Seeing the eclipse is Free. Getting there, not so much.

April 8, 2024 5:43 AM

North America is just hours away from its second major total solar eclipse in seven years, with the path of totality tracing a long arc from Mexico and Texas northeast through Ohio, New England, and Canada. Eager eclipse watchers have snapped up hotels and rentals and embarked on epic road trips, scrutinizing cloud forecasting models and taking an anti-stormchaser attitude to avoid a late-breaking spate of bad weather. How many MeFites are among the madding crowd? Where are you based, and what's your plan for seeing the spectacle? Have you witnessed any eclipses in the past, or do you have plans to see more in the future? What are your tips and fun facts for making the most of the experience? You're welcome too discuss these topics and more in your Monday Free Thread!
posted by Rhaomi (253 comments total)

Myself, I drove eight hours yesterday to an AirBnb outside Dallas to meet my mom and my brother and his girlfriend (who flew in from LA). The latest models are still a question mark but we're maxing our chances by going north of I-20 later this morning (traffic permitting). Hoping for an experience as flawless as the 2017 eclipse, but it's been a lovely time either way, though I am dreading the long drive back through heavy weather.
posted by Rhaomi at 5:43 AM on April 8

We drove to the totality for the 2017 eclipse, which was awesome. Almost did it again today, but didn’t plan as well and it seems like this one is going to be more crowded.

We’re getting a 93% eclipse at home with crystal clear skies today, so despite the recent XKCD, I’m still excited for how that will appear.
posted by Huggiesbear at 5:53 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Overcast expected in Toronto, 99% totality. Some friends are going to Hamilton, Niagara or Kingston to hope for the best and a 100% experience, but I'm just going to hang out on my south-facing balcony and take what I can get.
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:55 AM on April 8 [4 favorites]

I live in northern Rhode Island, so I plan to just go outside wearing my now-vintage "2017solar.com" Eclipse Shades -- courtesy of Robert Stinnett, in honor of his parents -- and see whether the clouds have held off.

Assuming that social media will be an endless series of eclipse pictures today, I am seriously considering dumping my New Years vacation photos around 2PM: the engagement should be pretty high, because they will really stand out.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:55 AM on April 8 [5 favorites]

My family’s place in Ohio is smack in the center of the path of totality, and we’ve been here all weekend. We’ll probably drive about 10 miles south if the current cloud cover forecast proves true, but we’ll stick to the backroads if so.

The challenge I have between now and then is convincing my mom that looking through (certified) eclipse glasses is safe.
posted by minervous at 5:56 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

The passionate descriptions of the eclipse posted to the company discord by co-workers who happen to be in the path of totality are all I need to share in the joy and ethereal wonder of the event.

But seriously. I'm comfortable not seeing it. It's sad to think of everyone who was with me during the last eclipse seven years ago who aren't here now, and once-in-a-lifetime cosmic events like this always make me feel a little depressed....

I'll still go outside with my eclipse glasses and look at the 90+% coverage.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 5:56 AM on April 8 [8 favorites]

I'm in Austin. We're blessed with the finest, most considerate drivers ...

OK, I'm lying. We're idiots at the best of times. Expecting chaos, pure snd simple. Think pure Revelations, but without the mushrooms. Conservative Christians gearing up to fight the Devil personally (or any available woke person) ...

OK, that last one happens every day, but they're expecting the Woke be wandering the streets, like zombies, muttering "Sin! Sin!" as they go.

I'll be in dialysis.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 5:57 AM on April 8 [8 favorites]

I'm excited to see 94% coverage from work with perfectly clear skies today! I'm still using my 2012 Transit of Venus glasses. :)
posted by obfuscation at 5:58 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I’m thinking of throwing together a pinhole viewer and going out to the sidewalk to see what I can get for the fun of it. I’m more worried about the sun looking at me than the reverse; you don’t want it to notice you!
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:02 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

We trundled up from Somerville MA yesterday to Magog QC, have a little airbnb on the lake. Skies are clear and the weather is fine. We'll be the ones with green and red shirts on the beach.
posted by condesita at 6:07 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

We drove to Cleveland yesterday. We'll see how the weather goes.

Envious of friends in southern Illinois who have the path of totality going right over their house.

One final note: the new Wondermark is delightful.
posted by May Kasahara at 6:08 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I did the 2017 totality in southern Illinois, and it was amazing. But I passed on the 2024 experience because early April cloud weather is chancy enough that one could put in a lot of effort to travel, just to make a roll of the dice with pretty poor odds.

I hope it works out for as many people as possible! Especially those who didn’t see it last time.
posted by notoriety public at 6:08 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Same here seanmpuckett, it's cloudy on my rooftop deck, but at least a month ago I proactively got my manager to reschedule a meeting at peak totality! Ah well...
posted by avocet at 6:11 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I'm headed to my back yard, which is supposed to get 2-3 minutes of totality.
The weather report is sunny all day except partly cloudy during the crucial hour.
posted by MtDewd at 6:12 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

My wife, sister, two sisters in law, and daughter all flew into Toronto on Saturday, and are going to be watching in Buffalo. They'd planned this over a year ago, and will be spending the next few hours in a park for the event. At first, they were thinking Texas, but Texas. And at the time, it wasn't really more expensive. They'll be in the region until Thursday doing Niagara falls, Toronto, etc.
posted by 2N2222 at 6:14 AM on April 8

I'm still using my 2012 Transit of Venus glasses. :)

my eclipse glasses say to not use after 3 years. is that just litigation averse CYA disclaimer language or do they actually expire?
posted by dis_integration at 6:18 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

It's been gray and wet here for days and days, so now the one day this week it's supposed to be sunny, you're telling me the fucking MOON is going to make it dark? That's some bullshit right there, lemmetellya.
posted by briank at 6:18 AM on April 8 [10 favorites]

The local Jewel grocery store had tons of eclipse glasses on Saturday, apparently, but none by yesterday when I finally drove over. Dangit. Trying a few places by phone before I head into work late, not looking good. Should be sunny in northern IL. May try a couple libraries when they open.
posted by Glinn at 6:20 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I’m in Toronto and will be stepping over to the park across the street, if the clouds clear. Schools moved a PA day set for later this year to today to avoid kids walking home (a thing that is still done here) during the retina-burning phase.

My 18yo is taking the GO Train with some friends to West Harbour station (Hamilton) which hopefully puts them just inside totality. But I think the adventure is more the point.

Yes, everyone has certified eclipse glasses.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:22 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Cloud cover-wise, it's looking like a bit of a coin flip for Toronto. If you live here don't bother calling any of the libraries, we are long since out of eclipse glasses.
posted by The Card Cheat at 6:23 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Madison, 89% totality here but we're expecting some clouds. I'm staying put and feeding my eclipse-hunting neighbor's cat.
posted by humbug at 6:24 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

drove in my Tesla with free supercharging the 1600 miles to Dallas last week, saving $150 or so in charging costs / $200 in gas if I took an ICE rental. Picked Dallas since I'd been following Free Play arcade's YouTube videos in the past and wanted to see their locations...

currently parked just west of downtown Dallas with a view of the skyline; beautiful sunrise but what we call a marine layer in California apparently just blew in and is bringing a storm from the gulf due to arrive around 1pm apparently.

There'll be eclipses in Egypt and Japan next that I might be able to get to so I'll just settle for the totality even if I don't get a clear view of the corona with my (filtered) binoculars.
posted by torokunai at 6:28 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

In 2017 I drove my three kids from Austin to Nashville for totality at the Adventure Science Center. (We lived there when they were little so there was a lot of nostalgia in the trip.) 5 minutes before totality a cloud popped up directly overhead.

The only.
Cloud.
Over Nashville.

So I missed the corona and etc.

"That's okay. In 2024 it'll be right overhead! We can plan for that one."

Clouds. Clouds everywhere. So I booked business travel to Miami; I'm on a plane right now.

I turned 50 last year; a clear sky total eclipse has been a bucket list item of mine since before I even knew what a bucket list was, but I feel like maybe the universe is telling me "nah, bro." I'm a little bit sad about that.
posted by ZakDaddy at 6:29 AM on April 8 [10 favorites]

Fargo ND, we're supposed to get 65% or so -- but it's thick overcast clouds and rainy today, so sad. For the 2017 eclipse I went into a usually-unoccupied office which has a big window, with a bunch of trees outside -- one whole wall is just covered with eclipse images due to the pinhole camera effect of the trees. In 2012 I watched it through a welding helmet.

Almost-no-film-student-update: Last week was a "work week" for our final project, but I did my filming on the previous Saturday so it was essentially a week off for me. I did find out that I missed turning in an assignment: I had actually done the work, I just didn't realize we weren't going to review it in class. I have had good reason to distrust the online learning portal in the past, due to wrong dates and incomplete information, but I really shouldn't dismiss it altogether and ask a professor if I'm unsure of what's going on. This week is "portfolio week", where all the various artistically-inclined departments make the juniors and seniors present and defend the work they've done this year, so us underclassmen get a week off. This is sort of a mystery to me, because I really have no idea what year I am in school, I think technically I'm a junior next year but nobody has really explained to me how this works.
posted by AzraelBrown at 6:33 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

In metro Buffalo and I've always expected it to be cloudy because it's April in Buffalo when it's pretty normal to rain every day for two or three weeks. Looks like it will in fact be cloudy, though we might have patchy clouds instead of solid overcast by 3 so eh.

I'm good. Literally-literally the only thing that would have pissed me off is if I were somewhere else and it was nice here. A one in three chance at a photo of our house with totality behind it? I will roll them fuckin' dice every time.

My hope now is that the overcast might help me see the umbra rushing towards me at ~2300mph.

Assuming I'm around for it, I'll make a desert trip for the 2045 show.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 6:39 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Drove several hours to Sandusky, OH and we're going to set up at a state park.

I went to Southwest Kentucky for the 2017 eclipse and it was amazing. Clouds are threatening this one but they may clear up or we may make a mad dash for Northwest Ohio an hour away.

I also saw the 1994 annular eclipse, so this is number 3 for me. I have been very fortunate.
posted by adoarns at 6:44 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I was in Bryson City NC for the 2017, and this year I could have gone to family in NE OH, but well April and that area is bad for weather.
So I'll be on my deck to see 83% or so of it.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:47 AM on April 8

Beautiful morning in Indianapolis so far, hopefully we can hang onto this weather for the duration. Road tripped down from Chicago yesterday with my Portland eclipse buddy who flew in for the occasion. We drove down to central Oregon in 2017 for the last eclipse and that was a treat, hoping this one is as good. Brought some chairs and had planned to camp out at a park across the street but as it happens our hotel room has a west-facing balcony with pretty good visibility so we might just do this one bougie style. Here's hoping for clear skies (or as clear as possible) for everyone.
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 6:48 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

In northern VT we've long been saying "pffft, April 8? enjoy your slightly darker grey skies" but it is as brilliantly clear today as one could hope for. I really feel for those who planned to travel to places that today are overcast against expectations (e.g. TX).
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 6:48 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Clouds in Little Rock look pretty good, we're expecting two minutes or so of totality. Libraries still have plenty of eclipse glasses.

