2024 Solar Eclipse - never too early to get ready

[utee94 15797]

11 minutes ago, The Royal We said:

Thank you, I saw that but forgot about it. According to that, traffic was much heavier in populated areas. The shitty weather will also cause quite a few people to stay home or seek an area with better weather too.

This is what I'm hoping.

 

6 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

2 updates:
a) I have decided to view the eclipse with friends who live just outside Indy, and the weather forecast has been iffy, but Monday is starting to look better (gawd I hope I'm not jinxing myself)

b) Mrs Fairway has gone high anxiety, near panic, mode for this event. She says the Indy had declared public emergency, schools are closing, she read that there are estimates of over 1 million, food and gas shortages due to influx of people. AND to top all of that she decided to test the eclipse glasses that we have and now she thinks they might all be fakes and not safe for the viewing. She says that when she tried them on last night that the lights in the room were still (very dimly) visible, so next she tested them with her cell phone flashlight and again dim light was visible. 

So I looked (sources linked below) and a small amount of light should be visible with a phone light and a bright bulb (unless it is frosted or in a shaded fixture - which they were not).  And Indianapolis has a population of about 900,000, so a million isn't that many people coming in & it is a, like us, I think many people will not go into the city but rather view in an outlying area. Then she got mad when I said if it seemed like a bad decision to go and she was too worried that we could just drop the trip (which I will fess up, I was bluffing/lying) which made her rethink her overreaction.

https://www.cnet.com/health/personal-care/are-your-solar-eclipse-glasses-safe-to-use-or-fake-heres-how-to-find-out/

https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/how-to-tell-if-viewers-are-safe

https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/safety/

Fuck it/Floor it - I'm all in on this bitch (and she better not be a just a tease....looking at you Mother Nature and the weather)

Just gas up ahead of time, pack a cooler with food and snacks, and do it.

I think a lot of folks are overthinking this thing.  They see pictures of crowded highways from the last one and think it's armageddon, but none of those folks died from starvation on the side of the road.  They all made it home eventually.

Heck, I bet it's much worse trying to get out of the parking lot at COTA after a Formula 1 race or a Rolling Stones concert, than it will be traveling the highways of Central Texas on Monday.

[Js1 85259]

8 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

And Indianapolis has a population of about 900,000, so a million isn't that many people coming in

Yeah how would Indy handle a large influx of people like… the Super Bowl, NCAA men’s final four, the CFP championship, etc. 

[NoName 16349]

5 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Heck, I bet it's much worse trying to get out of the parking lot at COTA after a Formula 1 race or a Rolling Stones concert, than it will be traveling the highways of Central Texas on Monday.

the most recent projection i saw was to have an expectation of it taking 4 hours to get to Austin from eastern Gillespie County.

[utee94 15797]

2 minutes ago, NoName said:

the most recent projection i saw was to have an expectation of it taking 4 hours to get to Austin from eastern Gillespie County.

See?   COTA is a lot worse than that!

 

 

[Wally Fairway 5539]

13 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Yeah how would Indy handle a large influx of people like… the Super Bowl, NCAA men’s final four, the CFP championship, etc. 

We've been there to visit family, not for the race, on Indy weekend and the traffic (if you are not going to/from the race) is nowhere near as bad as Houston traffic on any given day.

I will try to avoid construction, and I will not get on the road home for at least an hour after the eclipse is over, however I will be travelling in a similar direction but not nearly as fast. It will all be fine, I'm thinking this emergency declaration is most similar to the Y2K scare-athon

[TexasGrunt 72]

1 hour ago, The Royal We said:

I'm thinking the opposite on the bigger cities vs. some random rural road. It seems like people coming from further east will be going to bigger towns. I'm in Nacogdoches and have been planning on going almost due west to find a spot along 287 on the other side of Palestine. The path of totality looks to cross this area 10-15 miles west of Palestine on 287.

