Did anyone watch the eclipse?

[Flumpweesel]

Just curious - I watched one once a very long time ago and silence that accompanied it was quite spooky. The birds all stopped singing it was the strangest hush. 

Obviously it wasn't visible for me this time not that we see the sun very often in this soggy corner of the UK. 

Edited April 9 by Flumpweesel
missed a word

[Tony s]

Yes, saw in it Muncie, indiana. Just about perfect. Little bit of high clouds. About 31/2 minutes of total without glasses. The geese went to sleep. You could still see fine, dark with purplish surroundings. Very cool. First one ever, in 57 years 

honestly have little words that can describe it. It kind of condenses the cosmos down into where it appears very small and connected. With the moon just hanging there like a purple ball. Understand how that could be addictive. Highly recommend it at least once 

Edited April 9 by Tony s

[MickS77]

I witnessed totality in Cleveland OH. It is truly an incredible experience. The darkness and cold air of totality, the 360° sunset, amazing. The ring of fire during totality is incredible. I stared every second I could without glasses, over 4 minutes. I was able to get some pictures with a small Telescope and solar filter. If you're ever close to one it is absolutely worth the trip 

 

[Flumpweesel]

Great pictures, I think it is true goose bumps of an experience. 

[jwcarlson]

We got about 85% of totality.  I'm sure 100% is cooler.  It's interesting, but a bit overblown.  Nice to see people looking at something other than their phones, however.  But a bit depressing the number of people who spent like half an hour trying to get pictures of the thing through their glasses.  Reminds me of people recording an artist at a concert with their phone.  The quality of both the video and the audio make it a complete waste of time.  Also a little sad to have co-workers in awe that decreased solar output causes the air to cool and all I could think to say to their exclamations was "This happens every night." 😄

I was close to bringing my telescope to work, but I couldn't remember if I owned a solar filter.  And I also thought it wouldn't be great is someone looked through it and received eye damage, so I left it home.  😄  It was decent to look at though the eclipse glasses, though.  

[Flumpweesel]

On 4/9/2024 at 3:23 PM, jwcarlson said:

Also a little sad to have co-workers in awe that decreased solar output causes the air to cool and all I could think to say to their exclamations was "This happens every night." 😄

😂 never underestimate the ignorance others 

[Tony s]

On 4/9/2024 at 10:23 AM, jwcarlson said:

We got about 85% of totality.  I'm sure 100% is cooler

Surprisingly, it’s not comparable at all, up to 98 % coverage you have to use glasses. You really can’t look at it at all. Then all of a sudden, you can. Lasts about 3-4 minutes and just th peek of sunshine and you really can’t again. Just a tiny amount and it’s done, back to glasses. It’s completely surreal. Amazing how much energy comes from just a speck of the sun. 
 

of coarse I cheat. For me totality was on a 2 hour drive to almost the center. But ugh, getting back home. I think that it’s a must do, at least once. The next one is 20 years from now in north and South Dakota. In the US anyway 

And the number one thing Googled after. Why do my eyes hurt

Edited April 9 by Tony s

[lefty o]

nothing but clouds yesterday, but i did see the one in 1977! back then we had a sheet of paper with a pencil hole to look through.

[Flumpweesel]

 

On 4/9/2024 at 3:47 PM, lefty o said:

nothing but clouds yesterday, but i did see the one in 1977! back then we had a sheet of paper with a pencil hole to look through.

 Mine was in 1999. nearly every talk show and newspaper had instructions on how to make viewers from cereal boxes. 

[jwcarlson]

On 4/9/2024 at 9:42 AM, Tony s said:

Surprisingly, it’s not comparable at all, up to 98 % coverage you have to use glasses. You really can’t look at it at all. Then all of a sudden, you can. Lasts about 3-4 minutes and just th peek of sunshine and you really can’t again. Just a tiny amount and it’s done, back to glasses. It’s completely surreal. Amazing how much energy comes from just a speck of the sun. 
 

of coarse I cheat. For me totality was on a 2 hour drive to almost the center. But ugh, getting back home. I think that it’s a must do, at least once. The next one is 20 years from now in north and South Dakota. In the US anyway 

And the number one thing Googled after. Why do my eyes hurt

Can you really look at it without glasses if your eyes hurt afterwards?!  😄  I can't even walk from my car into a store without sunglasses on during a rainstorm or I get a headache.  No way I'd stare right at the sun even if eclipsed.  

Edited April 9 by jwcarlson

[Tony s]

On 4/9/2024 at 10:57 AM, jwcarlson said:

Can you really look at it without glasses if your eyes hurt afterwards?! 

That was the google total responses after, we were good. No aches or pains or headaches. Even when you accidentally did look at the wrong time. It just gave you some red spots like normal.  I find it funny that it was googles top search afterwards. Since the glasses were very cheap. 

[Tanked]

Every network had a live NASA feed, so I watched on the television!   It was just like watching a fireworks show on television!  

Down here in the corner of the state celestial events are usually blotted out by clouds so I did not plan ahead.  Not to worry!  Todays morning paper ran a whole section about the eclipse and where I could see it next Monday.

It was fun watching the neighbor's security lights and automatic headlights on the cars come on.

 

[Katherine]

We had about 80-85% here depending on which news source you asked. My 7yo thought it was amazing. My 9yo thought it was super boring. I thought it was interesting, but no where near as cool as totality would be. 

[macdaddy36]

We had 98.7% totality here in SE michigan. It was kind of cool but I honestly expected it to be a lot darker. I had friends who went to the Ohio border where there was basically 100% totality and they said it was pretty cool. Got really dark and crickets came out and stuff.

[Tanked]

On Tuesday my local paper ran a story on where I could see the eclipse next Monday.  This time I'm going to be ready!

[Odd Duck]

I need to get pictures off my quite old camera (phone pics aren’t that exciting).  Will post up once done if they’re any good. It’s not a fancy camera so don’t expect too much!

It was very different at totality than even seconds before or seconds after. There was barely any difference than what would happen with light cloud cover immediately before and after.

I did have intermittent light to moderate cloud cover throughout partial and some light but very transient cover during totality.

Here’s my best shots of totality along with a shot with a crescent shaped sun dog during partial.  My phone couldn’t even show a partial since it was so bright it overwhelmed the light sensor and camera.

 

My only good partials with the camera were with light cloud cover to help the camera light sensor to cope. 

Edited April 12 by Odd Duck