Many predictions of hotel sellouts and traffic nightmares and whatnot have yet to manifest themselves--more than one coworker compared today's commute to early pandemic times.

We'll see what kind of crowds the city convention bureau sees for its Pink Floyd tribute band.
posted by box at 6:49 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Indianapolis here (well, actually, Noblesville) Just gonna sit in the front yard and enjoy. Looking good so far. The latest info says we'll have some wispy high-level clouds, but nothing to worry about. I'm also kind of wondering if the eclipse will trigger all the photocells on the street lights and other outdoor lighting. That would suck.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:52 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Heading out to somewhere east of Coburg pretty soon. Have glasses: bought lots from Telescopes Canada and have given most of them away.

Have seen two partial eclipses before: 2017 (Toronto) and 1999 (Glasgow). I was half-way up a ladder at a fire station for the 1999 one, and the cold darkness was weird
posted by scruss at 6:54 AM on April 8

I'm in Cincinnati and there won't be totality here but it will be within about and hour to an hour-and-a-half's drive away. We're taking the dog with us and going west; my theory is that the majority of people here will simply go north to Dayton, or to Oxford (home of Miami University), or to the closest spot near the city that will have totality, Harrison.

So we're headed to the parking lot of the Hampton Inn & Suites in Greensburg, IN. Fingers crossed!
posted by cooker girl at 6:54 AM on April 8

Given the weather forecast, I'm simultaneously kicking myself for not pulling the trigger on booking a trip to Mazatlán 14 months ago when it was still possible at a reasonable price, and thanking myself for not bending my week around trying to drive to Texas and back. I'll enjoy the crowd on campus and the roughly 70% occlusion here in Arizona, and start my planning early for 2026.
posted by egregious theorem at 6:55 AM on April 8

I'll be home for 91% coverage here on the East Coast. I was able to get an inexpensive hotel in Mazatlan—nothing fancy, but also not too much more than I would pay to stay in a big US city—but all the flights started at $2500 a round trip and while I want to see totality, I don't want to pay multiple years of travel budget to see totality.

Ah well. 2026 in Spain, here I come.
posted by thecaddy at 6:57 AM on April 8

Fingers crossed for Carbondale, Illinois folks ( 2017 eclipse town as well as this year)
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:57 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Jinx, thecaddy.
posted by egregious theorem at 6:59 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I'm in Ohio just west of Cleveland. The forecast called for "mostly cloudy" conditions, but something is off about that. The sky is clear and blue - not a cloud in sight. I hope that holds up for the afternoon.

Since I'm located just off of the centerline, all I need to do is step outside. I've got my glasses and a little filter for my phone camera.
posted by Surely This at 7:01 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I'm in Texas and have been enjoying the traffic that JustSayNoDawg describes for several days. It's a lovely cloudy day, I've got windows open, planning to do a bit of work, and taxes, and some yardwork. My cat is diligently monitoring the birds' behavior. I do have the glasses in case the sky clears up.
posted by mersen at 7:05 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Indy again.
I just stepped outside to try my glasses (they work), but, holy crap, the jet contrails in the sky are insane. I've never seen the sky so full of them. Did they double the flights coming into Indy or something? It's like an instant heavy cloud cover, dammit.
posted by Thorzdad at 7:06 AM on April 8

I'm at Total on the Oval, on the east side of Cleveland. Pretty cloudy at the moment (10 am). Waiting for the video guys to run a cable across the street . . .
posted by soundguy99 at 7:08 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

What up from Kingston, Ontario! Mostly cloudy with sun over here. I think we aren't getting clear skies for the main event. Shepherd went on his morning walk and said the hotel parking lots downtown are a lot more full than they would be for an ordinary Monday.

The Lasalle Causeway--one of the two main bridges that connects Kingston to the other side of the city--had a support beam break earlier last week during maintenance, and uh, the Lasalle Causeway leads directly to Fort Henry, which is holding one of the official eclipse viewing areas. It is fully closed to cars/bikes/pedestrians. Visitors will have wrangle some gnarly traffic over the Waaban Crossing, the other bridge. Buses will be running different schedules due to various other street closures.

One of my girlfriends turns 50 today and being the witchy gals we are, she is thrilled to have this landmark event for her birthday. Her husband and daughter are throwing her a surprise party this afternoon, so I may saunter over here after the Main Event as I want to be in my yard, pretty delightfully stoned, for the actual eclipse. If I get to see the totality, cool. But if I don't, I will still be thrilled by three minutes and change of darkness.
posted by Kitteh at 7:13 AM on April 8 [4 favorites]

Side note: if you do end up in a place with a crowd, you can make a bunch of friends and/or fascinate many small children by making an impromptu pinhole projector with a needle or pen and a piece of cardboard, so it can be fun to bring that along even if you have glasses. I sat down by the sidewalk with mine and got I'm not sure how many photo requests at the annular eclipse last fall.
posted by egregious theorem at 7:21 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Hello from near Kingston NY! We are getting 95% totality here, I picked up my glasses from the library and will be walking down the road a bit to where there is a big sky!
posted by tarantula at 7:22 AM on April 8

Well, looks like Carbondale, Illinois is going to be clear after all; still, the coolness of being down there in 2017 was--sorry--somewhat eclipsed by the much-longer-than-usual drive back. 94% will be an interesting experience and I still have my glasses from the previous one.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:27 AM on April 8

I was pretty unnerved by the 2017 version - I did NOT like our usual cacophany of birdsong going silent.

We (Southern NJ) were supposed to be at 91% but with the new calculations now they're saying 88%? Eh. I have a Teams meeting at 3:30pm and am hoping it get cancelled, or else the camera is going to show me outside in 88% darkness with 100% uneasiness.
posted by kimberussell at 7:28 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

It was sunny early on but now it's mostly overcast here. I spent money on a solar filter I'll probably never use again but I'll be out there taking photos of dark clouds if that's what we get.
posted by tommasz at 7:30 AM on April 8

I'm still puzzled why people here in Northern IL take the drive to Carbondale whereas you could have been in St Louis in 2017 and Toledo/Cleveland today (2024). Much better set of amenities at those two locations and the drive is about the same length.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:31 AM on April 8

For anyone who didn't get glasses, here are simple instructions for making a last-minute pinhole viewer from a sheet of paper and a scrap of tinfoil: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/
posted by wenestvedt at 7:35 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

JoeZydeco, in 2017 I was coming from a family reunion in Indiana, and since the weather was good I decided to camp in a state campground not far from Marion, which was also in the path. My thinking was that the roads would be less crowded driving back; they may have been, but it was still a crawl.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:39 AM on April 8

I am flying to Montreal for two hours. I greenwashed my decadent guilt by buying the carbon credits.
posted by CynicalKnight at 7:40 AM on April 8

If you have some extra time, this viewer is more elaborate: https://thinkbluemarble.com/learning-galaxy/activity-lab/pinhole-projector/
posted by wenestvedt at 7:41 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I just want to drop the "Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses" reference now, before I see everyone's eclipse snapshots and forget to mention it.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:42 AM on April 8 [4 favorites]

Hello from the Blaseball contingent! Today is a perfect day to listen to an absolutely beautiful Garages song, Solar Eclipse (Desert Bus 2021 version).
posted by gc at 7:44 AM on April 8

Nothing but big sky here in Alberta, some of you people are just like my brother in Ontario: super excited about celestial events. I'm happy for you!
posted by elkevelvet at 7:47 AM on April 8

Yeah Halloween Jack I'm sure the drive back wasn't great either way. We did 2017 by staying the night before in St Louis and then watching it from a roadside Burger King. As soon as the totality was over we hauled ass eastward.
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:50 AM on April 8

We went to NC for 2017 and it was amazing, but this eclipse has been far more hyped ("The Great American Eclipse", the last one in the US for the next 20 years) and looks like it's going to just be a mess, so we're staying put. Maybe in a couple of years we'll go to Iceland and see if we can watch a volcano erupt during totality.
posted by phooky at 7:51 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Maybe you can get an Aurora event in there as well....
posted by JoeZydeco at 7:53 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

In the 1960's we were in Portland, Maine, where there was like a 98% eclipse, so we drove north for a couple of hours, where there were thousands of humans everywhere with telescopes and cameras, because this was the only place in the USA where totality occurred that year. It was cloudy, but still pretty interesting.

In 2017, we--once again--drove north for a couple of hours to Wyoming, where we were gobsmacked by a clear-skied cosmic miracle.

For this one, the travel time and expenses and, most of all, the likelihood of cloud cover, precluded any plans to see it. BUT, here in Denver, we have our usual clear blue sky, and I've seen enough partial solar eclipses to know that it's gonna be fun: the light and the shadows get really really weird.
posted by kozad at 7:57 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I'm visiting a friend's family house in Old Forge NY. Her great grandfather built the house himself in 1902. Currently on Bald Mountain, with a thin high layer of clouds. It will be fun whatever the weather is later.
posted by Walleye at 8:03 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I am only incidentally in the path of 90% totality because Im visiting my parents in new jersey. Im 500% meh over here, sorry. I hope its every thing everyone hopes it will be and that you keep your eyes safe!
posted by supermedusa at 8:04 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

For those wondering about the expiration dates on their 2017 eclipse glasses, they don’t actually automatically become useless past a certain date. It’s just assumed that after a few years they’ll have become scratched or otherwise damaged, in which case you don’t want to rely on them to protect your eyes. Go ahead and use them if you can verify they’re completely unscathed.
posted by theory at 8:05 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I was lucky enough to catch the Oregon eclipse, which was ideal viewing. Meanwhile, today's thick gray cloud cover in Toronto hurts extra because yesterday was a beautiful, clear, nearly summery day. It would have been ::perfect::

Instead this weather feels similar to being in Vancouver, maybe 7-8 years ago, for a partial. It was basically ignored. Zero hype. And then, yeah, it was so cloudy and dim that day that even though the moon blocked 86% of the sun, the amount of ambient light pretty much stayed the same. My friends and I stood outside the planetarium while the astronomy experts told everyone, "it's started, it's happening, and now it's over" without any visible changes.