What's the consensus, a bigger city like Tyler where they have better infrastructure or a more rural place where there should be fewer people? My plan has been to find somewhere in the red circle that has a larger shoulder where we can turn around and be pointed back to home and safely watch from the side of the road. Will areas like this be all jammed up too?

 

I recently bought an old house in Kerens, not too far from there.  I would tell you to drop by, it's off 31 but I have 8 pecan trees and some other trees in my yard.  I may be at the house but not sure, I am driving up from Houston to drop off some things for the house so I will be in the area but may go somewhere else to watch.

[Js1 85259]

4 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

nowhere near as bad as Houston traffic on any given day.

Well that's also a metro area of 7 million fucking people, so...

[Captain Ron 12862]

42 minutes ago, Wally Fairway said:

b) Mrs Fairway has gone high anxiety, near panic, mode for this event. She says the Indy had declared public emergency, schools are closing, she read that there are estimates of over 1 million, food and gas shortages due to influx of people. AND to top all of that she decided to test the eclipse glasses that we have and now she thinks they might all be fakes and not safe for the viewing. She says that when she tried them on last night that the lights in the room were still (very dimly) visible, so next she tested them with her cell phone flashlight and again dim light was visible. 

Wrong thread dude.

But seriously, as others have noted, declaring a public emergency isn't a big deal - it's a way to get more people/services online with a lot less red tape.

Food/Gas really isn't going to be an issue for locals. They can stock up right now and be good for the event. Gas - fill up early.

Eclipse glasses - just read them, if they are ISO 12312-2, they should be fine. The "tests" she ran don't mean crap.

Edited April 4 by Captain Ron

[The Royal We 3067]

11 minutes ago, TexasGrunt said:

I recently bought an old house in Kerens, not too far from there.  I would tell you to drop by, it's off 31 but I have 8 pecan trees and some other trees in my yard.  I may be at the house but not sure, I am driving up from Houston to drop off some things for the house so I will be in the area but may go somewhere else to watch.

Man, that's a random ass place to buy a house. I'm thinking somewhere around Cayuga is where we'll end up.

I'm definitely overthinking this, but having 3 kids and my wife stuck in the car with me for 4 hours because the traffic was insane sounds....not fun.

[Hagbard Celine 10848]

Based on the models, this will be a non-event in Texas UNLESS some part of totality looks like it's going to open up AND THEN there will be a crush of a million, maybe up to 3 million people trying to get in to it.  If that "hole" is not accessible due to distance from popcenters and 2-lane pavement, many will try and fail and the backups from the 'epicenter' will radiate towards pop centers in every direction.   In addition, if there is only 1 or 2 'holes' likely to develop, forget online navigation.  If you don't already have a copy, and if you plan on going full tactical at 3am monday morning, one of these is mission critical:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=benchmark+texas+atlas&crid=3G8GPAUVAP01P&sprefix=benchmark+texas+atlas%2Caps%2C172&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

If you are going full tac, study the fuck out of the target zone: know where the paved roads are, where they start, where they end, and be prepared to take a caliche road here and there.

It's the exit that is critical - a single stop sign might take an hour to clear.  It's impossible to game scenarios but there are certain roads in certain areas that provide excellent horizontal or vertical reach of about 25-30 miles, which is all you should expect at 9am once you've set your target.

I've laid out several strategies upthread, and again historically the Bracketville - to - Radar Base road is statistically the best location in Texas, and the 3 Clarksville holes we've seen are just very odd and might be worth a saving throw.

More as we get closer.....

[NoName 16349]

it's a monday, so lots of vacant properties

[Texas Jeff 1942]

I was near the Georgia border for the last eclipse. Getting to a spot was easy. After it was over, we had about ten minutes before gridlock started.

Waze saved us and it routed us some very weird ways, but we kept moving. I had planned a three hour buffer at the Atlanta airport and I ended up walking right on the plane when I got to the gate, but I made it.

So when it’s over, get moving as soon as you can, get as far as you can before the rush and have a plan. Or … just be prepared to wait.

