eclipsed

[underused]

I will admit I'm not someone who gets excited about celestial events. I wasn't thinking about today's eclipse and might have missed it completely if C hadn't come into the office with an empty cereal box looking for tape to make a pinhole camera.

But I heard someone on the radio telling a story about another eclipse and how their science teacher very excitedly told them to "go find a tree!" The leaves on trees would function as a whole collection of pinhole cameras, projecting hundreds--even thousands--of little eclipses onto the ground below.





Who knew?

Comments

[full_metal_ox]

Who knew?

I did--having observed the effect long before on May 10, 1994 (as did Stephen Jay Gould: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/dinosaur.htm)

I was unable to snag any special glasses, but (after sneaking a couple furtive fraction-of-a-second glances through welding goggles over polarized sunglasses) I enjoyed the crescent shadow effect in the dappled shade of the locust trees at the Dayton Mall bus hub, conveyed by slightly grimy 40-watt sunlight.

(And then, of course, you have the free spirits who ain't gonna let no one, nohow, tell them what to do.)

[underused]

Haha, of course you did! That does not surprise me at all.

Re: "free spirits"... I absolutely sensed what would be in that link before I clicked it. I need a whole new way to roll my eyes.

[full_metal_ox]

Out of curiosity, did you also suspect who was going to be involved?

[underused]

I sure did. sigh. I sure did.

[full_metal_ox]

To paraphrase Spinal Tap: "Everyone knows 'oo 'ee is...and...wot 'ee's been doin'." (What, or indeed if, he's thinking is another matter altogether.)

[mandralyne]

I have a couple of really cool pictures of the eclipse through the leaves. I wish the news had talked about this before, because it was the coolest.

[underused]

Yeah, I guess some reports did mention it and some didn't--I keep seeing/hearing things after the fact. The person I was listening to also suggested holding up a colander which worked well (but we didn't manage to get a good picture of it).

[thedaughteroftyr]

Yeah the tree method is great. I had admittedly forgotten about it until I saw a Twitter post this morning (Joseph Gordon-Levitt I think?)

I got a few snaps partially obstructed that resulted in some pretty funky eclipse shaped lens flares.

Bee slept.

[underused]

It's so cool so many people knew this. I don't remember ever hearing it before. Eclipse-shaped lens flares sound very interesting.

Interesting side note: astronomy was the one course I dropped in university because I knew I'd fail it so spectacularly. ☺

[thedaughteroftyr]

Yeah I posted a couple shots over on my instagram account (I was totally one of "those people" today)

I never took any Astronomy but it is definitely something I've had an interest in my whole life.

[umadoshi]

I'm commenting both to say that that picture is wonderful (the internet is full of so many amazing photos today!) and to say hello, as a new subscriber. ^_^

[underused]

Hello and welcome! It's true, isn't it (about the internet). It's cool to see unrelated people get excited about a single event. I feel like we've all created some kind of collective art project.

[umadoshi]

I'm living vicariously through other people's pics--I'm in Atlantic Canada, and we didn't get much of the eclipse--but I've really been enjoying hearing about it. (It's amazing to see so much of the news NOT dominated by awfulness.) And apparently the eclipse coming in 2024 will be much more visible from my neck of the world, so now I'm looking forward to it.

[underused]

It's true about the news. Are you near the ocean? If you get that all year, it's better than one little eclipse!

[umadoshi]

Are you near the ocean? If you get that all year, it's better than one little eclipse!

I'm not too far from the ocean (I'm in Halifax), but I don't get to the shore as often as I'd like.

[underused]

I hear you. I went to Dal and, when I first moved there, I assumed I'd "go to the ocean" at every opportunity. But the fact is, I got into my routine and the only time I really went to the shore is when other people would visit. Heh.

[umadoshi]

the only time I really went to the shore is when other people would visit. Heh.

Same here. And it doesn't help that Halifax looks like it's surrounded by ocean, until you realize that it's largely the harbor and the Bedford Basin. (I have a quiet horror of the thought that sometimes tourists from landlocked places may see the harbor and form a terrible impression of "the ocean" based on it.)

[underused]

I don't think you have to worry. When I first moved to Halifax, my SO was already there and told me it was going to be so great bc we were "right next to the ocean." Yeah, no. Was I ever annoyed when I saw that harbour! (I also remember at some point people talking about how the bottom was caked with raw sewage. Worst ocean ever, haha.)

Coming down the hill into the downtown was pretty, though.

And I remember the first time I saw Peggy's Cove. Up to that point I'd never seen an ocean in my life. Even with the gift shop and the tourists (like me, ha) it was incredible.

[umadoshi]

I don't think you have to worry.

That does help, in a way. *wry* Oh, the harbor. Although at least it's much improved in the last several years. (Even if, as my husband says, by the time they got the sewage treatment plant up and running it'd taken so long that the design no longer meets all of the current standards.)

Peggy's Cove is glorious. ^_^

My parents lived in a much less-populated cove until right before I was born, and I've always had a streak of sadness that I didn't get to grow up out there.

[underused]

Ugh, I dream about living in those coves.Even if they are isolated in winter. If there was a way to live there and find a job I'd be long gone.

[umadoshi]

From what my parents have said, I have to admit winters sound like they were pretty awful sometimes. (Or maybe most of the time.) But it doesn't keep me from wishing.

[amidthestars]

This is beautiful.

[underused]

I really thought so, too. Standing under the maples--you know how there's that path?--it was a trail of little half-moons.

[amidthestars]

Ohhhh. Yeah, that's magic.

[full_metal_ox]

Now, that image looks as though Artemis, running through the forest, left a trail of footprints.

[underused]

What a wonderful idea!

[full_metal_ox]

For whatever it might be worth, your shadow in the top picture seems to be making a gesture of reverence.

[balganwall]

I wish I'd known about the little crescents. You lucky so-and-so. I'm glad you got a cool experience!

My own experience was akin to messing around with a Photoshop layer (setting the multiply setting on a solid black layer and lowering the opacity to 75%). It darkened considerably indoors, as if dusk had fallen. Not too impressive. At least I can still say that I saw the first coast-to-coast eclipse in 100 years.

I listened to the StarTalk episode about the eclipse, and the guest said that if eclipse glasses aren't available, the next best thing are welding glasses. But doing a search on them pulls up a few sources that say they might not be safe. Not that I'd feel safe staring at any part of the sun, even with protection; it's that overly cautious part of me.

[underused]

I heard about the welding goggles, too, but I totally feel your apprehension, ha. If you read full_metal_ox's comment at the top, you'll see we're in good (and careful) company!

[full_metal_ox]

Word from the opthalmologist (the appointment having been scheduled this week anyway) is that I suffered no damage from brief suspenders-and-a-belt eclipse-viewing.

(That said, I mean to take no chances in 2024; I later learned that my brother and sister-in-law sprang for the authorized glasses, including spares for their guests.)

[underused]

"suspenders-and-a-belt eclipse-viewing" - you described that perfectly!

[mr_picard]

Oh wow, that's an awesome picture!

[underused]

Thanks! It was fun wandering around with the camera trying to find good shadows, but it was also weird to know the thing creating them was right behind my head and I couldn't look.

[full_metal_ox]

It's a bit like hunting basilisks or Medusa, isn't it.