Weird things happen with a total solar eclipse.

[pnwmom]

http://astromaven.blogspot.com/2017/06/weird-things-happen-with-total-solar_72.html?m=1

Thursday, June 22, 2017
Weird Things Happen with a Total Solar Eclipse

Everyone talks about how visually stunning it is when the darkened Moon fully covers the face of the Sun in a total solar eclipse. And indeed, it is! But there are other unusual, truly strange happenings that occur when the Moon passes in front of the Sun. If you aren’t prepared to look for them, some of these weird phenomena are so fleeting that you can miss them. Following are descriptions of a number of those novel occurrences to be looked for on August 21st.

Long before totality (when the Moon is only covering part of the Sun’s face), go to a nearby tree and look in the shade of the tree’s shadow. You will see hundreds of crescent images of the partially covered Sun all over the ground! In fact, this is a safe way to view all the partial phases of the eclipse without harming your eyes. Where do all these many images come from? The gaps between the tree’s leaves act like a pinhole camera by projecting the Sun’s image on the ground. Here is a photo that was shot of such a tree shadow during a previous solar eclipse:

SNIP

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Good article!

Most people are too busy watching the moon cover the sun to see these cool effects.

There's a lot going on during a very few minutes.

[MoonRiver]

2. Amazing stuff! Thanks!

[BigmanPigman]

3. When I taught school I showed my students how to do this.

The small amounts of light make little cresent moon shapes in all the leafy shadows. This occurs during partial eclipses too. I am so glad I kept my neon pink viewing glasses from our trip to the Space Theater.

[Brother Buzz]

18. A simple ordinary kitchen colander will do the job, too

Science, baby!

[marybourg]

54. As well as your own thumb and forefinger,

lined up so as to leave a small gap at the base of the thumb.

[lunasun]

4. Awesome stuff thanks pnwmom

[HeartachesNhangovers]

5. My wife and I are driving from Vancouver WA

about an hour south to Salem OR in the wee hours to try to avoid the normal morning traffic nightmare into Portland from WA state. Salem is well within the totality band. Plan is to park the car somewhere, have a long breakfast, then walk to a local park for the eclipse. Afterwards, we'll hang out in Salem until after dinner to avoid the normal afternoon/evening traffic nightmare going back north into WA from Portland. Originally, we were going to take Amtrak but by the time we agreed on Salem, the train was sold out. Hopefully it's a clear day.

I'll share this article with my wife.

[pnwmom]

6. Have fun!

[MoonRiver]

7. We will be in Kansas City, a perfect place to see the eclipse!

I think it will be an amazing experience!

[ThoughtCriminal]

10. You should consider farther go north.

KC is on the southern edge of totality. Getting farther north and closer to the center line will double the duration.

http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_2017_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=39.14284&Lng=-94.58130&Zoom=10&LC=1

On the other hand, traffic may be a serious problem.

[Cracklin Charlie]

30. Also in Kansas City.

At this point, I am just hoping for a clear sky. Thick, heavy monsoon clouds make for terrible eclipse viewing.

[MuseRider]

32. We are meeting our KC family

in Doniphan county for the total experience. Apparently Troy and Hiawatha have some music, food etc. and are going all out for it. I just hope we can make it there with all the people planning on being there. Total for 2:38. Should be fun. Plenty of country road around if it is too crowded.

[cbdo2007]

55. I'm in Liberty - 2:06 of totality at my house. So excited...

I asked for the day off work over a year ago.

[MoonRiver]

56. It's going to be a fantastic experience!

[ThoughtCriminal]

8. During one partial eclipse, a coworker had a lace shawl

We held it over the sidewalk and sure enough - hundreds of little crescents in a delightful pattern.

[uppityperson]

9. It doesn't become "dark as night", more like twilight. Other wise, interesting article

[roamer65]

19. Yes, it is like more like a clear full moon night.

[WinkyDink]

33. I was in Germany for the 1999 solar eclipse. It got eerily DARK in the countryside, and very

swiftly!

[uppityperson]

34. 1979 Vancouver, WA for me. It was impressive, but some light gets through. I'll not be that close

this time, unfortunately. Eclipses are cool.

[muriel_volestrangler]

57. No, it does become as dark as night. As suggested, a moonlit night.

I saw the European one in 1999.

[uppityperson]

58. My response was from the perspective of one I was in. To me, it didn't seem dark as night

It was dark enough for birds to go silent for 5 min then start their wakeup calls again.