[CHIEF 5075]

Got a buddy that works for Hill County Sheriff's Dept., he has a house in Aquilla, which is dead center of the path, he is gonna get a full 4:30 minutes of totality. I'm in the path, but only get a little less than 2:30 of totality. Think I'm gonna just sit in the back yard, and say "fuck the extra two minutes." The drive to Aquilla is usually about an hour and a half, but would probably turn into an all day affair just getting there and back.

CHIEF

[butthurt 1522]

[Captain Ron 12862]

22 minutes ago, butthurt said:

 

I won't deny this - I did pick up some beer for the occasion.

 

[Nice Guy Eddie 13507]

5 hours ago, The Royal We said:

I'm thinking the opposite on the bigger cities vs. some random rural road. It seems like people coming from further east will be going to bigger towns. I'm in Nacogdoches and have been planning on going almost due west to find a spot along 287 on the other side of Palestine. The path of totality looks to cross this area 10-15 miles west of Palestine on 287.

What's the consensus, a bigger city like Tyler where they have better infrastructure or a more rural place where there should be fewer people? My plan has been to find somewhere in the red circle that has a larger shoulder where we can turn around and be pointed back to home and safely watch from the side of the road. Will areas like this be all jammed up too?

 

one thing to consider is eclipse duration. You can zoom in more on this page (https://eclipse-explorer.smce.nasa.gov/) but here is the basic durations. The closer to yellow line, on your map, the shorter the duration. 

 

Edited April 4 by Nice Guy Eddie

[NAVY 6740]

Is it too early to start panic buying at HEB? 

[Newdoc 3439]

2 minutes ago, NAVY said:

Is it too early to start panic buying at HEB? 

Pretty sure they’re not open.

[kevwun 15758]

And if they were they'd only have the HEB version on the shelf because all of the name brand stuff is gone already.

[landman 559]

8 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

Wrong thread dude.

But seriously, as others have noted, declaring a public emergency isn't a big deal - it's a way to get more people/services online with a lot less red tape.

Food/Gas really isn't going to be an issue for locals. They can stock up right now and be good for the event. Gas - fill up early.

Eclipse glasses - just read them, if they are ISO 12312-2, they should be fine. The "tests" she ran don't mean crap.

What about computers crashing?  Had a guy today cancel a Teams meeting Monday because he says computers are going to crash during the eclipse.  And he was dead serious.

[washparkhorn 9939]

For those missing this one, here is the lineup for future opportunities:

 

[MAUFRAIS 6615]

I’m choosing to see it even more amazing that the earth, moon, sun and a cloud are all in perfect alignment.

[BamaATL 16593]

1 hour ago, landman said:

What about computers crashing?  Had a guy today cancel a Teams meeting Monday because he says computers are going to crash during the eclipse.  And he was dead serious.

I can't stop laughing at the thought of this.  I've sat here pondering someone even coming up with that for while.  Just wow.

[bolverk 29646]

44 minutes ago, BamaATL said:

I can't stop laughing at the thought of this.  I've sat here pondering someone even coming up with that for while.  Just wow.

Why? Everybody knows computers don't work in the shade. Duh!

[TexasEd 8066]

1 hour ago, BamaATL said:

I can't stop laughing at the thought of this.  I've sat here pondering someone even coming up with that for while.  Just wow.

He was probably disappointed by Y2K

[Surly Bevo 24908]

2 hours ago, washparkhorn said:

For those missing this one, here is the lineup for future opportunities:

 

So when the clouds bone this all the board is bunking up with @mooseoutfront in March 2033?  Bring your own shit stick.

[Francisco 2.0 32386]

Meanwhile, on Twitter/Tiktok and whatnot.  What could possibly go wrong:

 

 

https://gizmodo.com/conspiracy-theorists-say-stare-at-eclipse-1851387594

 

Quote

The total solar eclipse will be visible to millions of people in North America on April 8, and experts warn that it’s vital everyone wears proper eye protection. But there are some conspiracy theorists on TikTok and X who are insisting the experts are lying and that it’s completely safe to just stare at the eclipse.

