Weary of OTT hype stories about the Eclipse

[Onyrlef]

You burned my eyes!!

I have some eclipse glasses for sale, cheap

 

[Onyrlef]

At about the 7 o’clock position during the totality you could see a bright orange flare outside the corona. That was a solar prominence, plasma.

 

[Tom]

I've been waiting for hours, but it's still sunny. Did I miss it? Maybe it passed when I took a nap

 

[Ray-IN]

Over your house, perhaps, but total eclipses aren't all that rare somewhere in the USA. I watched one in western North Carolina in 2017 and there will be another in 2044 that will be viewable across a width swath of the USA.

Plus the media hype has many people thinking it will be like midnight, with the skies entirely black and stars twinkling. Birds & livestock falling asleep in fields & barns. Etc.

We watched the 2017 eclipse in TN. This is the last one we will ever see. the 2044 eclipse totality path will only be in NE Maine, and I doubt I'll be able to travel to Maine at 91.

 

[SpencerPJ]

Not my pic, put sitting on my back patio, 3pm this afternoon, I saw this exactly looking up, no glasses. Crazy. Got cooler outside, dropped 5 degrees, all birds stopped chirping, very eerie.

 

[Isaac-1]

We had overcast skies where we are camping in the Texas hill country all morning, with the sun peaking out for maybe a minute at a time ever 5-10 minutes, then we had about 6-7 minutes of break in the clouds right at totality letting us see all of totality and about a minute of partial eclipse on each side, since then 1 1/2 hour ago now, the sun has only peaked out for a few seconds a couple of times, and it even misted rain for about 5 minutes in there about 30 minutes after totality. Totality was spectacular though

 

[Ray-IN]

I haven't had time to see how my video or stills came out. I used my old Sony HandiCam on a tripod for both, a spare pair of viewing "glasses' fit perfectly over the lens, but distorted the images some.

 

[Joezeppy]

Partly cloudy in several parts of central NY today but still got some good views! Glad I just stayed in my driveway for 99.7% totality based on the cloud-cover. It was strange how quiet it seemed to get. Not sure if it was nature getting quiet or just the lack of usual traffic on my road since a lot of people probably stopped somewhere to view.

 

[John From Detroit]

You do know don't you there's a video.of the most powerful man on the planet looking up from the WH balcony directly into the last eclipse with no glasses?

You did not read all of my post or did not get the Reference to the person who had to be told TWICE to wear his glasses.. That was he.

 

[Kirk]

 

[Skookum]

Did anyone get raptured?

 

[jymbee]

NBC reporter totally blew it. Interesting idea to fly in a jet, high above and follow the edge of the shadow-- light on one side, dark on the other.

However, they never showed any video of that! Just his face looking out the window and saying how awesome it was. Major fail.

 

[JudyJB]

Apparently, part of the problem with viewing the eclipse from a plane is that the sun was high in the sky and the windows are small and on the side of the plane!! One reporter said the pilot had to substantially bank the big plane so people could see the sun. And even then, only the people on one side of the plane could see anything.

And I agree that the hype was ridiculous. I am an older lady, but I have seen several almost full eclipses in my life. And not once, during any of them, did I break down in tears as a couple of reporters did on seeing this eclipse!!!!!

 

[A Traveler]

Do the letters “BFD” mean anything to you?

I cannot believe all the nonsense surrounding this totally predictable and normal astronomical event.

The country truly has gone nuts.

 

[Onyrlef]

Do the letters “BFD” mean anything to you?

I cannot believe all the nonsense surrounding this totally predictable and normal astronomical event.

The country truly has gone nuts.

I'm certain no one thought the eclipse was magic. It was however truly awesome. Doesn't BFD refer to the Affordable Healthcare Act?

 

[Laura & Charles]

Moon Shadow.. I’m gobsmacked!
Yeah, I know the media push has been over the top. Nonetheless, my geek will not be deterred:
The odds, ANYWHERE in the universe, where a planet’s moon is just the right size and just the right distance from the planet; AND that planet’s sun is just the right size and just the right distance from that planet that the moon’s shadow would obscure the sun but NOT its corona, are infinitesimally tiny. Throw in the odds that there’s intelligent life on that planet to observe that occurrence, AND the odds I was able to be on the center of totality and skies were clear enough for a front row seat… GOBSMACKED!
Unedited photos taken with my camera phone:



That’s Venus about 4:30 to the sun in totality.

 

[John From Detroit]

Watched the NASA you tube feed. Multiple locations one after the other. The old Beatles song "I'll Follow The Sun. Nope. They followed Moon Shadow instead.

 

[SpencerPJ]

I certainly am glad I spent $5 for two sets of glasses to watch. We had beautiful weather and total eclipse was awesome. Not sure I would have spent much more, but glad I got to see it.

 

[DutchmenSport]

Now that the event is over, I will say "it" was kind of kind of nice hearing something different in the news that wasn't politics or murders.

But one thing I did notice, especially yesterday (the day of the eclipse), when driving through town, was all the gatherings at places people and cars were located, some 3 or 4 hours before the "big even."

(For what it's worth, my location was directly in the path of the full eclipse).

But, what I found disappointing, was how much of this was just an excuse for people to get together and having another "drink fest." In other words, thow parties and see how much booze can be consumed. Unfortunately, a couple people I know were going to such a party. I suppose some people will come up with any excuse so they can consume alcohol and then have an excuse for acting foolish.

 

[whiteva]

I just tried to get a RV reservation for the next eclipse but they were all booked.