solar eclipse April 8. This town is going nuts over it.

[greybeard]

I can't remember all the lunar and solar eclipse I've seen in my life..a lot but have never seen the interest being shown in next month's eclipse. This town is going nuts over a few minutes of darkness. In hindsight, I should have prepared for this and rented out one or both of the spare bedrooms and swimming pool space and parking as a 1 time BnB.

Just one of several local venues for people (visitors mostly) to see it:





(I remember 2 eclipse quite well.
The very 1st solar eclipse back in the early 60s, everyone out in their yards with their sheet of paper with a pinhole punched in it to look at the shadow on their car or driveway, but I was laid back on the ground with my dad's welding hood on. Lucky I wasn't blinded.

A full lunar eclipse july 1982. Between wives at the time, and a woman was with me and I tho I love my current wife dearly, shall never forget that night.)

 

[Mrcopier]

Same here. People wanting to rent my lot downtown

 

[Hpacres440p]

I live next to SpaceX-someone with an empty field on the road to SpaceX is renting "primitive" tent sites for $100/ night-2 night minimum, and RV sites no power or water for $150/2 night minimum. 40 spots available with port o potty and food truck available. The big attraction advertised "hear, see and feel real rocket tests". Ol' Elon is going to have his crews cranking it up that weekend, I'm sure. As someone who gets it daily, (and they have REALLY changed the engine capacity since we moved there 7 years ago), a one time show is fun, but the 12/day is a pain. I bet the dog will need drugs that weekend.

 

[CowboyRam]

The 2017 eclipse, people went nuts over it, they came from all over. We had some scientist from as far away as Poland. Lots of people flew in with their airplanes and once it was over flew back out. It was kind of interesting. I noticed that once in full eclipse there was not a sound, and we had no wind.

 

[Ouachita]

We are near center of totality, and will be hunkered down at home to avoid the madness

 

[Brute 23]

The one that was not that long ago was pretty cool. That's the first one we made a point to to be out and see. It was a weird deal and really showed how powerful the sun it.

 

[1982vett]

Maybe it will rain all day….

 

[BFE]

We're smack in the middle of it. Last time it went just a little south of us.

I'm hanging around the farm that day, make sure nothing gets torn up or let out.

 

[Twisted]

I remember one as a kid which was only partial, one sometime in my 30's that was barely even noticeable, and the one in 2017, I was on the top of a 35 story building we were building in downtown Louisville, that one was pretty neat. The one coming up is dead centered over our place and I don't want to miss it. I have kids and grandkids coming to camp out the night before.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Someone remind to block off all the field entrances April 7th.
Don't wanna make that mistake again.
We get to deal with two "total solar eclipse" in the past less than 10 years.

 

[Nick Wagner]

That's what I'm worried about too, right in the middle of totality, gas stations running out of gas, restaurants running out of food. I'll believe it when I see it. Some fool opening a fence, I have no trouble picturing that.

 

[Travlr]

We had an eclipse last year. I'd never noticed the shadows during an eclipse, but my wife did and we got some pics.

 

[BFE]

Someone remind to block off all the field entrances April 7th.
Don't wanna make that mistake again.
We get to deal with two "total solar eclipse" in the past less than 10 years.

We didn't have any trouble last time, but i heard the Carbondale area was nuts. I assume that's what we'll have this time.

 

[Dave]

There was one here in 2017. The whole region went crazy over if. The best views were in eastern Oregon so people flocked here. The old people I bought this place from were able to hold on here for one more year because of the money they made renting out the front hay field as a camp ground. They even hauled in a couple of loads of sand at one low bank spot on the river so these urban visitors could stick their toes in the river.

 

[Ouachita]

We have a neighbor about two miles away that is opening his place to visitors, I think $100/day for tent camping and $200/day for RVs, three day minimum. My wife wanted to as well, but I don't like people that much. Porta-potties are going for $750/day with a three day minimum. That's an expensive poopie.

 

[Ouachita]

I'm looking forward to it with family and friends. The cicadas should already be out in massive numbers this year due to the co-emergence. April 9 is the day we usually hear the first whippoorwills, but since this is a leap year, should be April 8. I've never experience a total eclipse and curious if the nighttime critters will sound off.

 

[greybeard]

I'm looking forward to it with family and friends. The cicadas should already be out in massive numbers this year due to the co-emergence. April 9 is the day we usually hear the first whippoorwills, but since this is a leap year, should be April 8. I've never experience a total eclipse and curious if the nighttime critters will sound off.

Night birds like owls will. Chickens will sometimes roost. I've been told that coyotes will start their nightly yipping but never heard it happen myself. Yes, crickets and such will start their din of racket.

It does get kinda strange if you're out on the ocean, like in the middle of the Indian ocean. Tiny sea creatures that glow start to become bioluminescent and turns the ships wake into light in the middle of the day. When you're in the right spot in the big ocean, you can see the dividing line between eclipse and light move across the water. Like watching a cloud's shadow race across a big field but on a huge scale.

 

[Ouachita]

I was curious about seeing the shadow move across when totality begins. We have mountains all around, so I suspect if a person is looking at the sunlit side of the mountain at the perfect time, and don't blink, it should be observable.

 

[Ouachita]

Simulated fly-over of the eclipse path.

 

[Brute 23]

During the last one people were setting up on the edge of the highway and in open areas in town. It drew a pretty good crowd for a small town. Im guessing it was people traveling who decided to stop and watch.