Some of the theories that it’s fine to stare at the eclipse are rooted in nothing more than a belief that everyone should just ignore experts.

“If they’re telling us to not look at the eclipse, it’s prolly good for us to LOOK AT THE ECLIPSE,” one X user wrote on Wednesday.

 

Quote

Other users shared their own experiences, including people who say they regularly stare at the sun, an activity known as sungazing that’s popular among some fringe New Age communities.

“I’ve always looked at eclipses plus almost every day I will stare at the sun for about 5 minutes. I’m not blind yet. They lied about that,” another X user chimed in.

 

Quote

That kneejerk desire to be contradictory has always been around, of course, but it gained considerable steam on social media after a massive right-wing campaign to doubt anything health experts said in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. But there are other rationales as well. Some theories hinge on the idea that it’s safe to look at the eclipse because... the Earth is actually flat. Seriously.

“When the eclipse happens, ditch the glasses. They are a lie,” one account on X claimed. “Look at it with your eyes, and the flat earth truth will be revealed. The glasses are not to protect your eyes… they are to protect their LIES!”

 

 

 

Spoiler

The X account shared a video from TikTok that insists the Earth is actually flat and staring at the sun during the eclipse will help people realize that fact. Many of the flat Earthers also seem to believe they can find answers in ancient religious texts, especially books not included in the Bible.

“None of these things are three-dimensional above us. They’re all inside the firmament. Boom. Read the Book of Enoch for further explanation,” one TikToker said.

There are also TikTok creators who have been claiming the eclipse “glasses scam” is just a way for companies to make money selling eyewear. By discouraging people from looking at the sun, they say, “people can see just by common sense that the sun is not 93 million miles away.”

To be clear, people who are in the path of totality—the sections of Earth where the sun will be completely blocked by the Moon—wouldn’t be harmed by looking at the sun in those brief minutes when it’s completely blocked, as the American Academy of Ophthalmology notes. But most experts say not to risk it, since it can be hard to time precisely when the sun starts peeking out again.

Dr. Ronald Benner, president of the American Optometric Association, told Gizmodo last month that retinal tissue can be irreversibly damaged by staring at the sun.

“Once that tissue has been damaged, it’s up to the body to try to repair it. There is no medication, there is no treatment, there are no workarounds. And that’s why we take this so seriously, because once it’s done, it’s done,” Benner said.

TikTokers have been convinced that the eclipse on April 8 will bring about all kinds of apocalyptic things, including everything from the biblical rapture (where God causes all the true believers to disappear into the heavens, leaving the unbelievers behind on Earth) to the end of the so-called simulation that defines our current reality. So it’s almost refreshing to hear conspiracy theories with lower stakes, like the idea that eclipse glasses are just a way to make money.

Be careful out there on Monday, folks. Aside from people who insist staring at the eclipse won’t be harmful, there are reports of scammers selling eclipse-viewing glasses that aren’t actually protective. Make sure you check to see if your glasses have the string of letters and numbers: ISO 12312-2.

And if you do get raptured, please drop us a line. We assume Heaven has internet access by now and would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

[Captain Ron 12862]

14 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Meanwhile, on Twitter/Tiktok and whatnot.  What could possibly go wrong:

 

 

https://gizmodo.com/conspiracy-theorists-say-stare-at-eclipse-1851387594

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Hide contents

The X account shared a video from TikTok that insists the Earth is actually flat and staring at the sun during the eclipse will help people realize that fact. Many of the flat Earthers also seem to believe they can find answers in ancient religious texts, especially books not included in the Bible.

“None of these things are three-dimensional above us. They’re all inside the firmament. Boom. Read the Book of Enoch for further explanation,” one TikToker said.

There are also TikTok creators who have been claiming the eclipse “glasses scam” is just a way for companies to make money selling eyewear. By discouraging people from looking at the sun, they say, “people can see just by common sense that the sun is not 93 million miles away.”

