8 ms·

If you can be on the ground in the path of totality, I highly recommend it. Especially go someplace with more nature. The birds and bugs will change their behav

by goda90 3y ago

If you can be on the ground in the path of totality, I highly recommend it. Especially go someplace with more nature. The birds and bugs will change their behavior as totality happens. Very cool experience that really tickles basic human instincts.

skinner927 3y ago
The birds and the bugs were undoubtably the most unexpected part of the whole experience. I think about it often actually, haha.
sokoloff 3y ago
Adding on to this, I'd recommend getting to totality and not thinking "99% occlusion is probably 99% as good." For the 2017 one, we went to a field about 100 miles from where we were staying and compared our experience to our hosts who stayed behind because of cloud cover forecast for the day. Clouds cleared for both of us, but from the discussions, it was worth going that 100 miles.
- noSyncCloud 3y ago
  99% totality is 1% of the experience.
ta1243 3y ago
Had that in 1999 in the UK, despite the complete overcast sky, it still went dark, and the birds and bugs still did stuff, and there was a general feeling of "something is wrong"
ericbarrett 3y ago
Seconded! Also check out a complex shadow (like that of a bush) just before or after totality. The camera obscura effect will generate many images of the eclipse crescent, it's really uncanny.
- roughly 3y ago
  Yes! This was absolutely surreal - one of those weird little things that all of the sudden your animal brain is pegging as "Something's amiss." Really helped the build-up to the totality.
Workaccount2 3y ago
I want to emphasize that 100% totality is key. It's not a linear "eclipesness" where 99 or 95% is close enough. It's a binary 100% or not experience. Even 1% sunlight is enough to wash out the entire experience and you must keep the glasses on the whole time. At 100% you can take them off, and see the most incredible sight you might ever see.
inanutshellus 3y ago
Dogpiling on this. 100% totality in an empty field is change-your-life cool. Not the roof of a building. Not 99% totality. And don't miss it. Everyone that stayed in town for the 2017 eclipse barely remembers it today. Those of us in a rural area of 100% totality thought it was magic. Pure, real, magic. Go into a field. Bring some friends. Let yourself feel awe. You won't see it again in the USA for twenty years, so... now's the time.
- ethbr1 3y ago
  Also, bring a jacket or sweater. It's surprising how chilly it suddenly gets when you're suddenly no longer in the warm embrace of our star.
  - inanutshellus 3y ago
    Do or ... don't! Perhaps there's value in feeling the world around you change so quickly, even when it's uncomfortable. Allowing that discomfort may help anchor the memory as novel for those newbies you sneakily didn't tell to bring a sweater. ;-)
    - ethbr1 3y ago
      If I make it to the path this year, I'm definitely bringing an instant read thermometer. I'm curious what the actual drop in temp is!
- russdill 3y ago
  The last one I did on a butte, even more highly recommended, being able to see far out in the distance in every direction during an eclipse is mind blowing. I can't imaging having to experience it through a tiny airplane window.
- roughly 3y ago
  I am as modern and jaded as the next person, but yes, absolutely - if you can be in the 100% totality, get there. It is incomparably awe-inspiring - it is immediately apparent why this sort of thing was seen as an omen from the gods to be respected. You will feel small.
gavinhoward 3y ago
Absolutely. 100% is the way to go. In fact, I have a relative whose rural house was in the path of totality for 2017, but it was not centered on the path. That relative and I went to her friend's rural house on the centerline. It was by a field too, and yes, the animals went weird. If you're going to do it, go whole hog.
dwighttk 3y ago
My favorite part was dusk/dawn (like) on the entire horizon
itronitron 3y ago
And bring a jacket, because the drop in temperature is remarkable.
adamsilkey 3y ago
Can you describe what that was like?
nlh 3y ago
I will also dogpile on this and add my own experience and enthusiastic agreement - 100% totality in a big open field is absolutely mind-blowing cool. Some friends and I did this for the 2017 eclipse in Nashville. We drove 30 minutes north and happened across a huge group of nerds in a big green park and the moment of totality was absolutely bonkers. It gets true twilight dark, the birds and crickets start going wild, and you see this glowing reddish sunset color perfectly evenly along the base of the horizon. That part was the most fascinating to me, because I realized that comes from the diffraction (diffusion?) of the light from above and all around, and NOT from the “edge of the sun below the horizon” as we all kinda assumed. (Note I am likely very materially wrong about that explanation so I’d love to be properly corrected.) Anyway, regardless, go experience 100% totality on the ground!
incanus77 3y ago
Another vote for 100% if possible. I drove my camper van from Portland to national forest land in eastern Oregon (largely desert and open land) for the 2017 total eclipse. From the cast of the light, to the birds, to the way my dog started getting ready for bed at nine in the morning, to the whoop I heard across the canyon from someone else watching, it was life-changing. Such a special event. Anyone I talk to who stayed in town and got the ~99% treats it like any other day.
SoftTalker 3y ago
I guess I'll be the contrarian, I've seen a total eclipse and it was ... something I guess? I was not overwhelmed. Not something I would make any extraordinary effort or spend a lot of money on to see again. I think a nice sunset over the water is much more enjoyable.
gammarator 3y ago
Be sure to plan for enormous traffic jams after the eclipse ends. Even extremely rural back/side roads will be bumper to bumper.
- somat 3y ago
  Right, I Have family living in Wyoming so took the opportunity to see the 2017 eclipse there, amazing sight, totally worth it, But those poor Wyoming roads, completely packed for hundreds of miles, gas stations overwhelmed, with them still open having a correspondingly high price. If I did it again I would plan to spend 4 hours after the event just hanging out, rather than join the traffic.
consp 3y ago
Did this in France when I was younger. We were on a hillside and could see the darkness coming in very quickly and everything going silent. Not only bugs, birds also went silent for a moment.

