Comments on: We have a mission. https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:15:13 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: SDG https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40054 SDG Wed, 23 Aug 2017 15:17:41 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40054 I've got to admit, its a bit hard talking about the eclipse. There is such an enormous gap between even 99% totality and 100%. I feel a bit guilty that the majority of people I talk to only got a percentage and here I am gushing about my 100% experience. If there is any way possible, I'm going to try again for the next one even though the travel distance is so much greater. I’ve got to admit, its a bit hard talking about the eclipse. There is such an enormous gap between even 99% totality and 100%. I feel a bit guilty that the majority of people I talk to only got a percentage and here I am gushing about my 100% experience.

If there is any way possible, I’m going to try again for the next one even though the travel distance is so much greater.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40050 Robert Wed, 23 Aug 2017 04:33:00 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40050 I read your title and thought I'd be consoling you, but I find I'm envious. The view through the glasses (78% here) was like the flat images online; I made a point of being outdoors to see if I could experience even a taste of the otherworldly ambience...but no. I hadn't heard that Mars was visible at the same time. Nice bonus, that. Glad you had a memorable experience, Steve. I read your title and thought I’d be consoling you, but I find I’m envious. The view through the glasses (78% here) was like the flat images online; I made a point of being outdoors to see if I could experience even a taste of the otherworldly ambience…but no.

I hadn’t heard that Mars was visible at the same time. Nice bonus, that.

Glad you had a memorable experience, Steve.

]]> By: SDG https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40049 SDG Tue, 22 Aug 2017 21:30:40 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40049 We drove about 500 miles on mostly 2 lane highway. Endured some mild car sickness which has never happened before with my kids ever, which prolonged the trip by a few extra hours. In the hour of partial eclipse before totality my son was watching the eclipse with enthusiasm and trying to take pictures of it, but kept saying the drive wasn't worth it. He said it over and over again. After totality his story had changed to "this was barely worth it" and "If we had to drive 2 more hours it wouldn't have been worth it". So,success. "Barely worth it" for an 11 yr old boy is high praise for any event not requiring electronics. I have no doubt he will remember this forever. My 14 yr old daughter is already an astronomy nut, so it was no question of whether it was worth it or not even though she was the one with carsickness. For me, totally worth it all for that 118 seconds of totality. It really was so otherworldly looking up at that sphere hanging in front of our sun. That is what is missing from all of the grainy photos we took identical to all of the others on social media. Seeing the thing hang there in 3 dimensions is so spooky while the corona shadows flicker all over the ground. In other news, Mars was cool. How often do you get to see that in the middle of the day? I read that other planets were present, but I only noticed Mars. Had I known beforehand, I would have looked for more. I'm guessing the other "star" we saw was probably Mercury. We drove about 500 miles on mostly 2 lane highway. Endured some mild car sickness which has never happened before with my kids ever, which prolonged the trip by a few extra hours.

In the hour of partial eclipse before totality my son was watching the eclipse with enthusiasm and trying to take pictures of it, but kept saying the drive wasn’t worth it. He said it over and over again. After totality his story had changed to “this was barely worth it” and “If we had to drive 2 more hours it wouldn’t have been worth it”.

So,success. “Barely worth it” for an 11 yr old boy is high praise for any event not requiring electronics. I have no doubt he will remember this forever. My 14 yr old daughter is already an astronomy nut, so it was no question of whether it was worth it or not even though she was the one with carsickness.

For me, totally worth it all for that 118 seconds of totality. It really was so otherworldly looking up at that sphere hanging in front of our sun. That is what is missing from all of the grainy photos we took identical to all of the others on social media. Seeing the thing hang there in 3 dimensions is so spooky while the corona shadows flicker all over the ground.

In other news, Mars was cool. How often do you get to see that in the middle of the day? I read that other planets were present, but I only noticed Mars. Had I known beforehand, I would have looked for more. I’m guessing the other “star” we saw was probably Mercury.

]]> By: SDG https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40048 SDG Tue, 22 Aug 2017 20:43:49 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40048 :) :)

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40040 Robert Tue, 22 Aug 2017 03:04:32 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40040 <p style="font-weight:bolder;font-size:larger;filter: blur(1px);">Everybody really needs to check out this Guardian article <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/aug/21/solar-eclipse-eye-damage?CMP=twt_a-science_b-gdnscience" rel="nofollow">How to tell if you damaged your eyes during the eclipse</a></p> Everybody really needs to check out this Guardian article How to tell if you damaged your eyes during the eclipse

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40036 Robert Mon, 21 Aug 2017 20:49:55 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40036 The light gradually dimmed, and gradually lightened. A gaggle of young Japanese women at the Starbucks excitedly juggled eclipse glasses and a smartphone with some kind of eclipse filter on the camera. My neighbor took one look through her glasses, shrugged, and handed them to me. I saw the sun with a big bite out of it. Neat. Shrugged, went indoors. Such was the view in the penumbra zone. So how was it under the totality? Primal terror, domestic animals cowering, birds falling from the sky? The light gradually dimmed, and gradually lightened. A gaggle of young Japanese women at the Starbucks excitedly juggled eclipse glasses and a smartphone with some kind of eclipse filter on the camera. My neighbor took one look through her glasses, shrugged, and handed them to me. I saw the sun with a big bite out of it. Neat. Shrugged, went indoors. Such was the view in the penumbra zone.

So how was it under the totality? Primal terror, domestic animals cowering, birds falling from the sky?

]]> By: SDG https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40034 SDG Sat, 19 Aug 2017 23:38:06 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40034 Going to drive 25 moles north to get totality Monday morning. Going to drive 25 moles north to get totality Monday morning.

]]> By: RL https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40031 RL Sat, 19 Aug 2017 19:32:35 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40031 Will likely have no reception... Will likely have no reception…

]]> By: mcfly https://habitablezone.com/2017/08/18/we-have-a-mission/#comment-40020 mcfly Fri, 18 Aug 2017 14:10:00 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=66414#comment-40020 Have a fantastic trip, ER! I look forward to your posts about it. Have a fantastic trip, ER! I look forward to your posts about it.

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