eclipse

[low_delta]

The sky has thin clouds over much of it. In the west, where the sun was going down there were more clouds. Some time after the eclipse was supposed to have started, I went out, but the sun was going down in a line of clouds. Later, I decided maybe it had come back out underneath them, so I went back out to look. It had come out, but the lower half was below the horizon/trees at that point, so I could see no evidence of an eclipse.

Comments

No luck on the eclipse

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

I went to Governor Dodge State Park, where the local astronomy club was having a gathering w/telescopes. It started to cloud up about an hour before the partial eclipse was supposed to start, and got worse.

The club had a back-up plan in that case - One of the guys in the club hooked up a computer & projector, another brought a screen, they pulled the live feed from somewhere (New Mexico, then switched to CA), so it could be seen at least by people who were standing there. Not really seen, of course, but it was neat to be w/a group of people and do this. Plus, people were encouraged to bring food, so there was all sorts of stuff there (although it was also blustery).

As one of the folks in the club said, at least it was a good run-through for the next major astronomical event: the transit of Venus on June 5 (5:04-sunset, at least where we are). Venus won't do this again until 2117!

This same guy has also said that he just assumes that there's a 50% that any astronomical event won't be seen b/c of weather. That's a good philosophy.

Re: No luck on the eclipse

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I think my area has had a better than 50/50 chance of having good weather for any astronomical event, but the odds are much worse for the events I actually remember to see.

I actually remember to see

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

I'm worse on 50-50 for that. The last transit of Venus was in 2004, and I've no memory of it (I was probably dimly aware of it).

Re: I actually remember to see

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I usually remember to look for eclipses (unless they're at dawn). But I've missed a lot of comets and other events. I remember one really big moon in the late 90's, that I missed because I was too sick to go outside. I forget now what the other events were. I did see a really big meteor that flew across Wisconsin and Indiana in 1999.

I kept meaning to go outside and find Hale-Bopp, a few years back (holy cow, that was in 1997!), but didn't, until I caught view of it out of the corner of my eye while driving. I missed Halley's Comet.

[mummm.livejournal.com]

It was very impressive online... the live feed was cool.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I missed the live feed too!

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Aren't you too north and east to have seen it?

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

No, I think it came across the sun almost to the halfway point, which would have been right as it set, though there's almost no place around to see it at that moment.