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CNe7532294

Solar Eclipse 2017

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Posted  Edited by CNe7532294 - Edit Reason: Pic related

So after years of planning and waiting it has come and gone. For a brief moment I felt we had a good pause from deaths, personal attacks, and general idiiocy. Basically what the news tends to promote on a daily basis. I specifically took today off just for this (actually 2 weeks worth but traded most of it earlier this year). Wasn't too bad. I only had a partial but it was worth it. It reminds me of bigger forces at play and gets me thinking about life and the universe in general. Paraphrasing Carl Sagan, "all of man's history, their creations and destructions, all of it, happened on that tiny pale blue dot" in response to a photograph taken outside of pluto's orbit. I would of posted a thread like this sooner but got slammed and caught up between work and fixing electronics. Feel free to discuss your eclipse experience here. People outside of the US can talk about past eclipses/post pics. My own pics will be posted as soon as I get my phone charged.

 

From this point onward, my cool story bro.

 

Now for my own story. I had planned this 3 years ago kinda half willingly. I knew that the best places where people would gather were either Oregon (b/c Cali and West Coast,) South Carolina (b/c East Coast), Carbondale, IL (b/c its the closest thing to a town that could handle a large influx of "city people" plus it has a university there and chicago is in the same state. However my own personal plans took me to a flight to St. Louis first then a rental towards either Carbondale or better (cause not advertised att) Marion, IL to stay. Giant City state park was my ultimate location to view but I still didn't know where in that park to view. I kept searching till last year I hit a place using NASA's interactive solar eclipse map (temporarily not available due to moving all web traffic to a better server). On that line there was a place called Blue Sky Vineyard and right next to it was a point called "Greatest Duration" (meaning longest time). I was also looking at another point called "Greatest Eclipse" but realized that that spot was nowheresville (NW outside of Hopkinsville, KY). GE's spot would have taken me to a privately owned farm where I could see the owner jacking up the price for parking alone (and he did). Same thing with GD. Blue Sky had an auction or a buy it now of $2 to 3 grand for 2 "suites" for only 2 people. There was also a place where I could stay at a log cabin but at $600 per night of this past weekend (screw that). This is how a came up with stay at Marion $59 - 169 at a Marriot or Hilton then just drive to Blue Sky Vineyard rather than stay there. Maybe pick up a bottle of their special ed. wine. So a came up with a place to stay. As for parking, Blue Sky offered that for free then charged for other spots. RV owners beware though. $100 to park and you couldn't leave garbage/waste or take water. In any case I had prime locations set and ready by July 2016 but couldn't reach an agreement with the family over who wants to come or do what. December comes and still no answer. New Years came and the prices for airfare and lodging bumps up..... Sites geared towards weather and science start talking about it. Media makes mention of it. Around Febuary 2017 it was "settled" but half willingly as well. Then May comes. One of the labs I worked suddenly had a shake up. Last year in Oct there was a noticable fluctuation in volume. We were nervous but not concerned. As time grew this volume got lower at a gradual rate. Long story story short, May came and with it came the force of layoffs. Our department got hit. Our supervisor resigned and our assistants got laidoff. With a reduction and new change came a work load and a sort of unsaid but known threat of layoff if we did not live up to expectations. With this and a done deal to get materials needed for a personal restoration project costing me personally $13,000, well I got fucked. I still had a backup and plan B (working part time elsewhere and a nice saving) but now my have willingness turn to I dunno if I could. Kinda disillusioned while having my own people with second thoughts about traveling to the middle of nowhere, I just stopped thinking about my prime spot and settled for somewhere in Carolina. While just searching for what to do I found out that an elmer is pretty much on his last legs with his wife (in their 70s). The guy survived cancer (how we kinda met) but now age and the drugs given seemed to have taken their toll. He won't last long the wife too also seems to be going that ways as well. At the same time I kinda strike up a convo with someone I knew from restoration. He's a weather nut and physics expert. Personally owns a bunch of radio equipment. One day while trying to make a case to the people I was going with my mother suggested why not stay here. NASA is here. At first I kinda brushed it off as I was planning my own experiments but looking it over and added 2+2, I'm young and the others I know are relatively young, I'm only 28 oldest is 62, I know a guy who probably won't last till 2024 and another who is very serious on this. I said ok JSC for me and my group. My 3 friends can have the tipoff to go to my prime location. So I gave up my prime spot and settled for the day in NASA. I further resolved this decision when I figured I'll still be in Texas 2024 and the location will be Dallas so why not. Familiar location. No trying to make a case for travel between various people. Make others happy. Am I a sucker? Maybe but this was in a sense a dress rehearsal for me. Also I believed I gained some "data" just by being in partial vs. others fixated with totality. Finally today arrives and now, I've convinced everyone in my group for 2024. Everyone was thoroughly impressed even if it was a partial. I have good feelings about 2024. I now know what to expect.