by goda90 3y ago

skinner927 3y ago

The birds and the bugs were undoubtably the most unexpected part of the whole experience. I think about it often actually, haha.

sokoloff 3y ago

Adding on to this, I'd recommend getting to totality and not thinking "99% occlusion is probably 99% as good." For the 2017 one, we went to a field about 100 miles from where we were staying and compared our experience to our hosts who stayed behind because of cloud cover forecast for the day. Clouds cleared for both of us, but from the discussions, it was worth going that 100 miles.

noSyncCloud 3y ago
99% totality is 1% of the experience.

ta1243 3y ago

Had that in 1999 in the UK, despite the complete overcast sky, it still went dark, and the birds and bugs still did stuff, and there was a general feeling of "something is wrong"

ericbarrett 3y ago

Seconded! Also check out a complex shadow (like that of a bush) just before or after totality. The camera obscura effect will generate many images of the eclipse crescent, it's really uncanny.

roughly 3y ago
Yes! This was absolutely surreal - one of those weird little things that all of the sudden your animal brain is pegging as "Something's amiss." Really helped the build-up to the totality.

Workaccount2 3y ago

I want to emphasize that 100% totality is key. It's not a linear "eclipesness" where 99 or 95% is close enough. It's a binary 100% or not experience. Even 1% sunlight is enough to wash out the entire experience and you must keep the glasses on the whole time. At 100% you can take them off, and see the most incredible sight you might ever see.

inanutshellus 3y ago

Dogpiling on this. 100% totality in an empty field is change-your-life cool. Not the roof of a building. Not 99% totality. And don't miss it. Everyone that stayed in town for the 2017 eclipse barely remembers it today. Those of us in a rural area of 100% totality thought it was magic. Pure, real, magic. Go into a field. Bring some friends. Let yourself feel awe. You won't see it again in the USA for twenty years, so... now's the time.

ethbr1 3y ago
Also, bring a jacket or sweater. It's surprising how chilly it suddenly gets when you're suddenly no longer in the warm embrace of our star.
- inanutshellus 3y ago
  Do or ... don't! Perhaps there's value in feeling the world around you change so quickly, even when it's uncomfortable. Allowing that discomfort may help anchor the memory as novel for those newbies you sneakily didn't tell to bring a sweater. ;-)
  - ethbr1 3y ago
    If I make it to the path this year, I'm definitely bringing an instant read thermometer. I'm curious what the actual drop in temp is!
russdill 3y ago
The last one I did on a butte, even more highly recommended, being able to see far out in the distance in every direction during an eclipse is mind blowing. I can't imaging having to experience it through a tiny airplane window.
roughly 3y ago
I am as modern and jaded as the next person, but yes, absolutely - if you can be in the 100% totality, get there. It is incomparably awe-inspiring - it is immediately apparent why this sort of thing was seen as an omen from the gods to be respected. You will feel small.

gavinhoward 3y ago

Absolutely. 100% is the way to go. In fact, I have a relative whose rural house was in the path of totality for 2017, but it was not centered on the path. That relative and I went to her friend's rural house on the centerline. It was by a field too, and yes, the animals went weird. If you're going to do it, go whole hog.

dwighttk 3y ago

My favorite part was dusk/dawn (like) on the entire horizon

itronitron 3y ago

And bring a jacket, because the drop in temperature is remarkable.

adamsilkey 3y ago

Can you describe what that was like?

nlh 3y ago

I will also dogpile on this and add my own experience and enthusiastic agreement - 100% totality in a big open field is absolutely mind-blowing cool. Some friends and I did this for the 2017 eclipse in Nashville. We drove 30 minutes north and happened across a huge group of nerds in a big green park and the moment of totality was absolutely bonkers. It gets true twilight dark, the birds and crickets start going wild, and you see this glowing reddish sunset color perfectly evenly along the base of the horizon. That part was the most fascinating to me, because I realized that comes from the diffraction (diffusion?) of the light from above and all around, and NOT from the “edge of the sun below the horizon” as we all kinda assumed. (Note I am likely very materially wrong about that explanation so I’d love to be properly corrected.) Anyway, regardless, go experience 100% totality on the ground!

incanus77 3y ago

Another vote for 100% if possible. I drove my camper van from Portland to national forest land in eastern Oregon (largely desert and open land) for the 2017 total eclipse. From the cast of the light, to the birds, to the way my dog started getting ready for bed at nine in the morning, to the whoop I heard across the canyon from someone else watching, it was life-changing. Such a special event. Anyone I talk to who stayed in town and got the ~99% treats it like any other day.

SoftTalker 3y ago

I guess I'll be the contrarian, I've seen a total eclipse and it was ... something I guess? I was not overwhelmed. Not something I would make any extraordinary effort or spend a lot of money on to see again. I think a nice sunset over the water is much more enjoyable.

gammarator 3y ago

Be sure to plan for enormous traffic jams after the eclipse ends. Even extremely rural back/side roads will be bumper to bumper.

somat 3y ago
Right, I Have family living in Wyoming so took the opportunity to see the 2017 eclipse there, amazing sight, totally worth it, But those poor Wyoming roads, completely packed for hundreds of miles, gas stations overwhelmed, with them still open having a correspondingly high price. If I did it again I would plan to spend 4 hours after the event just hanging out, rather than join the traffic.

consp 3y ago

Did this in France when I was younger. We were on a hillside and could see the darkness coming in very quickly and everything going silent. Not only bugs, birds also went silent for a moment.