Eclipse Poll

[Golf]

Have friends and family in mid-Missouri, plan on venturing out in the middle of nowhere there for totality and to hear the animals protest. Been planning this for quite a few years now.

But those of us in the DFW area just have to wait until 2024 to see totality without leaving home!

[Rackme32]

wtf are you talking about? The Eclipse Awards are in January.

[immaf]

We're having a family reunion/vacation/eclipse viewing (in the path of totality) in Charleston, SC. I started planning nearly two years ago. We're renting a huge house right on the beach for the week. It's going to be awesome!

That is, *if* I survive until then. This is an absolutely horrible time for me to be taking off from work. I am trying to get all the stuff that needs to get done finished before I go, but it's not looking good. I am hugely stressed.

[Anachronism]

Thought about it, but it's about an eight-hour drive without significant traffic and since our closest path takes us straight toward Eclipseville, I'm worried about the highways becoming jammed. Estimates of 5 million traveling to totality seem low given what people are saying. Not that our highways could handle 5 million.

What clinches it is that we are planning on moving as soon as we can sell this damned house and the area we're moving to is in the totality path for 2024. I'm sure this will be a memorable experience for those who go and find clear skies and don't get gridlocked, but I'm going to have to pass.

[The Word Picture]

Last time we got something close in my neck of the woods, it rained, a soaling downpour and ues it got almost sunset or its gonna pour dark for a couple of hours.
May 30 1984. Nyc.

[doihavetoreally]

Partial here.. thought of going somewhere to see totality. Was thinking of Charleston but dropped it. For all who are driving, I hope you checked the article at fivethirtyeight.. apparently it might not be pretty with all the traffic.

[This Is Kirk!]

I'm absolutely astonished that some people don't care about this. In the general populous sure, but I wouldn't have expected that here. There hasn't been a total solar eclipse over the U.S. mainland since 1979!

[trainman]

I was invited to a good friend's total eclipse viewing party in Kentucky, but can't go due to my continued unemployment and financial problems. I'll have to satisfy myself with the partiality here.

[econgator]

So, I was reading this article here:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/th ... ectricity/

which states at one part, "Experts don’t expect the country to have eclipse-related blackouts. But for the first time, they’re paying attention to and planning for the impact of an eclipse on the electric grid."

What possible impact could a 150-second eclipse have that an overcast day doesn't have to a far greater effect?

[Linear Gnome]

I live about 10 miles out of the totality zone, so a friend and I decided to drive into the zone. We haven't decided yet whether to drive north or east.

It will be the first day of classes at the school from which I just retired. The eclipse should be visible here from 11:47 AM to 2:42 PM with up to 99.9% obscuration around 1:16; there has already been an announcement that classes will not be cancelled, but there will be a watch party and offices are encouraged to permit staff to take late lunches/personal time.

[MattKnowles]

So, I was reading this article here:

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/th ... ectricity/

which states at one part, "Experts don’t expect the country to have eclipse-related blackouts. But for the first time, they’re paying attention to and planning for the impact of an eclipse on the electric grid."

What possible impact could a 150-second eclipse have that an overcast day doesn't have to a far greater effect?

Apparently it gets dark for an hour or two and not just 150 seconds. Solar farms are usually placed in areas that don't get severe overcast days and an eclipse can affect them more than the normal cloud coverage. It doesn't seem like a big deal either way but the eclipse will have an impact on the solar energy during peak hours. They might also be looking at the grid on a local level and not a regional level. It's conceivable that there are some small towns close to a solar farm substation that get a big chunk of their reliable electricity from solar and it makes sense to check they wouldn't have a blackout.

I'm not excited about the eclipse. I'm not near the path of totality and not interested in traveling far. I might look up if I'm not doing anything else.

[kerryoakie]

I've already scheduled myself a "meeting" for the better part of the 21st so I can escape the office and sit outside during the eclipse. We are supposed to have 93% obscurity here in southeastern Indiana. I considered taking the day off and driving ~3 hours for total obscurity, but weather can change on a dime here and I would hate to waste vacation days and 6 hours of driving if it was cloudy.

That being said, this will be my first solar eclipse and I could not be more excited. I'm already counting down to 2024 when the 100% obscurity path goes right through my current home and workplace (not sure if I'll still be here, but I'll at least have friends and family here).

[Wheatley]

Sadly, it's not coming anywhere close to me, and I can't make the trip right now

[BobF]

I will probably be in Atlanta that day and it will be around 97%. Not something I'd drive out of my way to watch, however.

I can't believe they are delaying the start of LL for this.

I'm an occasional softball player for the Goddard Space Flight Center league and they're cancelling all games on that Monday even though the eclipse will be long over by the time the games were scheduled to start (5:30).

[nightreign]

Not coming anywhere close to me, and while my dad and sister are going, I just came off another trip and I have to pack for college. Plus, plane tickets are expensive.

[Volante]

Not coming anywhere close to me, and while my dad and sister are going, I just came off another trip and I have to pack for college. Plus, plane tickets are expensive.

While the totality is only a narrow band, practically everywhere in the contiguous 48 is going to get at least a 60% partial
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/defa ... se_map.jpg

[OSXpert]

Even though I'm currently based in NYC, I have my Jeopardy audition in Chicago on the 16th, and then I'm taking a bus down to Nashville on the 18th to sleep on my friend's couch so I can watch totality on the 21st. I feel lucky that NYC schools don't start until September so I have all this free time to kill.

I'm with Kirk - surprised that people aren't more excited about it. I'm so jazzed up I even made a music video about it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOJXggAqHyI

[mikebdoss]

I'm absolutely astonished that some people don't care about this. In the general populous sure, but I wouldn't have expected that here. There hasn't been a total solar eclipse over the U.S. mainland since 1979!

Shocked as well - people don't understand that a 80% partial eclipse just looks like a cloudy day, while totality is day turning into night. I've never been in totality, but I've literally been waiting years for this.

I'm driving 900 miles each way (southern California to southern Oregon) and taking a week off work to see it. None of my friends, even with two years notice, wanted to do it, and I'm still surprised (and still trying to get them to come along).

[Volante]

I'm absolutely astonished that some people don't care about this. In the general populous sure, but I wouldn't have expected that here. There hasn't been a total solar eclipse over the U.S. mainland since 1979!

Shocked as well - people don't understand that a 80% partial eclipse just looks like a cloudy day, while totality is day turning into night. I've never been in totality, but I've literally been waiting years for this.

I'm driving 900 miles each way (southern California to southern Oregon) and taking a week off work to see it. None of my friends, even with two years notice, wanted to do it, and I'm still surprised (and still trying to get them to come along).

Except clouds don't make the sun do this

[morbeedo]

I haven't planned for this but I really want to go somewhere! I'll see if I can tag along with anyone else traveling from NYC