 

PS: I forgot the story of my glasses, in all my planning, I forgot the #1 most important one. The fucking glasses. I realized this about 1 1/2 week ago. I frantically looked for welders goggles for the correct filter. Even though I have goggles, I have no filter... :lenny: So I made a gamble. Go to NASA early. Like 1 hour before opening time. There was already a line. I got in and 30 mins later a second line starts forming with late arrivals in that line. I go "oh fuck" in my head. Luckly more people complained and security was "slowed down" but still had a flow for that line. Got in heard the rumors of where the glasses where and was told only 200 available. Turns out the rumors were true. Unbelievable but paid off. On that note, wtf does my taxes and my 29.95 admission go? Same case with other people. Why only 200 glasses that at most cost $9.95? WTF NASA...... Well the backup was a library but still WTF. Because of this lots of people felt left out. Someone was even willing to pay my admission just to get the glasses. I said come with me. I know a spot we'll share. She was thankful.

 

PSS: Posting pics later also this article was rushed so grammar nazis be welcomed or prepare the bleach. :lenny:

 

PSSS: I dunno if this is a general or news thread. Feel free to move it whereever fitting.

SSD NOAA Solar Eclipse 08212017.png

Edited by CNe7532294
Pic related

We all start out as idealists only to slowly but surely become realists one day, the likes of which we'd never imagine we would become. Meanwhile we stare back at new idealists and see a reflection of what we once were.

 

Facing reality to get through life.

 

:cockatiel: I drink birds alive and whole while petting them :cockatiel:

 

devolver_future_future_gif_by_digi_matri

 

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Posted  Edited by CNe7532294 - Edit Reason: To add to this
22 minutes ago, Tahytn said:

just came to say TLDR, why is everyone acting like this is a once in a life time event, did i miss something ? :lenny:

 

Some people are in their 60s and up. Some have done drugs. Some are just paranoid. Thinking a bus will hit them the next day. In my case I got fixated on it since I like space. Dallas 2024 and Florida 2045. Argentina 2019 or 2020? if you have money. Plenty of chances. NASA was fixated on this because this occurred over US airspace. No permissions/red tape from other gov'ts required.

 

To add to this, this was part of the argument from others in my group when going to strange new places. Events like this could bring out the crazies is what they meant. I've handled crazy before so idc.

Edited by CNe7532294
To add to this

We all start out as idealists only to slowly but surely become realists one day, the likes of which we'd never imagine we would become. Meanwhile we stare back at new idealists and see a reflection of what we once were.

 

Facing reality to get through life.

 

:cockatiel: I drink birds alive and whole while petting them :cockatiel:

 

devolver_future_future_gif_by_digi_matri

 

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I live in Wisconsin, so sadly I was just out of range for the total eclipse. I was practicing with my marching band with the eclipse over-head. Everyone was distracted and wasn't focusing on the marching.


Still reminiscing on the good ol' days of Gmod Purge

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I happened to luck out and not have class during the eclipse. The astronomy prof managed to get two Solaris Sunspotters out and project them onto a screen for our pleasure. Our library also was giving out Sun Chips, Moon Pies and Starbursts.


76561198054962129.png

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9 hours ago, Astro said:

my cereal box tin foil machine didn't work

 

 

 

 

 

 

also, anyone know why everything is dark and my eyes are burning? Seems weird.

Lmao

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