I really feel for all the millions of people who traveled to places like Niagara Falls for this who might end up having a similar experience. It doesn't hold a candle to the marvel during clear skies.
posted by foxtongue at 8:05 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Enjoy it for those of us in the UK who will at best get a tiny sliver of eclipse goodness around sunset if there's a break in the near-constant cloud cover. I'm envious.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 8:09 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Meanwhile, today's thick gray cloud cover in Toronto hurts extra because yesterday was a beautiful, clear, nearly summery day. It would have been ::perfect::

Same here in Indy. Saturday was absolutely clear. It would have been fantastic. The cloud cover here isn't looking hopeful now.
posted by Thorzdad at 8:10 AM on April 8

“A complete guide to pretending you saw the total solar eclipse,” Elan Ullendorff, Escape the Algorithm, 08 April 2024
posted by ob1quixote at 8:12 AM on April 8 [4 favorites]

History Dept. Spare a thought for Nevil Maskelyne and Robert Waddington who sailed 7,400km from Britain to St Helena for the 1761 transit of Venus and had a storm blow in on The Day.
I was pretty thrilled with myself for making a last minute pinhole camera out of a large cardboard box for the 1999 solar eclipse in Europe. We got 95%, it was fine.
posted by BobTheScientist at 8:19 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Slitting on the beach just north of Mazatlan. It’s a little hazy, but totality should be visible through the light marine layer. Squeeee.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 8:30 AM on April 8 [4 favorites]

We drove down to Kingston Ontario from Ottawa last night for the eclipse. There are some hazy clouds, but I’m hoping for the best this afternoon. We have relatives in town, so we didn’t have to try to find a hotel at least.
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:32 AM on April 8

I'll be out on the quad with a bunch of students. In 2017, we had 90-something % totality, and today it will only be 80-something %, but it's really nice at a commuter campus that has always suffered a lack of cool campus events that something like this can just bring us all together right here. Just like last time, I'll have temperature and relative humidity probes running and take pictures of clouds every few minutes and upload the data to the Globe Observer app. If you enjoy citizen science and have a thermometer, join us!
posted by hydropsyche at 8:36 AM on April 8 [6 favorites]

34% and clear clear skies!
posted by rubatan at 8:38 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

High winds had the local power company shut down power for a day and a half to reduce the threat of wildfires. And this has played merry hob with our local web servers.

But for anyone interested, there's the US National Science Foundation educational live stream of the eclipse. And potentially more information at the US NSF National Solar Observatory.
posted by SunSnork at 8:38 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Well, it's a bit cloudy, but I'll head up to Boerne anyway, it's not at the center of the path of totality, but it's not far from it so we should get about 3 minutes of totality there without having to take the extra 30 minutes to drive to Kerrville and face huge crowds. Given how cloudy it is, I'm not willing to put much into this.
posted by sotonohito at 8:49 AM on April 8

OK SKIES ARE CLEAR IN CLEVELAND LET'S HURRY UP AND GET THIS ECLIPSE THING STARTED BEFORE THE CLOUDS COME BACK
posted by soundguy99 at 8:52 AM on April 8 [7 favorites]

I had thought I was totally outside of the eclipse effects but I guess I misread the map because we are supposed to get a partial eclipse here.

However, it's cloudy and clouds are forecast all day, so I'm not hopeful for seeing much of anything this year. We had great viewing for the 2023 eclipse so that can tide me over.
posted by Dip Flash at 8:54 AM on April 8

The weekend was gorgeous in Toronto. Not a cloud to be seen.

I'm in west Toronto and now there's some patches of blue sky to the west
posted by yyz at 8:57 AM on April 8

South Indianapolis here, it's absolutely stunning outside at the moment. They are predicting cloud cover, though. I'm going to walk the 40ft out to the grassy area in front of my apartment. An eclipse merch tent popped up at my closest gas station over the weekend. Yesterday it was crazy busy at the grocery store.

I'm excited for sky stuff. (I saw two separate double rainbows yesterday.)
posted by fluffy battle kitten at 9:06 AM on April 8 [5 favorites]

Only partial eclipse here in Minnesota. It’ll be safe to stare directly at the sun as long as I close one eye.
posted by misterpatrick at 9:15 AM on April 8 [6 favorites]

I'm in the park in Batesville, AR, waiting with my wife.
posted by The Manwich Horror at 9:32 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

We're driving south for about 30 min to see the eclipse outside at the Botanical Garden, would have loved to see it home but we're in the 99.9% zone which we're told is totally different than the 100% zone. Looks like it'll be sunny so that's great.
posted by WaterAndPixels at 9:36 AM on April 8

I went through a bratty phase as a kid where I was all "lunar eclipses are way better" and every time anyone around me mentioned solar eclipses, I'd immediately start pointing out all the ways lunar eclipses are objectively better. To wit:

1. They're visible across a much larger area allowing more people to see them.
2. They happen at night. You get to stay up late.
3. They're longer duration. You can have a pizza party and stay up late playing board games while the eclipse is happening (You can tell what I was doing when I saw my first lunar eclipse!)
4. No need to wear special glasses. You can look right at it!
5. The moon turns BLOOD RED and it's AWESOME.
6. There are places on earth where you can stand on a hill and cast a shadow on the moon!

So in general. Solar eclipses suck. All the cool kids know that lunar eclipses are way more awesome.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 9:37 AM on April 8 [14 favorites]

Live in Buffalo. I'm not interested in seeing the corona, but am interested in the few minutes of total darkness. Partly cloudy here.
posted by Czjewel at 9:43 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

There is a total lunar eclipse next March that will be visible almost everywhere in North America, weather permitting. Truly, lunar eclipses are the eclipses of the people!
posted by RonButNotStupid at 9:48 AM on April 8 [8 favorites]

I saw it in 2017, my parents lived in KC just 30 mins south of the totality zone so it was a no-brainer. Clouds came in JUST as totality hit, bummer but I still saw part of the light show and got to experience the shadow sweep across the neighborhood, which is a very cool experience.

We were planning to go to Carbondale to see it this time around, but then we ended up moving to Sweden. So much for that plan! Bummed I'm missing it but I did see an amazing aurora display in January, so I guess it all balances it. Besides I have no clue where we would've stayed if we could have flown all the way back, hotels were full when I checked nearly a year ago.

Best of luck to everyone state-side, take some photos for the rest of us (safely of course)!
posted by photo guy at 9:53 AM on April 8

Had to come to TX anyway so picked this week for eclipse purposes. Has been cloudy on and off so who knows? Going to hang out at my old UU church which is doing a thing to see what can be seen. Later tonight: good Tex Mex and margs. Have certified glasses, am slightly stoked but enjoying seeing old friends regardless.
posted by emjaybee at 9:56 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Our car broke down over the weekend (nothing serious, but you can't drive with hatchback that unlatches and bounces every time you go over a rough spot on the road) so we're watching from the yard here in Dallas today. Fortunately we already had our eclipse glasses.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 9:58 AM on April 8

Stuck at work because my hour+ drive home goes from 3pm to 4:30pm, exactly at the height of the peak (we have 92% totality and clear skies here). In New York, all the signs on the highway say to avoid driving or allow extra time to get home today. In New Jersey, all the signs say you CANNOT stop your car and CANNOT pull over to the side of the highway during the eclipse (good luck enforcing that).

Nothing special planned at the baby's daycare durin the eclipse, but my husband might take the back roads to pick him up early and bring him to grandma's house.
posted by subdee at 10:03 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Watching on NASA at the moment. NPR has some live streams from other places.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:06 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

I also had to laugh at the New Jersey traffic signs telling people they couldn't stop on highways during the eclipse. If it were actually a total eclipse and I was on a Jersey highway, there's no way I wouldn't pull over, along with everyone else.
posted by mollweide at 10:08 AM on April 8 [5 favorites]

While taking some eclipse glasses out to my daughter’s car, I realized that the beautiful tree in my front yard is inconveniently placed, so it seems I will go stand in the driveway in the back of my house which has a clear view of the sun.

Looks like the partial began here a minute ago, and the full 100% obscuration will arrive at 1:41:35 local time and last 3 minutes and 5 seconds.
posted by pwinn at 10:28 AM on April 8

+1 for cool space shit!

Seeing how excited the NASA talking heads are is neat.
posted by Windopaene at 10:36 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Gotta say, i saw a lunar eclipse sitting on the beach in Bonaire, netherlands antilles. It was heckin cool!
posted by supermedusa at 10:57 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

quite bright and clear here in Chicago where supposedly things started kicking off about 6 minutes ago. We're not in the path but should get quite a bit of coverage, I think they said 94%.

I'm a bit sick and very tired so there will be no venturing abroad for me, but I hear people are gathering at the lakefront. I did post up in the room with the most windows so that I can see the dimness, whatever it will be.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 11:00 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Skies here in Dallas are 50-50 as the moon eats the sun … looking like PacMan now….
posted by torokunai at 11:01 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

We are in a random town in Arkansas where they are doing a Star Wars themed event, full on bbq, watching robots and chilling out under a tree.

Funnily, I randomly snatched up this week for vacation months and months ago before the eclipse thing was big, realized it then, and started planning around it early. All we planned was lodging and figured we'd find something like this.
posted by cobaltnine at 11:01 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Checking in from the northern Catskill Mountains in NY! We're at about 96/97%, but I'm staying away from that traffic. :-/

Bright and sunny here, with just a few wisps of cloud. Maybe that'll totally clear in the next hour. But this seems to bode well for the folks traveling further upstate than I!
posted by functionequalsform at 11:09 AM on April 8

Bonnie Tyler is always having a good time on days like this. I sang the song at karaoke on Saturday.

Mazatlan's full eclipse looks lovely on video.
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:12 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

I'm in Montreal in the totality zone and so fortunate that I can watch it from my balcony.

It has begun! The tiniest little bite on the lower right edge. So happy!
posted by mephisjo at 11:22 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

no eclipse glasses here but a lot of card stock and ... a laser cutter. i made a perfectly round 1mm hole in a piece of card and i can see the chomp chomp projected onto another piece of card.
posted by seanmpuckett at 11:24 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

In 1999 there was a solar eclipse over the UK. I was working for a law firm in Barking, Essex, and we closed the office shortly before the eclipse and walked down to the local park, where we watched the eclipse reflected in the lake. As it grew dark, and the birds all fell silent, I and another woman started dancing and singing "This is the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius". The winos drinking in the bandstand looked at us as if we were bonkers.

I will never forget seeing the eclipse. It was magical.
posted by essexjan at 11:30 AM on April 8 [5 favorites]

Yay, someone at the office is sharing her glasses. Cookie with bite out a few minutes ago, northern IL. I also made a couple pin hole box viewers. :)
posted by Glinn at 11:39 AM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Watching the PBS stream while I'm working (yay for 2 monitor setup!).

I survived my wedding anniversary. 10th one as a widow. Distracted myself by helping a friend.

Someone's selling a custom item The Late Mr. Nerd made and I have no money to try to buy it. :(

Less than two weeks until I leave for Neotropolis!
posted by luckynerd at 11:43 AM on April 8 [8 favorites]

Well, here in San Antonio where I was standing there was a brief, 10ish second, semi-break in the cloudcover and I could see the eclipse happening just a few moments before totality through the clouds, no need for my goggles.

So there was at least something, and it was nifty seeing everything get dark.
posted by sotonohito at 11:44 AM on April 8 [1 favorite]

☁️💩
posted by lalochezia at 11:50 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Here is a totaled Eclipse.

