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OT: Ring of fire annular solar eclipse

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/19/2012 : 10:53:13

For those of us on the west coast all the way to Texas, tomorrow evening is a once in a lifetime astronomical event. A total annular solar eclipse. Check out the [url="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html"]NASA Google map of the event's path[/url].

The relative orbital positions of the sun & moon make it so the moon's diameter isn't enough to completely block out the sun, so you get the "ring of fire" effect. Apparently this is rare on a epochal time scale. Anyone in the Medford OR. area will have best seats in the house as it crosses the west coast tomorrow evening (Sun 20 May). My brother lives right there, I considered driving down, but that's an 18 hour round trip and no guarantee of actually seeing it. The eclipse carries on across the states until it reaches NM/TX and the moon continues on it's path past the sun.

We're forecast rain tomorrow in Seattle, so extremely unlikely we'll see it, but it won't be for lack of looking on my part.

David
C-250 Mainsheet Editor

Sirius Lepak
1997 C-250 WK TR #271 --Seattle area Port Captain --

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2012 : 11:34:36

Fourteen straight days of sun here in Eugene which is some sort of record for May. Clouds and rain forecast for tomorrow.

Next time you travel to visit your brother stop by and we'll go for a sail!

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2012 : 11:46:11

Yeah, it's nice and sunny here today, maybe the high will hold long enough. The eclipse starts around 6pm local time and is over by about 7:30pm. That's a big enough window that we might get to see some of it, and who knows, we may get a break. If so, I'm heading over to a friend's house, his back deck should be well situated for viewing and he has an unobstructed view all the way across our valley.

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Dave5041
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3758 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2012 : 19:26:17

I saw a total once when I was 8 or 9 and several partials, but never an annular total. I have seen partials through clouds that were thin enough for the sun to be a bright spot in the clouds. It wouldn't be as neat as a clear sky, but it would still be pretty cool if you got that much of a view.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2012 : 19:34:26

Yeah, we're pretty much completely overcast here now, and they're still predicting rain. I'm talking to a photographer friend of mine, and we'll probably go over to his place if it looks like it might clear up, but I'm not holding my breath.

Randy will probably have a good shot at it, but it looks like he might get overcast skies as well.

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Nautiduck
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Response Posted - 05/19/2012 : 19:55:45

I wonder if there is a web site to watch it live.

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Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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3758 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2012 : 20:59:45

http://www.space.com/15749-solar-eclipse-online-viewing-may20.html

I'm sure there are more, but this is an excellent astronomy site.

Edited by - Dave5041 on 05/19/2012 21:02:37

Joe Diver
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Response Posted - 05/20/2012 : 06:49:45

I'm fixing to head out to the lake for the day....I'm hoping we'll have one of those beautiful sunsets where the sun is a big orange ball on the horizon....we're supposed to see 67% here in North Texas. I'll get some pics if its good.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2012 : 11:44:03

Hope you get a good look at it, and we're expecting pictures if you do. North Texas should be in relatively good shape for a partial eclipse.

As forecast, it's raining here, so not much chance of seeing it.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2012 : 18:03:23

Well, as predicted, raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock here. My brother says it was anticlimactic, but the annular eclipse hasn't even happened yet (another 22 minutes or so before it's seen at his place). So disappointed.

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2012 : 18:12:30

This is the best live event I've found thus far: http://events.slooh.com/

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GaryB
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4304 Posts

Response Posted - 05/20/2012 : 19:11:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Joe Diver
 I'm fixing to head out to the lake for the day....I'm hoping we'll have one of those beautiful sunsets where the sun is a big orange ball on the horizon....we're supposed to see 67% here in North Texas. I'll get some pics if its good.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Looking at the satelitte pictures you should have gotten your wish!

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Joe Diver
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Response Posted - 05/20/2012 : 21:16:34

I got a very quick glimpse of it...no pictures.

There were big storms north and west, with alot of blowoff...so, an hour before sunset, the sun went behind the clouds.

As I was driving home, I was on a loop to get on the highway, and I just caught a really quick 5 second glimpse of it. The sun dropped into a small gap between the horizon and the base of the clouds...it was really cool, the sun was a big orange orb that looked like the crescent moon knocked on it's side. Would have made a great picture! I should have stayed on the lake....but at the time it was cloudy all the way to the horizon.

Edited by - Joe Diver on 05/20/2012 21:17:17

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