Solar eclipse: Excited or just "meh"?

[Snowysmom]

My DH is has always wanted to see total solar eclipse. He is a total geek and astronomy is one of his interests. We have always wanted to see Yellowstone and the surrounding area so we signed up for a tour including seeing the total eclipse and Yellowstone and a few other points of interest in that part of the country. He humors me with trips to Disney ( he has fun too) and other trips I plan so I figured it was his turn to have a trip he really wanted. At least we won't be driving. He is excited, I am mostly meh.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

I'm really excited about 21st August ... because that day we will be on our flight to MCO from the UK. We will land too late to see any of the eclipse unfortunately

Claire

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I posted earlier on the thread or maybe it was on a different one as a don't really care and don't even know where we are on the path but now my daughter wants to see as much of it as possible now so I bought some glasses that I hope are legit (I'll be testing them in a little bit today) and will pick her up early from school so she can see it since the stupid school is keeping all students an extra hour because of the eclipse.

She probably got interested because she heard her friends Mom talking about it. Her friends Mom is an Astronomy Professor at a local college so needless to say she is pulling her kids out of school and driving to SC to see the total eclipse.

 

[rastahomie]

I posted earlier on the thread or maybe it was on a different one as a don't really care and don't even know where we are on the path

This map will tell you how much totality you're experiencing, what time everything, begins, and so on.

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html

 

[dish rag]

I really I don't care about it. There is a graph on line that shows what % each area is and the time frame. Where I will be is about 85%.

 

[Minnesota!]

Meh

 

[dotfurio]

I'm so upset. Our district just told us we have to keep all the kids inside during the eclipse. Hey kids, we want you to do hands on science, except watching an eclipse. Because even though we purchased NASA approved viewing glasses it's just not safe. Mind you, they can go outside and look at the sun any other day of the week Our superintendent suggested we watch it on live stream. I doubt our server can handle that, and what's the point anyway? It's a video on tv, I can watch a video any time. Who cares if it's live??? So sad for our kids.

 

[Marchand63]

Meh. I'm tired of hearing about it. Can it be August 22nd yet?

Totally with you. I am working so MEH.

 

[kirstenb1]

Our school is the only school district in the entire state that is going to let all the kids watch this. They purchased glasses for all the kids and staff, and everyone is very excited. I on the other hand, didn't get glasses, so I guess I will McGyver a shoebox and pinhole.

 

[bethbuchall]

I'm excited about it. What makes it even better is it's happening on my son's 21st birthday.

Happy 21st birthday to your son! It's my daughter's 24th birthday that day.

 

[Albort]

my physics professor basically told us to screw off for monday class cuz he aint teaching us on eclipse day... :]

so no class on monday. so yaaay eclipse!

 

[adelaster]

I really want to rent a car and drive to the edge of totality. Sounds so interesting. It's about a six hour drive though, and I am wavering out of fear of how bad traffic/crowds will be. Kentucky is the closest place to me. Watching the weather- need to decide tomorrow as I'd have to get Monday off work. No one around me seems to care! Seven years is a long time to wait, and who knows what the world/weather will be then.

How bad does everyone think the crowds/roads will really be?

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I really want to rent a car and drive to the edge of totality. Sounds so interesting. It's about a six hour drive though, and I am wavering out of fear of how bad traffic/crowds will be. Kentucky is the closest place to me. Watching the weather- need to decide tomorrow as I'd have to get Monday off work. No one around me seems to care! Seven years is a long time to wait, and who knows what the world/weather will be then.

How bad does everyone think the crowds/roads will really be?

Depends on where you're going from and to. A big city that is partially in and partially out of totality might have some extremely heavy local traffic as people want to get a better position. The I-70 corridor in Missouri might be bad. In East Tennessee, Knoxville is out but points west and south are in. And well pretty much 40 and 75 go through west Knoxville as one. So that area may face huge traffic. Chattanooga is out and they'll probably wish to head north along I-75.

