What's the hype with the eclipse???

UTfball68

UTfball68

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2008
Location
Granite Quarry
I love nature, I love the outdoors...but admittedly, I'm not seeing what the hype is about this eclipse. Am I missing something??? Major highways are putting signs up that traffic will be bad for what I assume is travel to Charleston. I'm reading local reports that because of it, we'll be seeing shortages and delays in gas and grocery deliveries. I see darkness every night. It's not an anomaly...it's an intersection of a math equation. You know, Train A and train B are traveling toward eachother blah blah blah.

And they do happen with frequency. Here are the dates and times for solar and lunar eclipses for the next 10 years, and the best visibility path for each...

Solar and Lunar Eclipses Worldwide – Next 10 years
 
Well, this particular type of eclipse only happens like every 90+ years, so it is a little special if you are into it. But in general it's a lot of hype for 2 minutes of darkness. I was kinda surprised to see the road signs warning me to prepare for it. Like how? Wear an additional tin foil hat?
 
ManglerYJ said:
Well, this particular type of eclipse only happens like every 90+ years, so it is a little special if you are into it. But in general it's a lot of hype for 2 minutes of darkness. I was kinda surprised to see the road signs warning me to prepare for it. Like how? Wear an additional tin foil hat?
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And I get that too...I'm sure if I nerded out over this stuff...100% coverage vs 96% is a big deal. But as I understand, in North America it only happens like every 90 years...but coverage is based on actual location, right??? So in 2019 (the next total solar eclipse), I could go to Africa, and see 100% coverage?
 
I've already purchased my tickets


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Colombia is one of the big spots to see it. My mom and her friend are going to see it because friend is really into astronomy. I don't really get it.
 
This one is special because the trajectory/rotation of the earth will have this traveling in an arc from Charleston ,SC through North Dakota.
Essentially making it darn near 100% for over 75% of the country.

The road sign "watch outs" are for the crazy traffic.

Every hotel in Columbia, Greenville and Charleston C is booked for next Sunday night.
Cancellations in roach coaches are being re booked at $300/night.

I have no idea what the big deal is, but I can bet you I wont be out driving around that day.


BTW....Duke Energy has a muchb biggesr concern on their hands...
 
95% is good enough for me, I'll see it from the back yard. I'll be safe, I'll wear my beer googles.

Sounds like the traffic is going to be a nightmare. Wait until all those folks get to Columbia/wherever, sit in a Walmart parking lot for several hours, then find out all the stations have run out of gas and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
 
UTfball68 said:
And I get that too...I'm sure if I nerded out over this stuff...100% coverage vs 96% is a big deal. But as I understand, in North America it only happens like every 90 years...but coverage is based on actual location, right??? So in 2019 (the next total solar eclipse), I could go to Africa, and see 100% coverage?
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Yes but you don't live in Africa, now do you? Do you have the extra $4,000 to make that trip with your family? How does that compare to a couple hours drive and seeing it here?

My kids are almost 7, and 12. I don't hold any illusion they will be rich world travelers. The way I see it, this is very likely the only chance they will ever get to. So why not make a trip?

We also ARE known as the #Nerdhouse, so there is that.
 
I fail to see why gas mass gas shortages would be such a major deal. Yes, a shit-ton of people will be traveling, basically a majority of the country's population will be temporarily concentrated within a diagonal band running down the country.
But how is this dramatically different from, say, Christmas or Thanksgiving, in regards to how many vehicles are used?
As long as every single person doesn't decide to fill up on exactly the same day, it really shouldn't matter.

Now - you can bet every restaurant anywhere close to that diagonal band will be packed on Mon evening.
 
But who does all this traveling on an empty tank? Any reasonable vehicle will get you 200 miles on a tank, and most will get 400. Fill up a couple hundred miles out, and fill up again when you get back there. Or is everyone really just going to SC for the cheap gas?
 
RatLabGuy said:
Yes but you don't live in Africa, now do you? Do you have the extra $4,000 to make that trip with your family? How does that compare to a couple hours drive and seeing it here?

My kids are almost 7, and 12. I don't hold any illusion they will be rich world travelers. The way I see it, this is very likely the only chance they will ever get to. So why not make a trip?

We also ARE known as the #Nerdhouse, so there is that.
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If it was something I was that heavily in to...I'd absolutely travel that far, and have for other interests and hobbies. Once in a life time to me means there aren't any and never will be another chance to see/do this event, not just my wallet isn't big enough. People go to Disney World every year too, doesn't mean it's some exotic once in a life time opportunity just because someone can't afford it, maybe to them...but the option is still there. But I get your point with kids, it's a cool thing to talk about and discuss and educate them on, but I'm more referring to the 18+ crowd.
 
I remember the Annular one May 30, 1984

Wasn't a big deal.....plus it'll likely be overcase/raining monday so we may not even notice
 
Im a greedy capitalist bastard and if I had known there would have been a shortage of glasses I would have stocked up back in the spring.
 
A valid excuse to rent your welding hood out for $10 per minute.
 
Our welding department at school has been called several times asking for advice on the eclipse.
 
jeepinmatt said:
But who does all this traveling on an empty tank? Any reasonable vehicle will get you 200 miles on a tank, and most will get 400. Fill up a couple hundred miles out, and fill up again when you get back there. Or is everyone really just going to SC for the cheap gas?
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Yes but not everybody leaves at the same time or goes to the same place.
The shadow region is HUGE. Not just in SC. And more importantly the people going to wherever they are going, are coming from many different areas. E.g. the gas draw is widely distributed, not just all in one place.
Now I expect the real clusterfuck to be Monday evening, when everybody is heading home at the same time.
 
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RatLabGuy said:
I fail to see why gas mass gas shortages would be such a major deal. Yes, a shit-ton of people will be traveling, basically a majority of the country's population will be temporarily concentrated within a diagonal band running down the country.
But how is this dramatically different from, say, Christmas or Thanksgiving, in regards to how many vehicles are used?
As long as every single person doesn't decide to fill up on exactly the same day, it really shouldn't matter.

Now - you can bet every restaurant anywhere close to that diagonal band will be packed on Mon evening.
Click to expand...
Gas shortage because they said it on news, next it will be on Facebook, then there will be a run on stations, even in areas not near the eclipse.

Facebook: "GAS SHORTAGE!!!!!!!"

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