Total solar eclipse of 21st August 2017

[Weather-history]

For the first time in 38 years on the 21st August 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible from the continental USA. This eclipse is from the same Saros group that produced the last total solar eclipse visible from the UK on the 11th August 1999. It will probably be the most viewed total solar eclipse in history.

 

From the UK and Ireland, a tiny eclipse will be seen (weather providing) close to sunset.

Aberdeen

 

Belfast

 

Cork

 

Dublin

 

London

Manchester

 

Penzance

 

[Crepuscular Ray]

Given that solar activity is minimal, the corona should be absolutely stunning for those lucky enough to see totality.

[Nick L]

Finalised our road trip last night. Will be staying in Lexington, Nebraska the night before, with a trip across the Rockies and Yellowstone beforehand. Cannot wait

[frogesque]

5 hours ago, Nick L said:

Finalised our road trip last night. Will be staying in Lexington, Nebraska the night before, with a trip across the Rockies and Yellowstone beforehand. Cannot wait

Good luck and clear skies!

Was fortunate enough to see the eclipse from Side, Turkey (March 29th. 2006). Unforgettable experience.

[Mokidugway]

I've had to cancel my trip owing to my daughters imminent dispatch of  third grandchild on or around that date ,eclipse would be nice ( I've seen two ) but new grandchild is a thousand times better .

[Nick L]

24 minutes ago, frogesque said:

Good luck and clear skies!

Was fortunate enough to see the eclipse from Side, Turkey (March 29th. 2006). Unforgettable experience.

Fully expecting an annoying storm outbreak now!

[mike57]

On 30/06/2017 at 15:07, Nick L said:

Finalised our road trip last night. Will be staying in Lexington, Nebraska the night before, with a trip across the Rockies and Yellowstone beforehand. Cannot wait

I saw the 1999 eclipse from Amiens in France, definitely a memorable experience. How much leeway do you have on the day to chase the best weather? Is this your first total eclipse.

[Nick L]

25 minutes ago, mike57 said:

I saw the 1999 eclipse from Amiens in France, definitely a memorable experience. How much leeway do you have on the day to chase the best weather? Is this your first total eclipse.

I was down in Cornwall for 1999 when I was 7! Was completely overcast though.

I'm hoping we're under a baking hot and clear high pressure but we're on an E-W interstate so can quickly bomb along the eclipse path if we need to chase blue skies. 

[Methuselah]

10 minutes ago, Nick L said:

I was down in Cornwall for 1999 when I was 7! Was completely overcast though.

I'm hoping we're under a baking hot and clear high pressure but we're on an E-W interstate so can quickly bomb along the eclipse path if we need to chase blue skies. 

I was in the Scottish Kingdom of Fife, Nick...Even up there, the birds stopped singing, the sky noticeably darkened and the temperature dropped noticeably. It was eerie. Frogesque?

[Nick L]

3 minutes ago, Ed Stone said:

I was in the Scottish Kingdom of Fife, Nick...Even up there, the birds stopped singing, the sky noticeably darkened and the temperature dropped noticeably. It was eerie. Frogesque?

I remember it turning as dark as night. My dad thought he recorded it on his camcorder...until he realised he left the lens cap on when it was over 

[Methuselah]

7 minutes ago, Nick L said:

I remember it turning as dark as night. My dad thought he recorded it on his camcorder...until he realised he left the lens cap on when it was over 

There's something special, when parents take their offspring out on 'discovery trips'...I once took my then 4-year-old daughter on a trip around the Glenurquhart Circuit, so that she could see the snow. When we got home she asked me: Why didn't I see the lizard! 

[mike57]

53 minutes ago, Nick L said:

I was down in Cornwall for 1999 when I was 7! Was completely overcast though.

I'm hoping we're under a baking hot and clear high pressure but we're on an E-W interstate so can quickly bomb along the eclipse path if we need to chase blue skies. 

I made up my mind I wanted to see the eclipse, and had a choice of northern France or Cornwall. From Yorkshire theres not a lot of difference in the traveling, and I decided France had a few more options. Traveled to Lille by Eurostar, and intended to get train onwards from there into the zone of totallity the following morning, trouble was so did everyone else. Ended up in a shared minibus with 10 other Brits to Amiens, got a good view from the car park of Maccy D's. Sky was clear, trip was a success. I made the right choice. Thinking about the total eclipse over Spain in 2026, reckon I might plan a trip to see it.

Until you have seen a total eclipse you wonder what the fuss is about, but definitely one of natures wonders, Would love to see another one.

[Stargazer]

We've booked our flights and we hope to be there on 21 August with clear skies! Still deciding exactly where to base ourselves, but Idaho Falls looks most likely at present (we're flying into Las Vegas a week before - Vegas is 2 days' drive south of the centre line but flights there are much cheaper than anywhere else, perhaps because it's improbably hot in August).