Now get back to work.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:52 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Vincennes Indiana right now! High tailed it down from MPLS with two grandkids, spent the night in deepest darkest Peru Illinois last night and now we're hanging in a softball field. Purty durn cool.
posted by Floydd at 11:56 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Very cool. The high clouds kept parting so you'd get blasts of direct sun and then cloud cover, alternating hot and cold. Started as pacman, then angry emoji, then orange peel, then orange frowny face, and then an orange line, and gone.

At totality it got what I'd call 'moderately severe thunderstorm dark', which is not fully dark but moderately dark. And we got one peek on the way out before a giant storm cloud covered it up, and will be covered for the next 30 minutes.

Amazing experience would eclipse again.
posted by The_Vegetables at 11:58 AM on April 8 [3 favorites]

big clouds rolled in now so the missing nibble fifteen minutes ago may be all i get to see. but it is getting dark and cold
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:00 PM on April 8

Science! Physics! Planetary motion!
posted by Windopaene at 12:03 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AMAZING
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 12:03 PM on April 8 [31 favorites]

All the cool kids know that lunar eclipses are way more awesome.

This has real "we have eclipses at home" energy.
posted by pwnguin at 12:05 PM on April 8 [14 favorites]

Just as amazing as I remembered. Surreal and wonderful.
posted by The Manwich Horror at 12:05 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

Cat and mouse with 70% cover 10 minutes to totality on the west side of Dallas, but it all cleared up wonderfully after that.

Totality reminded me of this Magic Card of course
posted by torokunai at 12:06 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Watching eclipse after eclipse after eclipse on NASA is pretty dang cool. Now that's real "at home" energy for ya :P
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:08 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Just after it started there we had about five minutes of a clear view from my vantage point in downtown Toronto, so I borrowed a co-worker's glasses and had a look. Good thing I did because we're at 100% cloud cover and I doubt it's gonna clear up in the next seven minutes.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:13 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

That. Was. DOPE!
posted by biogeo at 12:17 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

Well that livestream was pretty underwhelming, maybe it's just me though. Of course Carbondale ended up with beautiful weather, guess I should've found a way to travel back to the US for it after all. Such is life I guess.
posted by photo guy at 12:22 PM on April 8

Los Angeles. We went outside to an absolutely perfect LA sky -- pure blue, not a cloud in sight. Had 2 pairs of glasses, texted a few neighbors to come out, then waved down walkers and folks driving by, including the mail lady and the UPS guy. Everyone oohed and aahed, except one jerk in a Mercedes who seemed to be saying...it wasn't real? Idiot.

Mother Nature brings (almost) everyone together yet again!
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:22 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

one thing you DO get with cloud cover is to watch the shadow roar past, as it just did south of Toronto, right over the lake. Literally WHOOSH.
posted by seanmpuckett at 12:22 PM on April 8 [10 favorites]

After action report: made it up to Greenville, which was 90 minutes due north on the line between "crappy" and "maybe" in terms of forecasted visibility. We pulled into a Walmart parking lot along with a few other eager eclipse watchers with telescopes and lawn chairs. Felt bad for the nearby Red Lobster, bad enough to pop in and make sure everybody was aware* -- turns out the restaurant was empty and all the employees were out on the sidewalk! Clouds were touch-and-go -- initially it was bright enough to spot a flock of moons on the pavement, but a big bank crushingly drifted in like 90 seconds before totality. Weirdly, it kind of improved the experience -- seeing the spectacle pop in and out of cloud cover as you excitedly passed binoculars around made you appreciate it more than just staring unobstructed for a few minutes. Could even spot a big purple prominence at the bottom edge when a hole passed over. Overall got about 50% total visibility, so congrats to the probabilistic models for being right on the money in that sense. Definitely worth the long drive!

*might sound silly for such a hyped event but you'd be mortified at the number of people we saw strolling into Walmart in the minutes before totality.
posted by Rhaomi at 12:23 PM on April 8 [8 favorites]

I’m a total eclipse n00b...what was that little star-like point of light at the bottom edge of the disc? It seemed to turn red over time.
posted by Thorzdad at 12:27 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

I like that the CBC chyron was just now reading: "Parts of southern Onatrio now in the dark as the moon momentarily blocks the sun". No, a dragon didn't consume the sun, that's just the moon blocking the sun. That's why it's so dark in parts of southern Ontario. And no, it's not forever, it's merely momentary.
posted by mhum at 12:27 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Had pretty good viewing here, thankfully. The flowers in my sister's front lawn all closed up.
posted by lock robster at 12:28 PM on April 8 [10 favorites]

“A complete guide to pretending you saw the total solar eclipse,” Elan Ullendorff, Escape the Algorithm, 08 April 2024 -posted by ob1quixote


"Wait about a week until the hype has died down, then upload your masterpiece, captioned with an enigmatic quote from a book you haven’t read. Or perhaps a proverb you don’t understand, written in a language you don’t speak. Or better yet, a proverb that doesn’t exist, written in a language that doesn’t exist. The moon doesn’t come with a translation and neither should you."
posted by Gorgik at 12:29 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Drove four hours to near Dayton, OH for totality with relatively low predicted cloud cover. We weren't sure we could get away from work until the last minute so we weren't super prepared. We aimed for a little park which turned out to be in a light industrial area, with a group of folks with a telescope and other optics set up in a parking lot nearby. We asked we could crash their party and they welcomed us. Turns out it's a laser components company and they were all optics engineers and nerdy about the viewing. We hit the jackpot. The seeing was good and the company was great.
posted by biogeo at 12:32 PM on April 8 [22 favorites]

Where I am the Sun has just been fully blocked by the Earth. It's suddenly gone dark and gotten much colder. People are driving around with their lights on. The animals are acting nervous. On TV they say the totality will last around 10 hours, with the Sun emerging from behind the Earth at around 6 a.m.
posted by chavenet at 12:33 PM on April 8 [19 favorites]

Vancouver in Winter: where every day is a totality day
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:35 PM on April 8

Amazing experience on the beach. I was sandwiched between an obnoxious American tourist who could not stop screaming “woooo,” and a beautiful group of gay buddhists kissing, hugging, and crying. I’m focusing on that second group. They were lovely.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 12:35 PM on April 8 [9 favorites]

I was in the path of totality in 2017, but the day was so cloudy and rainy that it felt like just another cloudy and rainy day.

We only got 90% totality here (Milwaukee), but the shadows were weird, and it was noticeably dark, and everyone cheered, and then we wasted some time chatting about work and looking at Golden-Crowned Kinglets, so it was a very nice eclipse and I did not at all regret not driving to southern Illinois.
posted by Jeanne at 12:38 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Thorzdad: "I’m a total eclipse n00b...what was that little star-like point of light at the bottom edge of the disc? It seemed to turn red over time."

I think that was a Baily's bead overtaken by a prominence/solar flare!
posted by Rhaomi at 12:39 PM on April 8 [12 favorites]

That was breathtaking.

And bonus: I saw more stars than I ever have before at night looking up at a Montreal sky (so much light pollution). Plus Jupiter and Venus (and maybe some more planetary bodies).

A++ would visit again.
posted by mephisjo at 12:45 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

That was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen, or will likely ever see.

Checking in again from Kingston, Ontario. While we didn't get fully clear skies, they sure were clear enough to see the entire corona. Some friends of ours and their son drove up from Ajax. We dragged out the camp chairs and two deck chairs for folks, I turned on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon because honestly? When I am ever going to get to be this cliche again? We stuck our eclipse glasses haphazardly under our real glasses, watched in awe as the moon traveled over the face of the sun. I was struck that even with that view how immense space really is when you can see the sun as what it is: a ball of solitary swirling gas in a dark void. When it hit totality, I looked a few times at the corona and felt so human, so in wonder. The streetlights came on, the day was colder, and I was like, "Oh fuck, I think I get it now." I see why people travel to see this far and wide.

Also, I am super high.
posted by Kitteh at 12:45 PM on April 8 [28 favorites]

The UU church viewing was a success, there were some clouds but just enough clearing to see THE SKY GO TOTALLY DARK AND STARS COME OUT at totality, which was bad-ass.

Also at that viewing : sparkling wine, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" playing, and a tarot reading being done, which I'm not sure I would have wanted. Apparently there were marriages happening in some places? Is that a good omen?
posted by emjaybee at 12:48 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

The NASA “where is the eclipse now” website stops at American border cus… yknow…
posted by St. Peepsburg at 12:48 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Full overcast here on the north side of metro Buffamalo, so no corona or anything. Still a hell of a thing. I could have done without the folks setting off firecrackers tbh.

You can see how it would be terrifying to primitive screwheads, and it's really impressive that some of those primitive screwheads (ie people who didn't even know how to make nachos) were able to start timing and predicting these things so long ago.
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 12:48 PM on April 8

Important safety advice: do not buy any strange & interesting plants today!
posted by cheshyre at 12:49 PM on April 8 [13 favorites]

Ugh. I have had sinusitis for an appallingly long time and now it's affecting my quality of sleep. I'm having brain fog and it's frustrating and embarrassing. And the earliest I can see a doctor is three weeks.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:49 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I’m a total eclipse n00b...what was that little star-like point of light at the bottom edge of the disc? It seemed to turn red over time

Diamond ring & Bailey's Beads.

The astronomers who were giving presentations at the event I'm working were very excited that the effect was so clear.
posted by soundguy99 at 12:49 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

Had a great view in 2017 and fortunate to repeat just now! Weather outside was nice, but just enough clouds to potentially obscure totality. But it hit right during a gap in the clouds and everyone was wowed! I was the only one of the four of us who had seen totality before, and we were all thrilled to be here!
posted by TedW at 12:50 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Some 20 miles inland from Lake Erie, perfect visibility in this usually overcast region. That was sublime.
posted by Claude Hoeper at 12:52 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

Drove up to Northern Vermont from the Boston area, and I guess traffic warnings are relative.
At worst, there were 2 car-lengths between vehicles as we travelled the speed limit. Didn't pass many southbound cars, so I guess this counts as heavy traffic around here.
posted by cheshyre at 12:54 PM on April 8

overheard elsewhere on the interwebs:

"So did the world end or do I still have to do my laundry?"
posted by philip-random at 12:56 PM on April 8 [4 favorites]

Clear skies here in Indianapolis. Wonderful view, dark as night. We watched sitting by the dog park - the doggies were unimpressed and just kept playing. The eclipsed sun was exquisitely beautiful. My immediate reaction afterwards was - "Do it again!"
posted by charlesminus at 1:00 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

And bonus: I saw more stars than I ever have before at night looking up at a Montreal sky (so much light pollution). Plus Jupiter and Venus (and maybe some more planetary bodies).

