Posted By: Rick_Rawlings
OT: Eclispe 2017! - 08/23/17 09:07 PM
Well, put in for Monday and Tuesday off five months ago so I could make the 10 hour trip up to Idaho to check out the solar eclipse. It was amazing! By going the back route I avoided almost all the traffic and the threatened clouds and wildfire smoke never really materialized. I was able to find a spot on the line of maximum duration for totality (missed the absolute longest time by maybe 300 feet or so) and witnessed the awesome event.
I can see how ancient people were freaked out by eclipses because, to start with, you cannot see the moon's approach because the sun washes out everything in the sky near it, so you have no idea what is coming. Additionally, you would think that as the moon crosses the path of the sun, the sky would just get dark gradually, but that is not what happens. Instead, it stays almost fully light until the last 15 minutes before totality, where it seems like an overcast day, but with no clouds. In the last 40 seconds before totality, it's like someone took a massive dimmer switch to the world!
Even with the massive drive, it was worth it!
I can see how ancient people were freaked out by eclipses because, to start with, you cannot see the moon's approach because the sun washes out everything in the sky near it, so you have no idea what is coming. Additionally, you would think that as the moon crosses the path of the sun, the sky would just get dark gradually, but that is not what happens. Instead, it stays almost fully light until the last 15 minutes before totality, where it seems like an overcast day, but with no clouds. In the last 40 seconds before totality, it's like someone took a massive dimmer switch to the world!
Even with the massive drive, it was worth it!
