Sunday, August 21, 2016

1 year to go!!!!



1 year from today, the shadow of the Moon will slam into the Earth at sunrise at a point in the north central Pacific Ocean. 27 minutes later, it will touch the landscape of the United States for the first time in over 38 years. It will take 94 minutes to cross our country. The shadow will swiftly sweep out into the Atlantic, and 195 minutes after it first laid a kiss on the cheek of our planet, after traveling over 8500 miles, it will lift off into space.1
The countdown continues. Years. Months. Weeks. Days. Hours. Minutes.
But the time that it takes for people who have never experienced a total solar eclipse to realize how incredible the experience really is may be much shorter than that.
Consider this quote from an eclipse observer in 1842:
"No degree of partial eclipse up to the last moment of the sun's appearance gave the least idea of a total eclipse." 2
and this other quote from an eclipse in 1998:
“The sun was a thinning crescent. Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury appeared. Shadow bands strobed over the earth– it looked as if I were looking at the planet through the blades of a rotating fan. I looked at the sun through a mylar filter and watched it narrow, narrow, and then it was gone. Around me there was a collective gasp, but the filter was black……. So I dropped the filter, and gaped up at the sun, and I thought to myself, “Oh my Gawwwwwwwd.” In the first fifth of a second I understood why people traveled thousands of miles to see these things. ……. It was the most awesome thing I’d ever seen in Nature.3

Millions of people along the narrow path of totality will be truly be awestruck as they experience the true wonder of a total eclipse of the Sun on August 21, 2017.

Will you be one of them?

Sources:
2. George Airy, remarking on a total eclipse in 1842. (Quote appears in the book “Totality, Eclipses of the Sun” by Mark Littman, Ken Willcox, and Fred Espenak (not sure of original source.))
3. http://www.walterjonwilliams.net/totality-in-curacao.html

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Please get the word out!

We're almost at the T- 1 year point for this eclipse! The excitement is building!

So I am hoping for a big favor from all of you. I am hoping that you will spread the word about this eclipse. Of course, I am still hoping that you will consider going to see this eclipse as well!

Who should you mention this eclipse to? Well, really, anyone you know! Certainly a Facebook post or a group text is a good idea to maximize the number of people reached. If you do that- great. I would ask that- in addition to sharing the address of this blog- that you attach a message. I would encourage you to include in the message to them that a total solar eclipse is one of the most incredible events that people can experience, that it's an opportunity to take a great vacation, and that the blog is intended to inspire anyone to get to the path of totality! 

However, I am really hoping that you will send a private message to a certain group of people in each of your lives- to make SURE that they get your message. Facebook posts are good- but not everyone may see them. I know that you're not likely to send private messages to everyone you know (lack of time, etc.)

But I am hoping that you WILL send a private message to anyone that you know that has some connection to the path of totality or someplace close to it (currently lives there, has lived there in the past, has family or friends still there, etc.)- no matter what their current life situation. Even if you think that they may lack the interest, have lives that are too busy, etc.- this is the group that I'm most hoping will receive word of this. In my opinion, anyone in reasonable health that lives within 3 hours or so of the totality path is really missing out on a spectacular opportunity. All they would have to do is take a short drive- and they could be back home after the eclipse to go to bed at a reasonable hour to go to work or school the next day. (And, yes, tell them it's worth missing work and pulling their kids out of school for a day!) Well, really, anyone who does not go to see it is missing out- but that is especially true for those that already live within the path or very close to it. 

I'm quite certain that all of you know some people that have a connection (direct or indirect) to the path of totality or someplace close to it- please get the word out to them! Make sure that you mention to them that they just have to drive a short distance to see a truly AWESOME natural event!

This eclipse will become VERY big in the media- especially for those who live in or near the totality path. It is likely that they will find out about it anyway. However, will the media really let people know how spectacular the eclipse really is? Will it be enough to convince them to go see it? I'm a bit concerned that someone who lives in the totality path will just simply decide not to watch it (lack of interest, etc.) and that someone living not too far outside will either not watch it, or stay at home- because they think that the 97 or 98% that they'll get is "good enough". This is a chance to share this blog with people you know (especially those that have a connection to the shadow path or someplace close to it) that it is an event that it is ABSOLUTELY worth getting to the path of the total eclipse and experiencing!
Anyone else that you spread the word about the eclipse to (people not living in or near the eclipse path) will- of course- be greatly appreciated!

If you are thinking about going to this eclipse yourself, and have some regions in mind, then you can invite people to join you. But make sure that you point out the entire path of totality to them (see it in the first post back in February) so that they can decide where to go. See the post titled "Choosing a region to visit for the eclipse".

Of course, you are encouraged to share my eclipse email ( eclipseaugust2017@gmail.com ) with everyone!

Remember- places are already filling up, and there may be a surge in reservations after August 21 of this year because many places won't allow for reservations until 1 year in advance
  
 I sure hope that we can get some people to go see this incredible event!

Thanks for your help on this important post.