The lack of stars was the only disappointment here in Indy. You rarely see many stars on moonless nights here, so I really wasn't expecting anything today. To be honest, it never got middle-of-the-night dark here. Not sure if that's normal or not. Saw Venus and Jupiter, though.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:01 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Just like in 2017, I had more fun sharing my glasses around than I did seeing the actual eclipse. I brought the viewer I got last year at Griffith Observatory, and when I got up to go see the 85-ish-whatever totality at work three other people saw my thing and got up with me to share mine. We went to a park across the street from my building, and I did indeed have fun passing them around - one of my work colleagues kept asking to borrow my viewer again every two minutes. I also loaned them out to a couple walking past us on the sidewalk - his reaction was my favorite I think, this B-Boy who looked dubious but then when he saw the sun blurted out "ow, that is fire!" Our head of IT also came down with a pinhole camera he'd rigged out of an Amazon box and some wrapping paper and we all passed that around too.

On lunar eclipses:

The moon turns BLOOD RED and it's AWESOME.

Heh; there was a lunar eclipse the night before the very last Yankees/Red Sox playoff game in 2004. I was working on a play and we had a near-even split amongst the cast in terms of who they were hoping would take the pennant; I remember a bunch of us heading out to the roof of the building where our theater was for a look, and someone noticed the red moon and declared it an omen of victory for the Red Sox. Much jeering ensued, but....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:03 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I was so focused on the totality here in Montreal that I didn't even notice the stars. Perfect viewing on the canal. So many people.

My husband and I loved it, the dog wanted to keep walking :)
posted by Laura in Canada at 1:05 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

It slightly disappointed my Gen Z kids that it wasn't total blackout -- but we were only supposed to hit 92% anyway, so I am good with it. I mean, I also feelt my first earthquake three days ago. Such wonders!!

(Also, did it really take a solar eclipse for spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints to come back? I haven't seen that name in ages!)
posted by wenestvedt at 1:08 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

That was amazing 11/10, five stars, would absolutely recommend.

When/where's the next one? I think I'm hooked.
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 1:20 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

And now my grandkids are saying: "Grampa! There's a total eclipse in SPAIN in 2026!! We have passports!! You don't have to wait until you're 88!!!"
posted by Floydd at 1:22 PM on April 8 [19 favorites]

A few eclipse chasers were born today…
posted by St. Peepsburg at 1:23 PM on April 8 [8 favorites]

If I were employed I would have gone to Totality this time around -- I went to Oregon last time. But alas travel funds aren't plentiful. The inter webs say we got 26% here but it was cloudy and really didn't notice much of a light level change.
posted by hippybear at 1:23 PM on April 8

The eclipse was cool, but I was more charmed by the neighbourly experience of hanging out with everybody in my building, sharing eclipse glasses, and letting our dogs play and run around. I even yelled across the street and invited the neighbour from there over. A lovely little experience that people don't think happens in big cities (but totally does)
posted by Pitachu at 1:24 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

It turns out the real eclipse were the friends we made for 3-5 minutes.
posted by hippybear at 1:25 PM on April 8 [20 favorites]

The big thing that is now forever burned into my mind is watching the sun disappear into totality, and then whipping-off my eclipse glasses and seeing the corona for the first time in my life. It was just freaking amazing.
posted by Thorzdad at 1:30 PM on April 8 [17 favorites]

wild how the 2026/7 eclipses will totality-dodge Portugal entirely
posted by chavenet at 1:33 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I'm in Phoenix, Arizona for my mom's birthday; the eclipse was about 35% here, with noticeable shadow distortion (very prominent on the Bank of America regional tower).

We paused our discount grocery shopping to observe the peak effect in the parking lot, with cascades of crescent leaf shadows.

We used a pair of comic book backing boards to view the eclipse. This was just as good as the partial eclipse in California 2017, with a bonus temperature drop.
posted by JDC8 at 1:33 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Wonder how flat-earthers explain all this... on second thought, I don't even want to know.
posted by Crane Shot at 1:35 PM on April 8

That was a beautiful display here at my vantage point just south of downtown Indianapolis, better than our 2017 viewing in Oregon. Conditions could not have been better, that was perfect. I even got to teach the colander trick to a few folks who hadn't seen it. Glad it worked out for you too Thorzdad, and everyone else who managed to find clear skies. My eclipse buddy and I are already thinking about Iceland in 2026.
posted by Two unicycles and some duct tape at 1:41 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Oh, SaharaRose (one of a handful of Mefi librarians) was soliciting ideas for an "eclipse soundtrack" to have at her own branch today. I contributed a Sesame Street song ("I Don't Want To Live On The Moon"), Yusuf/Cat Stevens' "Moonshadow", and Pink Floyd's "Eclipse". I'll nudge her to share.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:51 PM on April 8

Wonder how flat-earthers explain all this...

Flat earth eclipse
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:51 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Skies parted for totality out here in west Austin Texas. That was more amazing than I was expecting. Would recommend.
posted by jasondigitized at 1:56 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Satellite view of the eclipse shadow care of GEOS-EAST
posted by RonButNotStupid at 1:56 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

A few eclipse chasers were born today…
posted by St. Peepsburg

Yup. After three or so partials, I need the Totality, the Corona, the Darkness, the Stars! Iceland or Spain?
posted by whuppy at 2:03 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Incredible viewing here in Montreal. I was with a large group of people at the college where I work and we were all giddy. Many of the faculty members had brought their young children since school was cancelled for them today, so it was especially festive feeling. The light changes were amazing, and the young kids around me started exclaiming about an upside down rainbow in the sky as we neared totality. I kept taking my regular glasses off to clean them as the light melted away. I felt as if my perception was slightly impaired, just a little drunk or high. Then totality, with that gorgeous halo and even my myopic eyes could make out the flashes of colour to the sides. I was happy to have my light down jacket to put on as the temperature dropped. I spent totality looking all around at the horizon, back up at the halo, the planets shining in the sky, and the grinning faces around me. I'm feeling very lucky today.
posted by Cuke at 2:08 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

We went high up onto a mountainside in Oregon for our eclipse last time, and I had this very uncanny experience.

After watching the shadows change and the darkness build and then looking at the approaching totality through the glasses, at the last second I decided to take my glasses off. I turned my head down, took off my glasses, and just as I did, I glimpsed the edge of the moon's shadow sweep across the landscape lying below and before me. It was such a swift movement but it was a definite line of light and dark that I saw fly across the folds of the terrain lower than us.

So I do think the next eclipse I travel to, I want to be high up with a view.
posted by hippybear at 2:09 PM on April 8 [8 favorites]

Enjoyed the 2017 event outside the PoT, but boy was I hoping to be able to travel to the path for this one. Then work got in the way.

I had planned to do my normal every other week Monday custody schedule, dropping my kids off at school, then working from home, missing the whole thing since it’s cloudy and rainy where I live. But yesterday I was thankfully informed a work deadline got moved back, and I thought I’d attempt a 4.5h drive to my college friend’s home near Bloomington, Indiana — after dropping the kids off at school. Hit the road in the 8 o’clock hour, trusted my Waze app with some last minute reroutes, and ultimately had no issues making the drive. It was weird how empty the highways were. Lots of cops on the medians waiting for the crazy traffic that didn’t materialize.

Got here just as the eclipse was underway. My friend’s 13-year-old daughter’s school was called off due to the anticipated traffic shitshow… that didn’t seem to materialize. That said, I bet the traffic situation is not great right about now. I’m staying here until morning, they say there’s a well-known basketball game on tonight.

I’m still processing the emotional texture of the event - that my soul wasn’t prepared for - in the best way. The beautiful insignificance I felt! I still can’t really believe it happened.
posted by edithkeeler at 2:35 PM on April 8 [8 favorites]

This has real "we have eclipses at home" energy.

Although, I bet lunar eclipses are a lot more exciting from the perspective of the moon.
posted by pwnguin at 2:46 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Traveled to Dallas to see it, it looked like we were going to be clouded out right up until it started, then the sky cleared up amazingly and we got a perfect view. It looked like there was a big orange solar flare in the bottom right also. Now in the airport and hoping to get out before bad weather descends.
posted by Daily Alice at 2:51 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I witnessed a lunar eclipse that coincided with sunset exactly where I was standing so I was watching the sun go below the horizon as I watched the earth's shadow move onto the face of the moon. It was the most stark, profound, "I'm standing on the outside of this ball and that light is casting that shadow there" moment I've ever had in my life. Literally watching astrophysics happen in real time.
posted by hippybear at 2:52 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

Also, I am super high.

Kitteh, just as I was settling into the Edmonton/Calgary game on Saturday I'm getting pics sent to our Hockey Game chat of this.. snow thing monstrosity, vaguely humanoid, wearing an Oilers jersey with a cow skull head and what I hope (dear god) was animal hair, possibly a horse's mane?

when I asked this morning, she blamed it on the edibles
posted by elkevelvet at 2:54 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

>GOES-EAST

In this closer view you can see Dallas start clear, get cloudy, then get clear as the shadow swept thru . . .
posted by torokunai at 3:06 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Missed it again, so maybe Spain in 2026. Or how about Italy in 1961, when Richard Fleischer was making the Biblical Barabbas, with Anthony Quinn, Jack Palance and Ernest Borgnine? Filming was delayed for the total eclipse they had that year; here's the Crucifiction scene. (Note the Gospels say the darkness lasted for several hours.)
posted by Rash at 3:08 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

If you're filming a biblical epic and there's an eclipse going on how do you NOT make that part of the production schedule? "Filming was delayed"??? Should read "filming invested in having a fourth unit available during the few hours of the eclipse and much coverage including first and second unit of the main action was filmed".
posted by hippybear at 3:18 PM on April 8 [5 favorites]

I found the eclipse really exhausting.

Mostly because it interfered with my nap schedule.
posted by srboisvert at 3:21 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Traveled to Dallas to see it, it looked like we were going to be clouded out right up until it started, then the sky cleared up amazingly and we got a perfect view. It looked like there was a big orange solar flare in the bottom right also. Now in the airport and hoping to get out before bad weather descends.

You might just get to see a second eclipse as Ted Cruz blocks the light in the airport.
posted by srboisvert at 3:22 PM on April 8

That was incredible. One aspect I had not prepare for: How utterly and completely black the moon appeared. A void in the sky. Wondrous and uncanny.
posted by gwint at 3:28 PM on April 8 [9 favorites]

That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen in my life. I knew it was going to be cool; what I didn't know was how absolutely awe-inspiring it would be. I was brought to tears and I am for sure going to do whatever I can to see another one again in my lifetime.
posted by cooker girl at 3:34 PM on April 8 [15 favorites]

How utterly and completely black the moon appeared. A void in the sky.

