The Gun Counter

I'm a bit surprised there's been no mention of the August 21 total solar eclipse. Anybody planning to see it?

I've been looking forward to this for many years. It's said there are four great things to see: the aurora borealis (northern lights), a meteor storm, a great comet, and a total eclipse of the sun. I've seen the first three, and have long hoped to complete the set. I'd been planning on traveling to the Glendo, Wyoming area for the event, but recent estimates of tourist visits and traffic conditions have me looking at alternatives--Glendo, pop 204 and the first place on the centerline of the path of totality on I-25 north from Colorado, is going to be overwhelmed. I was counseled by the sheriff's office for the county to avoid Glendo like the plague, and was pointed toward Guernsey, WY instead. Guernsey is a bit south of the centerline, but still gets 2+ minutes of totality (Glendo gets just under 2 1/2 minutes). Now they're saying that I-25 north of Cheyenne is going to be a parking lot, so I'm considering the Scottsbluff, Nebraska area instead, and taking Hwy 71 all the way up. I'm going to review traffic, road conditions and weather for a last minute decision. Hell, if it's bad enough I may not go at all.

Everybody along the path is planning on trying to make a buck from the event. Hotel/motel rooms have long been rented out at a thousand dollars a night. Ranchers are renting out RV spaces for hundreds a night, camping spots for $50-$100. Even parking spots for the few hours of the eclipse are being rented. Most places in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska are concerned about people pulling off the road and their vehicles' exhausts starting grass fires, or so they say. No place along the path has the infrastructure to support the expected crowds. It should be one huge Charlie Foxtrot.

I'll see 95% of it from my parking lot at work, so I'm not fighting the crowds.

About 90% here, but I don't seem to be as excited about natural astronomical phenomena as most folks seem to be. I'll be working and don't have any plans to pop out for it.

Meh - it is going to be like 98% here. I will be working and have no plans to stop doing so.

I enjoy natural phenomena that occur where I am and at a convenient time. But I don't chase them or get out of bed for them. I'll pop out and watch.

PCS timing meant I won't be able to drive up to the path if totality. Still, planning on seeing the ~75% eclipse here from the parking lot at work. I'm bringing in the big scope and a couple of spare solar filters.

I hope to see SOMETHING. Living in NE Ohio I am used to any astrophysic events being blocked by grey low hanging oppressive nasty-azz clouds. Perseids, eclipses, Northern Lights, Aliens, King Edward, Rodney Dangerfield etc. Almost always clouds unless I have to mow or hoe the garden.

About 80% where I'll be at - on the beach.

I'm working nights, so if I'm awake to see it, that means that something has gang aft agley.

Not that I'm particularly concerned. There is an outlaw nerve in the back of the brain that kinda wigs out over things like "it's the middle of the day, and it's dark outside! This can't be good!!!" Probably just as well that I sleep through it.

I came to Nashville as part of a plan to meet siblings coming from the East Coast. They had to cancel, but too late for me to alter plans. So, I'm in Nashville