To be clear, people who are in the path of totality—the sections of Earth where the sun will be completely blocked by the Moon—wouldn’t be harmed by looking at the sun in those brief minutes when it’s completely blocked, as the American Academy of Ophthalmology notes. But most experts say not to risk it, since it can be hard to time precisely when the sun starts peeking out again.

Dr. Ronald Benner, president of the American Optometric Association, told Gizmodo last month that retinal tissue can be irreversibly damaged by staring at the sun.

“Once that tissue has been damaged, it’s up to the body to try to repair it. There is no medication, there is no treatment, there are no workarounds. And that’s why we take this so seriously, because once it’s done, it’s done,” Benner said.

TikTokers have been convinced that the eclipse on April 8 will bring about all kinds of apocalyptic things, including everything from the biblical rapture (where God causes all the true believers to disappear into the heavens, leaving the unbelievers behind on Earth) to the end of the so-called simulation that defines our current reality. So it’s almost refreshing to hear conspiracy theories with lower stakes, like the idea that eclipse glasses are just a way to make money.

Be careful out there on Monday, folks. Aside from people who insist staring at the eclipse won’t be harmful, there are reports of scammers selling eclipse-viewing glasses that aren’t actually protective. Make sure you check to see if your glasses have the string of letters and numbers: ISO 12312-2.

And if you do get raptured, please drop us a line. We assume Heaven has internet access by now and would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

 

Flat Earthers can all be blinded or maybe have some major eye damage?

 

[Js1 85259]

41 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Meanwhile, on Twitter/Tiktok and whatnot.  What could possibly go wrong:

 

 

https://gizmodo.com/conspiracy-theorists-say-stare-at-eclipse-1851387594

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

The X account shared a video from TikTok that insists the Earth is actually flat and staring at the sun during the eclipse will help people realize that fact. Many of the flat Earthers also seem to believe they can find answers in ancient religious texts, especially books not included in the Bible.

“None of these things are three-dimensional above us. They’re all inside the firmament. Boom. Read the Book of Enoch for further explanation,” one TikToker said.

There are also TikTok creators who have been claiming the eclipse “glasses scam” is just a way for companies to make money selling eyewear. By discouraging people from looking at the sun, they say, “people can see just by common sense that the sun is not 93 million miles away.”

To be clear, people who are in the path of totality—the sections of Earth where the sun will be completely blocked by the Moon—wouldn’t be harmed by looking at the sun in those brief minutes when it’s completely blocked, as the American Academy of Ophthalmology notes. But most experts say not to risk it, since it can be hard to time precisely when the sun starts peeking out again.

Dr. Ronald Benner, president of the American Optometric Association, told Gizmodo last month that retinal tissue can be irreversibly damaged by staring at the sun.

“Once that tissue has been damaged, it’s up to the body to try to repair it. There is no medication, there is no treatment, there are no workarounds. And that’s why we take this so seriously, because once it’s done, it’s done,” Benner said.

TikTokers have been convinced that the eclipse on April 8 will bring about all kinds of apocalyptic things, including everything from the biblical rapture (where God causes all the true believers to disappear into the heavens, leaving the unbelievers behind on Earth) to the end of the so-called simulation that defines our current reality. So it’s almost refreshing to hear conspiracy theories with lower stakes, like the idea that eclipse glasses are just a way to make money.

Be careful out there on Monday, folks. Aside from people who insist staring at the eclipse won’t be harmful, there are reports of scammers selling eclipse-viewing glasses that aren’t actually protective. Make sure you check to see if your glasses have the string of letters and numbers: ISO 12312-2.

And if you do get raptured, please drop us a line. We assume Heaven has internet access by now and would love to hear from you.

 

 

 

[texasdago 7562]

I think we will get 2:30ish of clouds on Monday... I'm going to walk over to a park with an umbrella and rain boots and enjoy the fantastic view

[Trey3216 15343]

17 hours ago, kevwun said:

And if they were they'd only have the HEB version on the shelf because all of the name brand stuff is gone already.

 

That's a perk, not a detriment.  

Edited April 5 by Trey3216

[Eastwood 4394]

H-E-B is name brand, at this point. 