New moon on Monday
And a fire dance through the night
I stayed the cold day
With a lonely satellite

?
posted by hippybear at 3:44 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

Very disappointed. Drove all the way to western NY (Dansville) for the totality; it was too cloudy. The only result was that it seemed dark like a thunderstorm was going to hit, and then it wasn’t. Didn’t get totally dark either. Bummed.
posted by Melismata at 3:49 PM on April 8 [4 favorites]

Just got back from a state park near the canadian border in NY/1000 islands region. Despite a clear morning, The clouds were awful, and thick blocking maybe half of the first 40 mins of seeing the eclipse develop.....most of the crowd in the state park with telescopes/cameras etc were sad..... but the clouds thinned out A LOT 5 mins before totality and we got to see it. It got dark QUICK, and eerie twilight then almost night, birds quietened, strange shadows. The black-as-a-vortex orb in the sky surrounded by a thin penumbra of light. We didn't see stars because of clouds, but it didn't matter. Then the quickest sunrise ever, such a tiny sliver of light illuminating the world.

As others said, absolutely fucking AWE inspiring.

A++ would obstruct our mother star again.

Soundtrack for the day Black Sun on The Horizon by Gunship.
posted by lalochezia at 3:58 PM on April 8 [4 favorites]

I ended up taking my nephews to a small town about an hour and a half north of here. It was honestly the most amazing thing I've seen in my life. Some clouds threatened to somewhat ruin the experience, but they dissipated enough just before totality to not be much of a factor. I can't believe there was a prominence visible!
posted by dirigibleman at 4:15 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Our solar system and shining ball of blue contain multitudes.

Eldest child lives in Ohio, and got to see the totality. She said she was crying for about an hour after, (my reaction watching the NASA stream).

Spain may be on the menu...
posted by Windopaene at 4:23 PM on April 8 [4 favorites]

The difference between a 98%, 99%, and total eclipse is gigantic.
posted by hippybear at 4:24 PM on April 8 [10 favorites]

I got really bad news last week. The organization (sister organization to my current employer) that I was presumably about to be hired by had ALL jobs cut for budget. ALL. That was the backup place I'd applied for too. I was told that my organization and the state were all going to get hiring freezes in mid-May, but at least one place has started EARLY despite my caseworker being told that budget/hiring freezes weren't happening. I think my ability to get a job has just died. State isn't frozen YET per my contact there, but it takes so long to hire that even if I had a fish on the line, that would get yanked too.

I'm really scared.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:36 PM on April 8 [9 favorites]

Cincinnati based here, had reserved a hotel room months ago for Sunday and Monday night near the center line on the border of Ohio/Indiana - with the idea we'd combine a trip home to my Hoosier hometown which is smack dab on the line. We wanted to be a bit away from that madness - projected 100,000 visitors in a 30K town - but as weather predictions continued to report clouds and rain and the room was ridiculously expensive, we canceled on Friday ahead of the 24 hr deadline for full refund. Got up this a.m. and with more encouraging predictions decided to map a backroads path to the centerline and see if we could find gold on 2 hours notice. Bingo, filled a cooler with agua and snacks, headed an hour and a half north and met little resistance on rural two-laners , found a great little historic property/park in the middle of nowhere with maybe 40 small groups setting up and joined them for the duration. Magical, mystical, at once disorienting and transcendent, the temp drop, the gradual darkening followed by the boom. lights. out. totality, the stars, the ring, the night songs in surrounding woods, the clouds and colors of deepest dusk, the coronal ejections, the shared sense of awe among a crowd of all stripes, ages and alliances. Exceeded our stratospheric expectations having seen a 90+% just seven years ago and validated all the folks who say 99% is cool, 100% is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Were able to get on the road ahead of the masses and even passed our favorite Mex on the way so grabbed shrimp tacos, a carnitas burrito and margs to take home and this is already the best day in a while even ahead of the NCAA Championship.
posted by thecincinnatikid at 5:00 PM on April 8 [8 favorites]

It's been a tough few days for me here on the west side of Buffalo as I had to say goodbye to my sweet canine companion. However, the brief partings of the clouds just before and during totality allowed me to feel awe and wonder, as well as being a welcome, albeit brief, distraction. The visual experience was incredible and the sudden drop in temperature was quite eerie.
posted by Scout405 at 5:08 PM on April 8 [11 favorites]

one thing you DO get with cloud cover is to watch the shadow roar past, as it just did south of Toronto, right over the lake. Literally WHOOSH.


Literally, we were fortunate to have one pretty large cumulous formation pass over at about 90% and that was extremely cool to see (and extremely timely to see it pass and move out just in time for the approaching grand finale).
posted by thecincinnatikid at 5:12 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

The clouds thinned enough for us to have a good view of the partial eclipse here, which was an unexpected positive thing to happen. If I'm counting right, this is the second partial eclipse I've seen, plus two full ones. I watched today's with two older people, and I found myself wondering if this was going to be their last eclipse or if they'd be here for the next one. Kind of morbid but the sun going away leads to morbid thinking, maybe.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:18 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

In Texas Hill Country, where the clouds got more solid as the sun disappeared. We got a few seconds of visible corona at totality, but mostly it was just feeling everything get really dark and cold. We did bring out a couple of colanders and projected little crescents on the ground. The 9 year old with us was way more interested in the baby goat than the eclipse, which, fair, I guess. I still had filters for my binoculars from 2017, and was amazed I could see sunspots through them.

Staying a a shockingly overpriced, under-furnished VRBO but went out to a friend’s mom’s farm to watch the event itself, with goats and horses and so on. Heading home tomorrow, with the rest of the hordes.

I was present for a total eclipse when I was 3, but all I remember from that was standing on the beach in the dark and the crescent shadows. This one is definitely making me want to see another, and I understand why totality is worth getting to. 2044 comes through Northern California, so I’m hoping for that one for sure.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:22 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

We live in St. Louis, drove about 80 minutes south to Perryville for the eclipse. We went early in the morning to secure a good spot, but an hour before the eclipse there were still open spots in the parking lot at the soccer complex. (They did eventually fill in.)

Awesome, humbling, ecstatic, indescribable event. More spectacular than the 2017 one. (My parents, who stayed in St. Louis with its 98% coverage, reported "the sky got a little bit dark.") My photos and videos were crappier than 2017 though, maybe because smartphone cameras are too smart now?

It took a bit over 5 hours to get back home again. Google Maps gave us an alternate route, and that got messed up by an accident ahead of us.
posted by Foosnark at 5:58 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

We watched from the backyard of a friend’s grandma outside of Indianpolis. Great weather, light cloud cover, really felt the chill once the occlusion started, and the corona was spectacular. It was really pretty cool. Mr. eirias and I held hands tight while Little eirias kept saying “WHAT THE FRICK IS HAPPENING?!”
posted by eirias at 6:09 PM on April 8 [4 favorites]

On the job front, I'd had a neat talk with a company that's hiring exactly what I do and they got back to me saying they had so many applicants that my application will not be moving forward. I'm not senior enough to be a senior but have too much experience to apply for junior roles, and no one at the moment needs a mid level anything.

jenfullmoon, you and I are both looking right now, wanna create a startup? (I'm (mostly) joking.)

On the music side, I have a gig with a guitar person on the weekend and I'm honored he asked me but I'm about done with accepting requests from guitar people to accompany them on fiddle because they will play forty songs and not a single one of those will be a real fiddle song. Fiddle's such a good lead instrument in its own right, it's such a waste when I'm just playing backup at gigs. I have perfectly good repertoire that those guitar folk don't tend to want to learn to play chords for...

I've been busking a lot on my own lately and while that's tough because I only have an acoustic instrument outside, I have just the greatest time. I'm always scared that folk will hate me but I haven't had that happen yet. I'd said that two twenties in a couple hours was the most I'd gotten but I've broken that record now. I can't wait for it to be warmer, it's still a bit too cold for people to be wanting to be outside sitting for extended amounts of time. It's been really good for me though because I keep having to learn new tunes.
posted by wurl1tzer_c0 at 6:11 PM on April 8 [8 favorites]

We sat out on the lawn with the next door neighbors and watched the sun vanish and got a few pictures of the totality. The skies cleared at exactly the right time here in Dallas. It was fantastic.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 6:16 PM on April 8 [4 favorites]

Something like 95% of totality here. There were some high, thin clouds, but you could still do the pin-hole viewer thing. I ended up using a pair of binoculars instead of the pin-hole in foil, to get a larger image on my piece of paper. A few neighbors were out watching with the glasses, others were out showing their kids the pin-hole and paper method. 10/10, would view again.
posted by coppertop at 6:19 PM on April 8

the satellite image of the shadow sweeping over the continent is nicely dramatic. [link to Mastodon that contains a gif]
posted by hippybear at 6:21 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

Austin was relatively quiet and chaos free, but it was cloudy, so maybe the moons maddening shadow wasn't strong enough to flip brain bits.

I was in the bathroom at the dialysis clinic when it all went down.
posted by JustSayNoDawg at 6:27 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I gotta say, that was spectacular! I drove six hours last night up to Potsdam, NY, which is about as far as Montreal or Buffalo from NYC. We were blessed with high clouds, which allowed us to see the corona during totality.

A++ would absolutely do this again.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:29 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

I bought tickets for Hico, Texas (fly from DC to DFW, drive, stay locally) a year and a half ago. It was looking touch and go for cloud cover in the morning, but by 30 minutes to eclipse start it was a clear-ish blue sky and no real clouds to speak of. So incredibly lucky!! It was my second totality, and even though it wasn’t quite as mind blowing as my first one in 2017, it was still really awesome. Already talking with a friend about August in Iceland next year….
posted by gemmy at 6:33 PM on April 8 [4 favorites]

Just got home from an eclipse party; i haven't read the whole thread yet. We're in Toronto, but I helped goad a friend who recently moved to Stoney Creek into throwing a party, since they were nicely into the path of totality. Out of paranoia, we drove to Hamilton @8 am, grabbed breakfast there, and got to our friends place before 11.

The cloud cover there was iffy, but started to break up as the moon advanced across the sun. And the clouds parted in time to give us a clear view over the whole period of totality. We got the full totality show (and a great bbq party). Thanks Dave.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:18 PM on April 8

That was incredible! I am so glad we travelled to see the totality. I completely understand now why people follow eclipses.
posted by fimbulvetr at 7:21 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

In Maine, it was impossible to predict traffic, so I persuaded friends to leave early-ish for northwest Maine. We were in way plenty of time to view the whole event with gorgeous totality. It's atypical for Maine to be clear in April, and it was sunny, warm and barely a cloud to be seen. Totality was magic. I'd gotten the glasses, we had a great picnic. Lots of families and everyone in a grand mood.

Traffic coming home was predictably slow and clogged and we didn't care.
posted by theora55 at 7:27 PM on April 8 [3 favorites]

Here's a fixed image of the Eclipse going over The Great Lakes region from GOES. I cannot believe how massive that shadow is.
posted by JoeXIII007 at 7:30 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

2027 one will max right on the Nile in Egypt. No doubt some super-cool locations to view that . . . checking . . .oh FFS, it's going right over Luxor!!