Others may feel different, Other eclipses may be doesn't, but for me, the total eclipse I was in, it wasn't dark as night.

[panfluteman]

11. This Solar Eclipse Will Be a Very Powerful One for Me

Because it is conjunct my natal Moon and my South Lunar Node, or point of karma. There will probably be some big changes happening in my life, especially in my career and life path, because the eclipse degree will be in my tenth house, the house of career and life path. There could also be some dramatic changes in my love life, because the eclipse degree will be trining my natal Venus, the planet of love.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. Sorry, but astrology is mystical bunkum.

There are many things you can do that will have one thousand more times positive impact on you life than any gyrations of planets and stars.

Things such as studying French cuisine, learning to play guitar ( "guitars are for lovers" ), building a house for Habitat For Humanity, reading a classic novel, ....

[LanternWaste]

40. The important thing is we criticize benign, inconsequential beliefs

The important thing is we criticize benign, inconsequential beliefs as a tool to fortify the patina of our own cleverness; though no doubt, the less-than-honest will rationalize it as a mere "suggestion of good will..."

[Lokilooney]

49. It's not being clever

It's not being clever if something is testable, I also would not call a belief benign if it is relied upon for results. I would say though that it is genuine good will to suggest say for instance; you're not going to live long if you think you can pray the cancer away.

[AngryAmish]

48. I'm going to be drunk.

[Lokilooney]

50. I was thinking

If someone has personal no alcohol until dark rule they have about a 15 min technicality to exploit!

[central scrutinizer]

12. February 26, 1979

During the total eclipse here in Oregon, one of my milk goats went into labor. She delivered twin white males prior to totality, then a black female when it was darkest. But we were south of the band of totality - maybe 98% total. We named her Penumbra.

[sandensea]

28. Total eclipses are said to be portend a difficult year ahead for whatever nation they appear over

And sure enough:

[MFM008]

52. We're already

In the crapper......

[Leith]

13. For the 1994 Eclipse

I got a piece of plastic with a round circle in it (I don't remember exactly what it was, like a ruler with circles of various diameters cut out), put a blank white sheet of paper under it, and watched the eclipse on the paper. It worked remarkably well.

[SCantiGOP]

14. I have a 3 bedroom house

I'll have 8 overnight guests and about 12 more coming in for the day.
We are near Lake Murray in central SC. The center line will pass about 5 miles from our house, so we will have the total eclipse for about 2 1/2 minutes. Nearby Columbia SC will have the longest total eclipse time of any metro area east of the Mississippi.

Thanks for this post, pnwmom.

[pnwmom]

16. You're welcome. And have fun!

[roamer65]

15. I've been waiting 38 years for this one.

Viewed the February 1979 eclipse from Michigan. It was 80 pct covered. Made myself a promise to see this one when Frank Reynolds said on TV the next total eclipse in the lower 48 wouldn't be until August 21, 2017.

I'm surprised I have made it this close.

[LeftInTX]

22. I could shoot myself for not viewing the May 1984 eclipse

It was annular, but where I was it was 90 percent. I sat in a lunch room on the 3rd floor and watched the shadows. My coworkers were oblivious to the thing. I did step out on the balcony for about a minute.

This upcoming eclipse will be about 65%, where I live. Lowe's has a bunch of those viewing glasses. They are right next to the checkout.

We will be getting a 100% annular eclipse in October 2023, then in April 2024 we will be getting a total eclipse...right where I live!!!

[roamer65]

24. If I make it to April 8, 2024...I will be there as well, my friend.

I will be somewhere in the totality path. Road trip!

[LeftInTX]

25. I was working in Green Bay during the 1979 eclipse.

The supervisor escorted us outside and we did the pinhole thing. I think the sun was about 20 percent covered at the time. I worked at a paper mill and we were not allowed outside unsupervised, so that was our only opportunity.

[Ilsa]

17. I've done the hole in a piece of paper trick.

Worked nicely to follow the progress of the eclipse.

[LeftInTX]

31. Those eclipse glasses are really cool

Lowe's has then right next to the checkout. I bought some and tried them on. It was so eery to be able to look directly at the sun. With the glasses, everything was dark and the sun was on orange ball. We will only get around 65% coverage, but those glasses will enable me to see it.

[roamer65]

21. During the totality, stars real close to Sol may actually be behind it.

It's called "gravitational lensing" and helped confirm Einstein's theory of relativity.

The gravity of Sol actually bends the light.