The I-65 corridor in Kentucky might be heavy and in Tennessee as well. Most of the Nashville metro is in but just barely. So many might be headed to better spots. Some of the areas south and west of Nashville are out so they'll definitely want to head to a better spot in town. I would think the I-24 corridor in Western Kentucky probably not all that busy relative to other busier areas. But there aren't many major highways into that corridor other than I-24 and most can't handle any traffic and I-69 is not complete between Evansville and Henderson. The west Tennessee portion of it is also not complete.

I think what you don't want is to be driving while it happens. I know we have posted warning after warning not to stop. But you just know people are going to.

The surface streets around here were not busy but the freeways were brisk already today.

 

[bcla]

I really want to rent a car and drive to the edge of totality. Sounds so interesting. It's about a six hour drive though, and I am wavering out of fear of how bad traffic/crowds will be. Kentucky is the closest place to me. Watching the weather- need to decide tomorrow as I'd have to get Monday off work. No one around me seems to care! Seven years is a long time to wait, and who knows what the world/weather will be then.

How bad does everyone think the crowds/roads will really be?

There's already some pretty intense traffic. Here's the road leading to one eclipse festival in Oregon (taken by an Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter):

https://twitter.com/aarondavidscott/status/898315768768602112/photo/1

http://www.oregonlive.com/eclipse/2017/08/eclipse_traffic_prineville_aug.html
http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/community/boise/article167666147.html

And a photo from a police plane:

https://twitter.com/ORStatePolice/status/898283672536719360

 

[adelaster]

@bcla @Cannot_Wait_4Disney geez!

Central Ohio, was eyeing Bowling Green, KY.

My mom has asked me not to go for safety reasons... & I'll admit, it does seem like a risky decision. It's just one of those things I feel like I'll regret missing.

 

[sam_gordon]

@bcla @Cannot_Wait_4Disney geez!

Central Ohio, was eyeing Bowling Green, KY.

My mom has asked me not to go for safety reasons... & I'll admit, it does seem like a risky decision. It's just one of those things I feel like I'll regret missing.

OK, I'm sorry, what "safety reasons" and why would it be a "risky decision"? Aside from many people in a relatively small space, what are you worried might happen?

 

[adelaster]

OK, I'm sorry, what "safety reasons" and why would it be a "risky decision"? Aside from many people in a relatively small space, what are you worried might happen?

Really, who knows what my mom thinks.

For me, it's just uncharacteristic. I'm usually a really big planner, cautious, I don't do spur-of-the-moment things very often. The risk I mentioned comes into play in that I'd be taking Monday off work and would have to return on Tuesday. If traffic or something else happens making that impossible, there would be consequences.

For the record, I wouldn't be looking to join a big group. I just want to get in the path of the total coverage.

 

[John VN]

MEH, I think watching a SpaceX launch and the return of the first stage booster, is way cooler

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Think I will jump off something if I hear total eclipse of the heart again, I liked it much better when Harold Campi said the world was ending and they kept playing REM.

 

[bdcp]

Not all that excited. Just because it's something that doesn't happen that often, doesn't make it that big of a deal to me. It's just something that happens. It's a scientific phenomenon and otherwise doesn't mean anything. In 1970, when I was 10 we had a full eclipse here in the DC area and my parents kept us inside (a lot of people did that) and we just looked out the window at how dark it was. Seriously, that's all it was and there were plenty of good photos on the news later. We're going to have about 80-85% but it won't really be dark since it'll be more like the light you have on a dreary cloudy day. DH and I didn't buy glasses and will be working. Both of our grown DS and DDIL did and will be outside during it. Oldest DS has a double degree in math and astronomy so kind of his line of education (and work). Youngest DS and DDIL will watch from her workplace on a hill in a rural area (winery). I have a nice big picture window in my office and the sun isn't in my line of sight until after it's going to be over anyway.