Love to see that there, but the tourist crush would make it tough no doubt. 2035 in Japan looks more doable, as does the several (!) eclipses Australia is getting in the coming decades. Worst case will be the 2045 one similar to 2017 but a couple of hundred miles to the south; I may or may not be around for that one . . .
posted by torokunai at 7:35 PM on April 8

[link to Mastodon that contains a gif]

Those GIFs are a hoot - the shadow just goes nyoooom across the entire continent in about a second!
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:06 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

Hey, you want a higher framerate, you launch your own camera into space!
posted by hippybear at 8:11 PM on April 8

After watching the 2017 eclipse in Oregon, we knew we needed to see this one too. We drove down to Eminence, MO, and had a lovely weekend, canoeing in the Ozark Wild and Scenic Riverway (the nation’s first Wild and Scenic Riverway!) and star gazing in some of the darkest skies around (Bortle 2-3). The eclipse itself was incredible, the fastest three minutes I have ever experienced. Definitely kicking around a trip to the Mediterranean for 2027.
posted by rockindata at 8:14 PM on April 8 [2 favorites]

"Good luck jenfullmoon, we are all counting on you..."

Also you wurlitzer_c0

We need a MetaPay, where we take care of our mefites, (sort of joking, because how you would stop abuse by bad actors, but..., (and there are probably MeFites who do help other MeFites out)).

But seeing all the harrowing lives that we are all trying to make it through...

Makes me feel sad that I can't do more to help.
You are all awesome. You do you is about the only motto I have.
(Unless you are a nazi shitbag, then fuck right off)

Fucking interesting times. Buckle up. going to be a weird year...
posted by Windopaene at 8:14 PM on April 8 [6 favorites]

Buckle up. going to be a weird year...

If the election goes the wrong way, I could be in a camp this time next year!
posted by hippybear at 8:17 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

Killeen, Texas. Came close to being ruined by clouds, but at the last moment it turned out beautifully.
posted by gimonca at 8:36 PM on April 8 [1 favorite]

I live in Montreal and went to see the total eclipse at Parc Jean Drapeau with a friend.

The trip there on public transit was so slow -- everyone seemed to be heading to that park. But despite the massive amount of people in the metro as well as at the park, the eclipse was awesome. And by that, I mean the true "I was in awe" meaning. Nothing can prepare you for how cold it gets, how dim it gets, the thrill of watching the moon cover the sun entirely while wearing your eclipse glasses and then taking off the glasses and gasping at the sun's corona.

I don't particularly love crowded places (particularly while a pandemic is still on-going), but this really seemed like the masses of people actually added to the experience, rather than detracted from it.

It was truly a profound experience and I'm so glad I was able to go with a friend.
posted by juliebug at 8:39 PM on April 8 [7 favorites]

"Filming was delayed"???

Yes hippybear sorry I was inaccurate. Filming was delayed so they could film the Crucifixion during the eclipse. Which they did - it's kind of amazing.
posted by Rash at 9:04 PM on April 8

Look, what you people should have done is simply buy a house in the eclipse path a decade ago.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:35 AM on April 9 [4 favorites]

Next total solar eclipse shouldn’t be scheduled on Northern New England Super Traffic Day!
posted by lowtide at 4:16 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

I got up yesterday, checked the weather forecast, and made a split second decision to drive north to the eastern end of Lake Ontario, about a hundred miles from me on back roads. My vague destination was a state park. I passed two of them that were closed and got out my trusty book of detailed NY maps. Found a road nearby that ended at the water. There were a bunch of houses and small cottages. I parked on the side of the road and walked. Met some friendly people, ate my fill of potluck deliciousness. The cloud cover was thin and we were able to see the eclipse quite well. It was exhilarating and wonderful and I'm so glad I went. I'm old and not rich so I may not ever see another one. On the way home on the radio there was an interview with Fred Espenak, retired NASA eclipse expert. Show was The Daily, I'm on phone and can't link, worth a listen.
posted by mareli at 5:48 AM on April 9 [1 favorite]

Now that I've seen an eclipse myself, I better appreciate Vihart's observations on the difference between considering the eclipse as an abstraction and experiencing the eclipse in the flesh.
posted by Western Infidels at 5:53 AM on April 9 [4 favorites]

It was a partial eclipse in South Carolina and my sister texted me to say that her husband--a Trump-loving Republican--was viewing with only sunglasses. When I related this to Shepherd, there was a heavy sigh and he remarked, "MABA: Make America Blind Again. Christ."
posted by Kitteh at 7:10 AM on April 9 [5 favorites]

We drove 500 miles overnight from Atlanta to Poplar Bluff MO, had lunch in a café that was having a tremendous amount of fun with naming their eclipse specials, saw the eclipse in a park and drove 500 miles back to Atlanta, getting home about midnight. We didn't book in advance because we didn't know where the weather was going to be clear, plus we only wanted Action Teens to stay out of school for one day. We'd been going to leave midday Sunday but couldn't find a hotel room that wasn't gouged up to $500. On the whole, it was absolutely worth it, but both my wife and I are reeeaaalllly dragging through the workday right now.
posted by outgrown_hobnail at 8:01 AM on April 9 [3 favorites]

We had a great experience in SUNdusky, Ohio. (They officially renamed the town for a couple of days!)

70 degrees and sunny, so we all ditched our sweatshirts, but then wanted them again when it started to get dim. The light was weird -- as bright as you might expect for a cloudy day, but with clear shadows. And then it was dark, but with a bright horizon -- the areas outside of the shadow, visible in the distance. We could see at least one pink prominence in the corona. There were a bunch of kids at our eclipse party, and they all cheered.

Here's a link about how you can donate your eclipse glasses so that kids in other countries can see the next ones...
posted by OnceUponATime at 8:09 AM on April 9 [4 favorites]

Nerded out for the last week or so trying to help my elementary school aged children understand the science of what was happening. Saturday we did at lot of activities like sun clocks, yard stick scale "make your own eclipse" model, understanding the scale of the solar system with register tape and a scale sun and earth, made pinhole viewers, tested eclipse glasses, etc.

Sunday we drove destined for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Chicago (had to get 10 pound bags of "goof-ups" from the Albanese store!) and it was a continual comedy of errors right up until the partial eclipse started at the track. Used our pinhole viewers, made a bunch of projections with colanders, talked about how the animals are reacting, etc. Legitimately received one of the best compliments ever asking if I was a science teacher. 😂

About 20 minutes before totality we went down on the track and found a nice open space. Spread out a blanket and set up some cameras to record our reactions and maybe get a decent shot of the eclipse. Light dimmed and the shadows sharpened and it was just an overall eerie mood. Totality came and it blew us all away. Love the ViHart video Western Infidels linked above - I also assumed the images of the corona were highly enhanced and/or other parts of the spectrum and was lowkey expecting the naked eye view would be underwhelming. I could not have been more wrong. It's the other way around. I did get some good photos, but no camera can capture what your eye sees. Absolutely awe inspiring and beautiful. Eldest daughter and I hugged and wept when it ended.

Traffic was shit, we got home super late, kids were a wreck this morning. 11/10 would do it all again. I'm not waiting 20 years to do it again.
posted by hankscorpio83 at 8:39 AM on April 9 [11 favorites]

it was okay.
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 9:59 AM on April 9

One of the things that those solar eclipse welding glasses taught me is that the sun is surprisingly small, on an angular diameter basis. It honestly feels smaller than the moon, though they're supposedly about the same apparent size (as is required for good total eclipses!)
posted by pwnguin at 10:06 AM on April 9

93% or so totality near Boston. I work at a university library, and we were outside with box viewers and eclipse glasses delighting otherwise jaded students. So many students going from "yeah ok I'll look" to "WOW no way that's amazing!" Heartwarming stuff. Plus two hours on paid time spent outside. Best day in a while.
posted by initapplette at 10:10 AM on April 9 [6 favorites]

initapplette--Those moments with students can (however briefly) make all the other nonsense worth it. We were only at 80-something % and we still had students just boggling at the whole thing, playing with colanders, and cheering. It was really really fun.
posted by hydropsyche at 12:24 PM on April 9 [2 favorites]

There were a bunch of kids at our eclipse party, and they all cheered.

We live a few blocks from an elementary school and the kids all cheered when it got dark.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 12:37 PM on April 9 [2 favorites]

I have relatives that live in yesterday's zone of totality. We visit them often. In 2017 we had a family reunion right before the eclipse, and I mentioned to them that we'd be coming back in 2024 to see the big shebang from their back yard. And so! We went up on Saturday, closely following the weather and noting that Monday was supposed to be "partly cloudy." Sunday was an amazing, cloud-free day. We were feeling good! We had enough eclipse glasses for everyone and I brought my little telescope for which I had acquired a solar filter so that we could see all of the amazing details of the corona.

Monday comes, and it is cloudy. And it keeps getting cloudier. Accuweather radar shows a bunch of big green masses moving in our direction, but also passing us before the totality. We gather our camping chairs and snacks and my telescope and head out back to an enormous field where we have calculated that the angle of the sun will be well above the treeline.

The clouds just keep coming. There is no sun in the sky. The totality grows ever closer. Two other people and their dogs enter the field about 300 meters away and await the magic, likely hoping for the clouds to part.

I bust out my "SkyMap" app and find where the sun is. The app has helpfully made the sun look partially eclipsed. I use my phone's photo editor to take that eclipsed sun icon and paste it onto a picture of the clouds. I send that photo to my mom. She asks if it is real. "Mom," I reply. She is a very credulous woman.

Though we were all prepared for clouds as a potential event, we are feeling kind of bummed, what with the rarity of this kind of event. But then! We realize everything has gotten noticeably darker. And we are a few minutes away from totality. This get darker and darker until, suddenly, everything gets really dark. The whole "sunset on the horizon" thing happens. Birds stop chirping. Yahoos in a nearby development set off just enough fireworks to be startling without becoming annoying. I switch my camera to "pro" mode and take some sweet photos of the yellow skyline.

And then, without warning, it is like someone turns the dimmer switch on the sky and lights it back up. It felt like a dream - the way things change too quickly, defying logic. Even though we didn't see the iconic black hole sun, being in the path of totality was a truly amazing experience. We all amble back to the house, giddy from the totality, and proceed to eat chocolate cake with ice cream, as is our family tradition when pretty much anything happens. All in all, a perfect eclipse.
posted by grumpybear69 at 12:45 PM on April 9 [12 favorites]

last night's CBC coverage was.. extensive (relentless, if you're not as super excited about a solar eclipse as some people)

the segment on visitors to the Toronto Zoo just left me sad.. I can't think of the last time I visited a zoo, and the whole "let's watch these animals during an eclipse" and especially the wolves = not for me
posted by elkevelvet at 1:30 PM on April 9 [1 favorite]

wild how the 2026/7 eclipses will totality-dodge Portugal entirely

Eh. It knows what it did.
posted by Atom Eyes at 4:15 PM on April 9

I still had my solar glasses from the previous eclipse (coming from New Jersey USA, here). I'd just come from a busy weekend, and chose a forestry preserve as my place to view the event.

