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Anyone for the Great American Eclipse of 2017?

Carl Sagan

By Carl Sagan
in The Jim Smith Room

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Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan

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I'm over in the US for a total solar eclipse tomorrow. Hope those here permanently have been able to get somewhere in the line of totality. I've rented a log cabin high in the mountains of Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, so high in fact that I awoke this morning to see the clouds beneath me, which was very promising.

If you're not in the line of "coast to coast" totality and are thinking, "hey 98% is pretty good", it's not. With a solar eclipse, the experience is either totality and the most awesome thing you'll ever see, or partial and "meh". That's because the Sun's so bright, even at 99% eclipsed it's still so bright.

So, if it's not too late, get yourselves into the zone of totality. As long as you're a decent way inside you should be fine - you don't have to go right to the center line. And let's hope for clear skies tomorrow!

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Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan

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6 hours ago, TigerTedd said:

There was a total eclipse in derby a couple of years ago wasn't there? 

Not sure if that's a subtle joke about the sudden disappearance of football, or a genuine question. There was a partial one in the UK in 2015, but like I said in the op, it's not the same kind of experience at all.

Unless scientists sort things out and are able to cure and then reverse aging, the only English total eclipse in any of our lifetimes skimmed Cornwall but nowhere else in 1999. I went down but it was cloudy. Did see an incredible one on an island off the Great Barrier Reef in 2012. 

The next one in the UK is 23rd September 2090. 

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Boycie

Boycie

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4 hours ago, Carl Sagan said:

Not sure if that's a subtle joke about the sudden disappearance of football, or a genuine question. There was a partial one in the UK in 2015, but like I said in the op, it's not the same kind of experience at all.

Unless scientists sort things out and are able to cure and then reverse aging, the only English total eclipse in any of our lifetimes skimmed Cornwall but nowhere else in 1999. I went down but it was cloudy. Did see an incredible one on an island off the Great Barrier Reef in 2012. 

The next one in the UK is 23rd September 2090. 

Hey! My birthday, can't wait me.

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1of4

1of4

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2 hours ago, Boycie said:

Hey! My birthday, can't wait me.

 

1 hour ago, GboroRam said:

Shall we agree to all meet up round yours to watch it?

Sorry don't think I will be able to make it as I'll probably still be getting over a hangover from my 135th birthday party a couple of days before.

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TigerTedd

TigerTedd

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8 hours ago, Carl Sagan said:

Not sure if that's a subtle joke about the sudden disappearance of football, or a genuine question. There was a partial one in the UK in 2015, but like I said in the op, it's not the same kind of experience at all.

Unless scientists sort things out and are able to cure and then reverse aging, the only English total eclipse in any of our lifetimes skimmed Cornwall but nowhere else in 1999. I went down but it was cloudy. Did see an incredible one on an island off the Great Barrier Reef in 2012. 

The next one in the UK is 23rd September 2090. 

That's probably the one I'm thinking of. Didn't seem to be much fan fare unless I had my head under a rock. I was out delivering leaflets and everything went dark. It was dark though, seemed quite total to me. 

Or maybe the sun just went behind a cloud. Maybe that's why I think we have one most days.

We had one about 10 years earlier two. I remember sitting in my dads back garden with a mate looking through a welding mask, nursing a hangover. But I guess that was only partial too.

probablg one of those things where you think partial is impressive, until you see total, and you realise partial was rubbish by comparison.

ill be ready for 2090.

 

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TigerTedd

TigerTedd

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1 hour ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Aren't there just going to be loads of religious wackos running around investing the event with great portent? The harbinger of the apocalypse or some such toss.

Maybe not in most places, but this is america, so you're probably right. 

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Wolfie

Wolfie

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13 hours ago, AndyinLiverpool said:

Aren't there just going to be loads of religious wackos running around investing the event with great portent? The harbinger of the apocalypse or some such toss.

 

12 hours ago, TigerTedd said:

Maybe not in most places, but this is america, so you're probably right. 

I remember when we had the eclipse here (whenever it was) that there was a man on the news who'd sold his house & given away the money & all belongings and then just gone to Cornwall & sat there because he "knew" the world was going to end with the eclipse. I wonder what happened to him?

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Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan

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On 21/08/2017 at 12:48, JoetheRam said:

As this is his thread, just want to say; watch Carl's TV series, Cosmos. It's on Youtube and is brilliant.

1000× better than anything the D:Ream keyboard player/physicist does.

You're far too kind,

I must add I have discussed my show with the D:REAM keyboardist on a few occasions and he's a big fan, and I think his early, space-specific stuff was really very good. But perhaps he doesn't quite have enough imagination. And certainly not a spaceship built of it in the shape of a dandelion seed.

Sadly it was cloudy for my eclipse (they rolled in on an otherwise perfect day with 20 minutes to go and then rolled out 20 minutes after) but the consolation prize was seeing the northern lights out of my window for almost the entire flight home. Guess I'm another one round to @Boycie's birthday ecliipse bash when the time comes.

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