't have kids and a wife, I could see myself becoming an umbraphile.  Fly into a location just for a day or two for the eclipse and that's all. Don't need to see the sights or anything else, just the eclipse and I'd be more than content.

 

[clm]

40 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

Yeah, I was hooked after the first one.  Definitely want to get to all of the total eclipses in the CONUS, and maybe take in one or two of them overseas.  

I've already been looking at a little bit of info for the 2044 eclipse in the MT/ND area lol.  I'm trying to imagine that one... going to look freaky since it's near sunset and the sun will be so low on the horizon.  

That is a heck of an area.  Lots to do there.  I'd be taking a 2 week vacation for that if I had no wife

[so_whats_happening]

Came out to Texas for totality and it did not disappoint. I definitely want to experience that again and we got to see that solar prominence without any special equipment truly great to see. Hope everyone gets a chance to experience this once. Next on my list is the Northern Lights.

[Hoosier]

What a day it was yesterday.

Definitely had some nerves about much of the model output showing OVC, but was watching visible satellite like a hawk all morning and into early afternoon.  Looking at satellite trends a few hours before the eclipse, I was starting to feel good that clouds wouldn't be an issue.  Traffic from Indianapolis into the Ellettsville-Bloomington area was very good, and I arrived in that area with plenty of time to spare before the beginning of the eclipse. Spent a while driving back and forth in Bloomington and Ellettsville, looking for a spot that I wanted.  We all have our personal preferences, but I didn't want to be in too large of a crowd and didn't want too many lights (which would come on during totality) or things obstructing the view of the horizon, so these factors made it tough to find a great spot in Bloomington.  After deciding against Bloomington, it came down to finding a good place in Ellettsville.  Even here, there were many spots where the view of the horizon wasn't the most ideal.  

I mentioned this in a previous post, but there's an ice cream place in Ellettsville where the center line went directly through the parking lot.  I drove by, and there were a good amount of people there.  Thing is, they were charging $50 for parking!  Any bragging rights of being directly on the center line wasn't worth $50.  Some other businesses were charging for parking (though less) while others did not charge.  Would've paid a small amount for parking had a particular spot been an ideal viewing location, but I wasn't finding what I wanted.  I got to a church parking lot just north of center line shortly after the partial phase of the eclipse began (ironically I was in a church parking lot for the 2017 eclipse), where there were about 20 other people scattered around.  Marked my location on the map below.

 

Excitement was building of course as the minutes ticked down.  Some dimming of light was noticeable starting about 30-40 minutes before totality.  Around that time or perhaps shortly after, started to feel the temperature dropping.  Although the winds were on a general downward trend leading up to totality, there seemed to be some little pulses of wind that accentuated the cooling.  The temperature dropped 8 degrees at the Bloomington Airport, with the lowest reading coming a little after totality ended (lag effect.) 

 

I can't remember exactly when it occurred, but maybe about 20-30 minutes before totality, I started hearing a loud buzzing sound.  At first I thought there was something flying by me, but then realized that it was coming from a ways away.  Turned out to be bees, ostensibly freaking out because the daylight was diminishing. This continued almost until totality.  

A minute or two prior to totality, the darkening sky to the west really became noticeable.  Daylight continued to diminish as I was flipping back and forth between looking at the sun, looking at the surroundings, and glancing at the time on my phone.  Seconds before totality, the lights on a nearby building kicked on as the darkening accelerated.  Then, the magic moment of totality.  After taking in the experience of totality for a half minute or so, I got my binoculars, pointed them up to the sky and saw the majesty of the total eclipse... the blackness of the moon, th brilliance of the white corona and the prominence that was happening at about 6 o'clock.  Passed my binoculars off to a couple others so they could get that view, and then I went back and forth between looking all around the sky with my own two eyes and taking in the darkness and reactions of the others who were there.  Toward the end of totality, I heard some fireworks in the distance.  Then, almost as soon as it began, totality was over as the clock was about to strike 3:09 pm.  I hung around for a while after to watch the process in reverse, just feeling so fortunate to have had this experience for the second time in less than 7 years.  Yet with a touch of sadness, knowing that it will be so long until the next one (at least in the US).

Overall, it was a tremendous experience.  I would say it hit me just a little less deeply on an emotional/spiritual level than the first time, but there was still some of that.  I felt my heart beating fast during totality.  Even if someone has seen 25 of these, I don't think you can help but not react in some way.  Another thing I noticed is that in the minutes right before, through, and just after totality, there wasn't a single vehicle that drove by on state road 46.  It was like everybody knew that you couldn't be driving in your car for those moments... you just couldn't.  

I'm all in for the eclipses in the 2040s and will try to do whatever it takes to be there.  

Edited April 9 by Hoosier

[Snow____]

10 hours ago, MaineJay said:

Still shaking a little bit thinking about yesterday. Surreal. Awe. Joy. Humbling. I had a general location chosen, but not an exact spot. Upon arrival in The Forks, we had to skip the rest area because it was full, but just up the road we happened upon a spot where a couple other folks had settled.  As we got set up, more folks followed suit.  We timed it perfectly.

 Folks were so friendly. One group had a telescope set up and let my kids have a peek. People with their families and dogs running around.  Sharing with my family was great, and with all these strangers who gravitated to the same spot was so special. 