I was the only person there. Birds were surprisingly few before the eclipse began, and a few Robins began singing what I consider roosting songs. A Fence Lizard joined me on a warm wooden bench, but otherwise seemed unperturbed.

Of course clouds came over just after it started but actually provided a great filter. I found the whole thing exciting. It never got darker than it would just before a storm, and it did get chilly (I think we were at 88% totality?).

It was pretty cool and I'm very glad I saw it.
posted by annieb at 4:30 PM on April 9 [3 favorites]

After a very depressing reassignment meeting in which I found out that jobs at my org aren't quite budget frozen yet but will be limited, and after the end of April I become "just another competitive candidate" and they can peek in my HR file of shame again, I reasonably conclude that my odds of getting another job here are slim to none.

THEN I GOT A TENTATIVE JOB OFFER...at the ah, worst place I interviewed at, in February, the one where it was 15 minutes and they asked about my record? Perhaps they cannot afford to be picky. Supposed starting date May 1, but it'll take weeks to process and background check and all of that. Meanwhile I have three other interviews lined up. I asked about hiring freezes and not that he knew of (supposedly).

Frankly, I think I gotta take it while there's still something to take, or else I'm working at somewhere with "mart" in the name. I will hope something better is offered in the meantime, but at least I've got a "safety school," per my union guy.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:32 PM on April 9 [5 favorites]

After much hemming and hawing, I used the advice in my Ask and booked a place in western upstate NY, driving 5 hours from NJ. Even though it was still a very cool experience, I'm sad that we had 100% cloud cover - never saw the corona.

And then on the way home (we decided to leave early since traffic looked good) I had a tire blow out on the NY State Thruway which was terrifying and stranded us overnight until we could get a replacement the next morning. And the new tires were installed incorrectly. That little misadventure added a thousand bucks to my eclipse outlay. Still not a deterrent - I'll be there for 2045, hopefully with a better view.
posted by rachaelfaith at 5:46 PM on April 9 [2 favorites]

My girlfriend and I took the GO (commuter rail) train from Toronto to Hamilton. The train was much more packed than is usual for the early afternoon of a weekday. A lot of people were planning to go to Hamilton as we did. Many of them planned to continue on to Niagara Falls. (Hamilton and Niagara Falls were in the path of totality; Toronto was not quite.) We got off at the West Harbour station, and then followed the crowd over to Bayfront Park, where a sizeable number of people had already set up to watch the eclipse. The weather was cool and a little breezy, but not unpleasant. The atmosphere in the park reminded me of a music festival. People had their blankets and lawn chairs. Some people near us were making mimosas and drinking them out of crystal champagne flutes. The weather forecast called for 60 - 80% overcast all day, and I was fully prepared to see not much of anything. But just as we arrived, the clouds blew away, and a huge blue sky opened up. People in the park cheered when that happened. We arrived just as the eclipse was starting... we set up our folding chairs, got out some snacks, put on the glasses and started watching as the crescent of the sun got smaller and smaller. I have experienced one other (partial) solar eclipse, and both times, I noticed how "thin" and unsaturated the light gets just before totality. Unfortunately, a few cirrus clouds blew in at the last moment, but the view of totality was still amazing. Yes, we saw the corona and the flares. People cheered and applauded during totality. And then, slowly, the sun came back again. I was a little dismayed at how quickly a lot of the people packed up and headed out. We decided to stick around for a while, then headed over to James Street North for dinner and drinks. All in all, it was a really great experience.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 6:26 PM on April 9 [3 favorites]

I'm heading into therapy tomorrow with a bit of trepidation. I placed a ton of things in the conversation last week, some on purpose some by accident and so I have no idea where the conversation might be steered this week. I'm wondering if I should go in asking if there's a place we should pick up, or if I should volunteer a thing. Because I have maybe two things that are bigger than what I laid out last week that I might want to introduce into this whole therapy thing.

I'm still new to therapy and thinking on this kind of meta-level about therapy feels strange to me. Is this normal? Do people plan out therapy sort of in opposition to their therapist. Is the idea that I'm viewing myself in opposition to my therapist good or bad?
posted by hippybear at 6:39 PM on April 9 [4 favorites]

Therapy is a relationship and it takes time to build trust with a therapist just as it does with anyone else. And - unless you are worried about triggering a mandatory reporting event - the only person you are acting in opposition to is yourself. Your therapist is kind of like a talking mirror whose job it is to reflect you back on yourself so that you can see clearly. And there are always things we don't want to see!

When I first started seeing my therapist I was taken aback that we had lived in the same city a number of years prior and became unsure if I wanted to continue seeing them. That feeling faded as I got to know them better and began to let go of what turned out to be just general therapy anxiety. So meta-level thinking is not at al abnormal, nor is viewing your therapist from an adversarial viewpoint. The key is to just not let those thoughts and feelings get in the way of going to therapy and being honest with your therapist. You are, remember, the one doing the work. Your therapist is just guiding you through the process.
posted by grumpybear69 at 9:50 AM on April 10 [1 favorite]

After therpay today I'm beginning to think my therapist doesn't connect any week I'm in therapy with any previous week. I've felt this for a while, and maybe confronting the pu, the blank block, is useful... but I might want a therapist who is carrying forward with me from week to week?

I guess I need to ask questions and see exactly what kind of revue/preparation is being done before my visit every week.

If, as the grumpy bear suggests, my therapist is only there to be a mirror for me, then I need to adjust my expectations. Because my expectations have been that conversations will carry over and continue from week to week. But my experience right now is that is not happening, and that maybe he is coming into every therapy session as a completely blank slate rather than carrying anything forward from a previous conversation.

This isn't true because I sometimes get asked questions about things discussed previously, but in general...

anyway, it's weird and frustrating. I don't know if my expectations are flawed or just don't mesh with this particular therapist.
posted by hippybear at 8:06 PM on April 10 [1 favorite]

Also had a bit of an argument with my therapist about being shamed. Like, I don't walk through life feeling like I'm a person who deserves shame. That's why I've been going to Pride for decades, to remind me that I don't deserve to feel shame for who I am.

He was discounting Guilt, which is what I mostly feel thanks to being raised Presbyterian. But why listen to the thing that your client is telling you is his actual issue, and instead try to press forward with the Shame thing that clearly isn't an issue.

I don't feel like I am a bad person. Ask me when I was pre-coming out or maybe in the decade after I came out and we could talk about me feeling like I am a bad person, but I promise you one thing about talking to a gay person in their mid-Fifties who came out 30-odd years ago... we've done the work even if we haven't done it with a therapist. Otherwise we are dead or such a bitter queen nobody can cope with us.
posted by hippybear at 8:52 PM on April 10 [6 favorites]

Ugh you have my sympathies, hippybear. Therapists who are only mirrors are the worst. "Sure, you can pay me to just talk!" Might as well hire a hooker.
posted by Melismata at 7:29 AM on April 11 [1 favorite]

Got told I was being laid off just before Christmas. A couple weeks ago I had two! competing job offers in the Pacific Northwest, so it looks like I'm going to be making a 2,000 mile drive in a couple weeks to start one of the jobs and look for a place for the family to live after the little one finishes school. The older kid has been accepted into a great program up there for their degree, so now we will get in-state tuition. I've really maximized my work/life balance since being laid off though.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 11:06 AM on April 11 [6 favorites]

This week has been full of “I like being a parent” moments. I have no doubt that the universe will crush me under Monty Python’s enormous foot in the near future, but it has been good.

We took kiddo out of school since he likes space stuff and went to Erie to watch the eclipse. We had so. much. fun. Watching my kid get so excited to witness totality was so worth it. And frankly, it was freaking amazing.

Today I watched him play in new sport and he did well. He is more relaxed and confident than at his first game. And he is enjoying it! His teammates are nice and give him suggestions on how to do better.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:29 PM on April 11 [5 favorites]

You know the old saw about an angel on one of your shoulders and a devil on the other?

I think I have Mister Rogers on one shoulder and General Zod on the other.

My two inner voices are one of relaxed, empathetic kindness and one constantly telling me this planet and its inhabitants are worthless and should be destroyed.

The antibiotics seem to have helped with my sinusitis, so I'm hoping to get back to a personality guided more by ol' Fred.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:27 AM on April 12 [2 favorites]

My preferred shoulder companion to Mr. Rogers is Neil Armstrong - I'd rather Neil before Zod.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:46 AM on April 12 [4 favorites]

Just because I favorited that doesn't mean I forgive you for it.
posted by biogeo at 8:28 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]

I do not expect nor deserve forgiveness or redemption, and in fact remain blissfully unrepentant.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:52 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]

Very good, so long as we understand one another.
posted by biogeo at 9:28 PM on April 12

I understand only that I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul.

My mandate also includes obscure puns
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:49 PM on April 12 [2 favorites]

No pun is mature until it is full groan.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 11:50 AM on April 13 [5 favorites]

I awoke this morning with, for unknown reasons, the idea that pharmacists are grammarians. Because pharmacist -> apothecary -> "from the chest/case" in Ancient Greek -> grammatical case -> grammarians. So I enjoy the inscrutable exhortations of your soul, Greg_Ace, although my own dumb brain clearly has its own supply of nonsense on constant ready boil.
posted by biogeo at 12:04 PM on April 13 [1 favorite]

Just finished making chicken cacciatore, using a proper* recipe, and oh MAN does it taste good!

For those who care: I used this recipe as a base. I only used 4 thighs since I live alone, but kept the same amounts for the other ingredients except for using twice as much garlic, oregano, and thyme because I like actual seasoning. I also added bacon lardons (crisped up between browning the chicken and adding the vegetables) and substituted dried and reconstituted porcini mushrooms for the button/baby bellas to add to the overall umami, and also added 1/2 Cup of pitted black olives...I got all of those from another recipe because they sounded like Very Italian additions, and I was not sorry. I served it over brown rice (although polenta would also have been a good choice) and lightly sautéed lacinato kale.

* I've mentioned before that when I was a kid mom regularly made a terrible "cacciatore" that was essentially overcooked chicken breasts in half-cooked under-seasoned tomato sauce and onions. (No bell pepper because my sister hated it so much that she could tell if someone waved a pepper over the pan while the dish was cooking.) It was boring and acidic. It wasn't until I was in my 50's that I found out how good the dish could be when done properly.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:49 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

I just watched Conan O'Brien on the Hot Ones season finale. What a legend! Hilarious!
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:06 PM on April 14

SOME of us watched that yesterday afternoon.
posted by hippybear at 8:33 PM on April 14

Well shoot, how the hell did I miss that??
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:44 PM on April 14

You're paying attention to life that exists outside of online. You need to stop doing that.
posted by hippybear at 8:49 PM on April 14 [1 favorite]

Yeah, silly me...
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:03 PM on April 14

Last night Mrs C made Chicken Marbella, which could be considered a Mediterranean cousin to Chicken Cacciatore? We had it with rice. For dessert we picked the rest of the prunes out of the leftover sauce.
posted by Artful Codger at 7:54 AM on April 15