Was in Plymouth for the eclipse in 1999 (overcast) but have seen 3 total eclipses since - in Zimbabwe (2001), Australia (2002) and Turkey (2006). We were clouded out in Shanghai in 2009. Fingers crossed for 2017!

[Nick L]

6 minutes ago, Stargazer said:

We've booked our flights and we hope to be there on 21 August with clear skies! Still deciding exactly where to base ourselves, but Idaho Falls looks most likely at present (we're flying into Las Vegas a week before - Vegas is 2 days' drive south of the centre line but flights there are much cheaper than anywhere else, perhaps because it's improbably hot in August).

Was in Plymouth for the eclipse in 1999 (overcast) but have seen 3 total eclipses since - in Zimbabwe (2001), Australia (2002) and Turkey (2006). We were clouded out in Shanghai in 2009. Fingers crossed for 2017!

We're flying into Houston haha! Got a direct with BA for £570, not bad at all. 

[Mokidugway]

Irony is I flew into the uk for Cornwall eclipse which I watched from coverack Cornwall partly cloudy from there so not to bad a view .

 

[ciel]

I remember, just, at school, the partial eclipse of 1959. We were ushered outside equipped with a cardboard rectangle with two eye-hole filters and stern warnings not to look directly at the sun. Tbh, I think I was a wee bit disappointed at the time, but the experience made me curious.

[Paul Sherman]

Also going to view my first total solar eclipse and will be heading for the Nebraska Panhandle for the 21st.

Good luck to all!

[Mokidugway]

16 minutes ago, Paul Sherman said:

Also going to view my first total solar eclipse and will be heading for the Nebraska Panhandle for the 21st.

Good luck to all!

Magic ,have fun lived there for 8 years in Lancaster  

[Nick L]

17 hours ago, Paul Sherman said:

Also going to view my first total solar eclipse and will be heading for the Nebraska Panhandle for the 21st.

Good luck to all!

Blue sky chasing! Reminds me of Tour 3...

[Stargazer]

20 hours ago, Nick L said:

We're flying into Houston haha! Got a direct with BA for £570, not bad at all. 

That looks pretty good. We're on a more complicated itinerary as my wife has family in Boston so we're going there for the weekend on the way back. Direct Stansted-Vegas, overnight direct Vegas-Boston then overnight direct Boston-Gatwick, works out about £740 overall. We get 6 days to travel up to the eclipse line (hoping to head east from Las Vegas initially and take in the Grand Canyon) then 3 days to get back to Vegas and 3 days in Boston. Vegas to the nearest point on the centre line (near Idaho Falls) is about 650 miles or a 2 day drive.

Fingers crossed for clear skies for us all!

[Dorsetbred]

Watched the '99 eclipse from the back garden completely cloud covered, hoping this view might be a tad better...although Mother nature can be fickle when she wants to be...

[Nick L]

5 hours ago, Stargazer said:

That looks pretty good. We're on a more complicated itinerary as my wife has family in Boston so we're going there for the weekend on the way back. Direct Stansted-Vegas, overnight direct Vegas-Boston then overnight direct Boston-Gatwick, works out about £740 overall. We get 6 days to travel up to the eclipse line (hoping to head east from Las Vegas initially and take in the Grand Canyon) then 3 days to get back to Vegas and 3 days in Boston. Vegas to the nearest point on the centre line (near Idaho Falls) is about 650 miles or a 2 day drive.

Fingers crossed for clear skies for us all!

That's not a bad price at all! 

We'll be travelling through Idaho Falls ourselves on the way through to Yellowstone. 650 miles should be a fairly leisurely drive over 2 days, we'll be doing 4000 miles over the course of 12 days or so 

[Stargazer]

Yes, our itinerary looks a bit more sedate! We haven't finalised it yet, but most likely heading to the eastern edge of the Grand Canyon first (that's supposed to be the much quieter end and the views are still great) then taking a more easterly route north and the more direct westerly route back south again via Route 15 after the eclipse. If we stay near Idaho Falls it gives us plenty of chance to move about on the event of marginal weather, although not quite as many options as Wyoming or Nebraska.

[AderynCoch]

I'm chancing it in Carbondale, IL near the point of longest totality. You've a better chance of hearing a good NIcki Minaj song than finding accommodation there so I'm getting the overnight train from New Orleans and arriving in Carbondale about 3am. The eclipse is about 1pm local time then I'm leaving for Chicago late afternoon.

I'm hoping it's going to be third time lucky for me as the previous two solar eclipses I went to see were both busts: in Shanghai (2009) it was sunny for nine days before the eclipse only to bucket it down on the day itself, whilst in Cairns (2012) the weather was generally fine but the sun was rather low in the sky and got obscured by clouds bubbling up over the mountains.

You've the best chance of clear conditions out west in Idado and inland Oregon but the high angle of the sun at solar noon in Carbondale should help.

Most places along the path of totality have at least decent chances. Fingers crossed we're all lucky.

 

[mike57]

Just found this interactive map, might prove useful http://www.eclipse2017.org/xavier_redirect.htm