[Bladewire]

23. Whenever I hear eclipse this movie scene comes to mind

Dolores Claiborne with her husband Joe during the eclipse

[Honeycombe8]

27. LOL. I just posted saying the same thing! Good movie. SPOILER ALERT.

You shouldn't give it away, though, for those who haven't seen the movie!

[fleur-de-lisa]

36. I love that movie! n/t

[logosoco]

42. I was planning a re-read of that starting next week!

My husbands name is Joe, but he is a good guy (and we don't have any abandoned wells around here anyway!)

[Honeycombe8]

26. Awesome. Solar eclips always reminds me of that movie "Delores Claiborne" w/Kathy Bates.

Good movie. Not a horror movie, like the typical Stephen King movie. More of a mystery. David Straithern was excellent in it.

[Justice]

29. We will be outside Columbia SC

[drmeow]

35. I remember the crescent shadows

from the 1994 eclipse

[chaplain_M]

37. Weird Things Happen with a Total Solar Eclipse Movie, too

1979's Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau movie "Out to Sea" shows a full moon shining one night after a solar eclipse.

Think about that.

[pnwmom]

38. Hmmmm . . . .

Welcome to DU!

[longship]

43. Sorry. Solar eclipses happen at New Moon, not Full Moon.

It's about half a month between New Moon and Full Moon, not one day.

Hollywood often isn't very good with science. In this case they sacrificed science for pleasing imagery.

Sad!

[dalton99a]

39. Great article.

[logosoco]

41. I have been excited for this for over a year and now that we are two weeks away I am

obsessed!

Family is coming down from Madison, WI. House will be full but I think we will have an amazing experience!

I have a white sheet to better see the shadows.

I have been going outside and doing an eclipse drill! Checking the position of the sun at the right time to figure the best place to sit. (So far I think it may be in the neighbors yard across the street! She said that is cool!)

We have the approved glasses but my grandsons and I are making box viewers as well. They are NOT going to school that day!!



We do not plan to take photos (I figure the experts will show theirs!), but I am going to have my old Flip video camera sitting to capture OUR reactions so we can look at it later!

I told my sister we may need a box of tissues because when I am watching eclipse videos on Youtube I am getting very teary eyed!

I know they are expecting major traffic, but I think it will be worth it! Everyone should get a chance to see totality if they can!

[barbtries]

44. i'm mildly excited about the eclipse.

went and bought special glasses. we only get 93% eclipse where we are though, that'll be enough. thanks for sharing

[longship]

45. The moon's shadow crossing the ground!!!!

If the land is flat for miles around your location or you are on a mountain top, you will be able to see the darkest part of the Moon’s shadow (called the umbra) racing across the ground towards you just before totality and away from you afterwards. Here is video of the approaching and leaving umbra as seen from an airplane:

This is supposedly the most awesome sight of a total solar eclipse. The edge of the moon's shadow crossing the ground at thousands of km/hr is one of those incredible fleeting sights that is not to be missed. Many solar eclipse pros live for that view.

[B2G]

46. Our stores are sold out of glasses

So I ordered a 4 pack online today. They're like actual sunglasses so they should last. Still pretty cheap.

[Liberal In Texas]

53. Got some from B&H.

$5 for 5 pack, free shipping.
And they are made by a company that NASA approves.

[Native]

47. I'm so psyched. This is happening on my birthday (a milestone birthday to boot), and I'll be in the

path! Got relatives in Augusta, GA, and it is only an hour's drive from there to Greenwood, S.C.....just hoping the port-a-potty shortage doesn't create a problem. Interestingly, I was living on the east coast of Florida in 1970 when the last total eclipse hit us and got to see that. It lasted 3 full minutes - longer than this coming one is expected to last. Bookends of my life. Watch me drop dead on the way home from this one! LOL.

[LovesPNW]

51. For instance - DON'T buy plants ..

Last edited Mon Aug 7, 2017, 07:31 PM - Edit history (1)

[blaze]

59. Thanks pnwmom!!

I had no idea that trees functioned as pinhole cameras!!

[countryjake]

60. Thanks for sharing, pnwmom! Interesting blog...

and I think I'll send that link on to my young great nephews, who have never experienced anything like this before.

I remember saving up cracker boxes in excited preparation for an eclipse, to make shadow boxes for everyone I knew when I was a kid. And just like a kid again, my excitement is steadily building. The wildfire smoke seems to be clearing out a bit today, so I'm hopeful it'll be a clear sun shine for that big day.

Here's a pertinent tune just for your thread: