Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Low expectations met

 I went outside 15 minutes prior to the time yesterday's eclipse 
was supposed to reach its peak of 80% totality in this part of New Mexico.
Drawing upon prior solar-eclipse experience, 
I knew it would probably be a bust I set my expectations very low.
It's like the sky is too big here for eclipses to work.
I know that makes no sense but most days nothing does.


 As expected, I could not take a decent picture of it.


 George: It's going to happen any second!


 George: Amazing! The shadow is blocking the whole sun!


 George: It's over already?


 The sunlight dimmed ever so slightly,


 but minds were not boggled, nor were spirits awakened.
We hope you greater-than-95-percenters made great memories for us.


 Alan: Shouldn't I at least get a cookie for not looking at it?



11 comments:

  1. Piedmont NC checking in ... I think we in the 93% area? Latitude 36.05N
    1) Very bright and sunny ALL MORNING long
    2) Between 2:30pm? to 2:45pm was supposed to be maximum

    So, I noticed it was getting dark (to the North East !!) around 2pm.
    Checked radar and saw a major pop-up thunderstorm in the county to the west. Great.
    Sure enough ... all the out-flow air and clouds moved into my county and we had 99% cloud cover

    There were little bitty peeks between the clouds and lots of folks at work were in the back parking lot with glasses/cameras etc. A co-worker shared glasses with me. The grey-black clouds shaded as much as the eclipse.

    I did manage to see a smidgen? NASA-Network was much better viewing.

    This is my 3rd solar eclipse event at home. When I was around 12 yrs ? Hung out with the neighbor kids with our little boxes along with a lot of adult supervision.
    I remember one, and another one in the 1980s. I had a welder's helmet for that one. Sat on the front steps and had a good view.

    Both of those had better viewing conditions (and both were warm weather events).

    A good lunar eclipse is much more enjoyable. No danger to the eyes and you can some interesting lunar features.

    M in NC

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  2. We were at almost 95%. Didn't get dark, but did dim and get much cooler. Glasses and cereal box viewers. Image in cereal box viewer was reversed. One pair of glasses, a gift. Nice ones. Didn't look like strips.

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  3. It was amazing here in TN, completely lived up to the hype. Day turned in to night and the night time critters started singing. We ate our Krispy Kreme eclipse donuts during totality...and they lived up to the hype too!
    Lisa G TN

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  4. HEE HAW HEE HAW at the donkey eclipse. love it. your photos is beautiful

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  5. Toooooo cute, Linda!!! We loved your imagination here, as usual.....the best part of morning coffee is the 7MSN "story".... ❤JnP

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  6. I stayed inside with the dogs, no glasses and didn't trust myself. Love the photos with the kids.
    I am looking forward to April 8 2024 when it goes over Ohio. I am gonna get my glasses now!

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  7. I took yesterday off from work. NOT to watch the eclipse, but to do much needed late summer planting in my garden. Little did I know that this eclipse would affect my sleep and I overslept by an hour! Well hells bells it was very dark in my neck of the woods and I believe we only had 65 percent coverage, but that extra little bit of sleep was divine on my day off. And everything got done...just a little later than what I anticipated.

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  8. While waiting for the coastal NC version of events to unfold, I watched the Oregon totality live and snagged an awesome screenshot of the diamond ring - technology for the win!

    The coolest thing that happened here in the 93% zone - besides that my online eclipse glasses apparently weren't counterfeit - was a 360° horizontal rainbow that accompanied the first little bite coming out of the sun. I did manage to get pictures of that.

    Definitely planning a trip for 2024. Mazatlan Mexico is the first totality landfall for that event. :D

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  9. yeah cookie time, I can't agree more!

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  10. An American in Tokyo8/23/17, 6:05 PM

    I was sad that we couldn't see it over here!
    I am enjoying everyone's photos on facebook instead. =)
    Alan gets a cookie because he's a cutie! hee hee!

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  11. Next time there's one, you HAVE to get the glasses! Totally amazing experience, even without totality. I've tried the pinhole viewer before, but the eclipse glasses are a whole different ballgame. Seriously!

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