  Even in the traffic back, which came to a halt in Caratunk, became enjoyable. Side note, the people of Caratunk will be telling their kids and grandkids about the great eclipse traffic jam of 2024 for generations.  People got out of their cars and chatted.  Met a couple from southern California who had plans to go to Texas for 18 months and last Thursday, came to Maine instead.

  As totally ended, there was an audible groan from our crowd, we all wanted more. But it's the rarity, and the very brief nature of it that makes it so special. If they happened all the time, eclipses would be less special.

  Sorry to share so much, and didn't mean to be insensitive to anyone who wasn't as fortunate, but I couldn't have scripted it better. 

Here's the eclectic group I shared my experience with.  And notice no snow, and minimal mud, almost unheard of for early April up there.

Didn't get great shots, but good enough. Hard to capture the fleeting beauty.

Same! It was just an amazing spectacle. To see so many people gathered in this random field and seeing all the families and children and older people, all colors and ethnicities gathered for one specific goal that was only going to last for 1 minute in that lost location was special!

i too didn’t mind the traffic going back. That 30 minute distance took about an hour and a half to travel back home but it was enjoyable. I would throw my glasses on and look up from time to time when at a stand still to see the moon’s exit. It’s a day I won’t ever forget.

[Snow____]

7 hours ago, Ohiobuckeye45 said:

Just realized I forgot I had to make the post public 🙃 

I’m so glad I came back to that post today because I really wanted to see it and last night I couldn’t and thought it was my end screwing up 😂😂

[Snow____]

6 hours ago, Hiramite said:

What to do with your eclipse glasses…
 

https://time.com/6964871/solar-eclipse-glasses-donate-2024/

Gonna put mine in my memory box since they are dated and stuff. Maybe we can donate my wife’s pair, she didn’t get to use her’s😭😭 her work is demanding and she couldn’t get out of there at her normal time of 2:30 to view.

Edited April 9 by Snow____

[TLChip]

Awesome seeing everyone’s pictures. it feels like I should’ve taken off yesterday and drove north to check it out though, a bit of regret… better put 2044 on the schedule.  

[TheRex]

Below is some info from my PWS in my backyard.    The one thing that stuck out in my mind right before totality is that mosquitos started swarming us on my back deck.  It has been cold here up to now, so Monday was the first day the mosquitos made their presence known and they made it known five minutes before totality.

I am still just flabbergasted by what I experienced Monday, August 8 at 3:30 pm.  Words can't explain it.

I did hear today that people that people that drove here from Boston took 8 hours to get home last night, which is normally a 4 hour trip or shorter.  We were sitting out on the deck last night drinking around the fire pit and a north-south road near me had continuous traffic for a few hours.  That road didn't see that much traffic over the last month.  I guess people's GPS were taking them on less traveled roads going south.  The problem was the road near me ends in about a mile and then puts you on a more major road.  I don't think there were many ways to escape the traffic jams last night.

Quote

Temp dropped about 8 degrees from when partial eclipse started until totality

As expected, the solar radiation dropped to zero during totality:

 

[Hiramite]

I don’t know if anyone posted this yet, but that “thingy” on the bottom was/is technically called a “prominence”, not a solar flare.

https://qz.com/2024-total-solar-eclipse-bright-red-dots-1851397840

If you don’t want to read the entire article….

 Prominences, unlike solar flares, are anchored to the Sun’s surface in the photosphere, extending outward into the corona. By contrast, solar flares rip themselves from the star’s surface, propelled by intense magnetic activity. Prominences, also known as filaments, take about a day to form and can last for several months. They’re also massive, looping hundreds of thousands of miles into space.

Edited April 9 by Hiramite

[TheRex]

1 minute ago, Hiramite said:

I don’t know if anyone posted this yet, but that “thingy” on the bottom was/is technically called a “prominence”, not a solar flare.

https://qz.com/2024-total-solar-eclipse-bright-red-dots-1851397840

I was shocked yesterday when the sun went into totality, that the red dot was there.  I didn't expected it so I didn't know what I was looking at.

[clm]

4 hours ago, TheRex said:

I was shocked yesterday when the sun went into totality, that the red dot was there.  I didn't expected it so I didn't know what I was looking at.

Not a red dot.  A "thingy".  @Hiramite  🤪

Maybe we should get that word added to the dictionary? 😁

[Ohiobuckeye45]

7 hours ago, Snow____ said:

Gonna put mine in my memory box since they are dated and stuff. Maybe we can donate my wife’s pair, she didn’t get to use her’s😭😭 her work is demanding and she couldn’t get out of there at her normal time of 2:30 to view.

I feel you there, my wife had to fly out for work Monday, I was heartbroken for her and not getting to experience it together, then having to see and hear me talk about it for the next 21 years. Part of the reason for the type of footage I took

[Hoosier]

This is one of the most striking and dramatic comparisons of near totality and actual totality that I've seen.  The gif is pretty fast so I split it into individual images (these images not mine).

People who have seen a total eclipse know how quickly the light fades when totality hits.  For anybody who hasn't seen one and wonders whether a 92%, 95%, 98% or 99% eclipse is enough, all you have to do is look at this.  Maybe we can bust this out ahead of the next eclipse in 20 years when this kind of question will inevitably come up.   

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/amyulo/status/1777457142166896873

 

[Undertakerson2.0]

See you in 20-21 years 🙂