[Trey3216 15343]

14 hours ago, washparkhorn said:

For those missing this one, here is the lineup for future opportunities:

 

Maybe if Russia would quit being a gaping pussy we'd be able to go to Yalta in 2030.  

[Kel Varnsen 8458]

Australia's the place to be!

[Deej 76750]

We're doomed

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2024/04/05/solar-eclipse-2024-texas-power-grid-ercot-solar-energy/73201172007/

[WithoutAClue 15329]

[Hagbard Celine 10848]

25 minutes ago, Deej said:

We're doomed

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2024/04/05/solar-eclipse-2024-texas-power-grid-ercot-solar-energy/73201172007/

my god

what in the everlovingfuck

the 2017 eclipse totality was 1000 miles north

unbelievable

whoever wrote that article, and whoever let that article be published, have to be aggy

there is no other explanation

[Wally Fairway 5539]

21 hours ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

one thing to consider is eclipse duration. You can zoom in more on this page (https://eclipse-explorer.smce.nasa.gov/) but here is the basic durations. The closer to yellow line, on your map, the shorter the duration. 

 

This has to be one of the best maps that I have seen; I have sent a link to at least 10 people. 
Besides the time in  totality, it also has a animation that shows the circle (oblated oval) of totality as it travels (heads up - click the 60x button and move the slider to get to where you want to see it

 

[Wilcox Cummingtonite 2935]

womp womp

[utee94 15797]

65% of the time, their forecasts are right every time.

[kevwun 15758]

The forecast has been the same for over a week.  The sun isn't coming out.

[Nicole44 22056]

Is there also hope to see the Devil’s comet with a telescope also? SIAP. I’ve been busy working on job interview stuff. This person’s X handle cracks me up:

 

[InkaUtexas 25855]

Already posted. And did not know serial killers have to interview. Who is the hiring agent? Some dude named Bundy? And not Al.

[Newdoc 3439]

17 minutes ago, kevwun said:

The sun isn't coming out.

When I'm stuck with a day that's grey and lonely
I just stick up my chin and grin and say, oh…….

[BachelorTrek 2965]

43 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

Is there also hope to see the Devil’s comet with a telescope also? SIAP. I’ve been busy working on job interview stuff. This person’s X handle cracks me up:

 

Lulz at that vid and username. 

With the username Jesus Chrysler, is he implying that The Lamb of God is forever-underpowered and rusts-through quickly?  Lulz.

[orange dream 1246]

A friend of a friend at UT in the 1989-1990 range had an old Chrysler that he had painted horns and the devil's face on the hood and had stenciled on the front and back bumper, "The Anti-Chrysler"

[BachelorTrek 2965]

3 minutes ago, orange dream said:

A friend of a friend at UT in the 1989-1990 range had an old Chrysler that he had painted horns and the devil's face on the hood and had stenciled on the front and back bumper, "The Anti-Chrysler"

Since I was on The 40 Acres at that time, I'd probably would want to stand next to a car like that drinking a bottle of Young's Old Nick beer -- now gone, too. Lulz.

 

[utee94 15797]

15 minutes ago, BachelorTrek said:

Since I was on The 40 Acres at that time, I'd probably would want to stand next to a car like that drinking a bottle of Young's Old Nick beer -- now gone, too. Lulz.

 

One of the downsides of the craft beer explosion in the USA, is that we've lost access to a lot of great imports.  I used to drink the hell out of some Young's, Fuller's, Sam Smith, Whitbread.  Now it's tough to find any of them even in bottles or cans, and you can forget about draught.

 

[YGIFS 19449]

2 hours ago, utee94 said:

65% of the time, their forecasts are right every time.

Note to self.  Launch cologne brand called "Sex Eclipse."  And after it interests the woman, you can reach your totality in about 3 minutes.  

[Hagbard Celine 10848]

7 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Australia's the place to be!

no shit!

2028, 2030, 2037, 2038

i thought green acres was the place to be

now, i'm thinking that it's Dungaree