So, anyone planning on watching the total solar eclipse April 8th?

[BobbiSueEllen]

Maybe I will get to see some of it then

You will. I only get 30% but still wanna see it.

 

[nectar0001]

I'm going. Having seen the eclipse in 2017, I can promise you it's worth it. Get the eclipse glasses (the real ones, not fakes).

I'll be near Columbus, Ohio, then heading west on Amtrak from Chicago!

 

[Zeke]

I made a similar posty like this not too long ago. I'm going to take some time off work, and meet up with some friends and we will go hiking, watch the eclipse then decide what to do from there.

Where are you planning on watch the lights go out?

 

[Zeke]

If the test report is correct, then the glasses conform to ISO 12312-2:2015 (2015 standards, no expiration date) and are perfectly okay.

I wasn’t too worried, but my iPhone 12, that I plan on using with one of the lenses from the disposable glasses for protection of the its camera lens, wasn’t going to cooperate until I got your confirmation that you checked it out and it thought that it would be protected.

 

[Zeke]

I'm headed to Northern Maine to see it, I just hope the weather cooperates.

That’s been my concern as well. I’ve been checking Weather Bug’s 10 day forecast for Carbondale, Illinois where I’m planning seeing it from, and hoping that it’ll be clear weather down there. Post any photos that you get and let me know about the experience.

 

[Zeke]

What kind of lens is it?
Just curious by the filter size and the sun/moon (safest size-in-the-sky reference) is pretty small in the sky.
Do you have tele-converters/multipliers in your bag o' stuff?

I did a quick lens cost search for over yon and

I’ve got a Tamron 70-300mm F 1.4-5.6, a Sony 18-70mm F 3.5-5.6, and a Sony 75-300mm, all 55mm. I’m not sure which I’m going to use yet, but I’m open to suggestions. I’ve got to dig out my camera bag with the Minolta in it and see what I’ve got that I might have forgotten about. I don’t need the bag as I got a hard case with the Sony when I bought it on eBay.

 

[Cottontail]

Alas, where I am, "total" is defined as "about 23%" Also, the forecast is for clouds. I'll do my best though. I've got solar filters for my telescope, camera, and binoculars. If I can get a good picture of my 23%, you can be sure I'll post it here.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

I wasn’t too worried, but my iPhone 12, that I plan on using with one of the lenses from the disposable glasses for protection of the its camera lens, wasn’t going to cooperate until I got your confirmation that you checked it out and it thought that it would be protected.

For the sake of your eyeballs (and others'), I am worried. Last October, for the annular eclipse, it was loads of fractured cloud cover, with thin and wide-open gaps. I thought I'd be somewhat okay with occasional peeking at the sun behind high-cirrus cover or through thin gaps in the lower cloud...I was wrong. I didn't look at the sun bare-eyed for long...but nonetheless, it hurt for a few days. Eyes are okay now, no permanent damage...it could've been worse. In many instances, in today's so-called 'Age of Enlightenment', people still look with unprotected eyes. Just ask any doc, ophthalmologist or optometrist.

I'm not saying you'd do it...but some reading this might be tempted. Get them specs, folks!

 

[Zeke]

For the sake of your eyeballs (and others'), I am worried. Last October, for the annular eclipse, it was loads of fractured cloud cover, with thin and wide-open gaps. I thought I'd be somewhat okay with occasional peeking at the sun behind high-cirrus cover or through thin gaps in the lower cloud...I was wrong. I didn't look at the sun bare-eyed for long...but nonetheless, it hurt for a few days. Eyes are okay now, no permanent damage...it could've been worse. In many instances, in today's so-called 'Age of Enlightenment', people still look with unprotected eyes. Just ask any doc, ophthalmologist or optometrist.

I'm not saying you'd do it...but some reading this might be tempted. Get them specs, folks!

Kind like getting a welding flash? Cottontail made me think about bringing my binoculars, but I don’t have filters for the binocular lenses. I thought I could do like I was going to with my iPhone and tear one the individual lens from a pair of the eclipse viewing glasses and place it over the big lens of the binoculars. I thought about just wearing the viewing glasses and looking through the binoculars but I don’t think they’d be sufficient to protect my eye(s) from the sunlight intensified/magnified by the binoculars on their viewing lenses. The Amazon listing for the viewing glasses says that you can tear one of the lenses off the glasses and place it over your iPhone’s camera lens to protect its sensor plate so it should work on the big end of my binoculars.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Kind like getting a welding flash? Cottontail made me think about bringing my binoculars, but I don’t have filters for the binocular lenses. I thought I could do like I was going to with my iPhone and tear one the individual lens from a pair of the eclipse viewing glasses and place it over the big lens of the binoculars. I thought about just wearing the viewing glasses and looking through the binoculars but I don’t think they’d be sufficient to protect my eye(s) from the sunlight intensified/magnified by the binoculars on their viewing lenses. The Amazon listing for the viewing glasses says that you can tear one of the lenses off the glasses and place it over your iPhone’s camera lens to protect its sensor plate so it should work on the big end of my binoculars.

You can always peek below your glasses at your camera display to assure it's on-point. Using binos isn't a good idea at all, even with filters: that ingoing light is getting focused into your eyes.

 

[ade]

I've got a Tamron 70-300mm F 1.4-5.6, a Sony 18-70mm F 3.5-5.6, and a Sony 75-300mm, all 55mm.

Try some test shots before you go.
Partial eclipse with welding glass:



The moon, for size context, taken on Nikon D5100 with Tamron lens at 300mm:

Cropped to:


The sun, on the Nikon, but with Nikon lens at 105mm (with polarizing filters) and heavily cropped:

Yeah, it was pretty small. The Nikon's 16mp and you've got less to play with, haven't you?
Probably an idea to ramp up all your detail settings or shoot RAW (not something that I've played with much).

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Try some test shots before you go.
Partial eclipse with welding glass:
View attachment 133056

It is indeed possible to use welder's glass/goggles which are at least #14 and higher. It is permissible.

 

[Zeke]

It is indeed possible to use welder's glass/goggles which are at least #14 and higher. It is permissible.

My self darken helmet says in its literature that it only goes up to #13 weld glass. I wonder if that’s sufficiently if I don’t view it too long?

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

My self darken helmet says in its literature that it only goes up to #13 weld glass. I wonder if that’s sufficiently if I don’t view it too long?

I'd recommend against it. Once the sun dims, the self-darkening mechanism can fail on you. It's not worth the risk.

 

[MeDisneyBaby]

I’ve got a Tamron 70-300mm F 1.4-5.6, a Sony 18-70mm F 3.5-5.6, and a Sony 75-300mm, all 55mm. I’m not sure which I’m going to use yet, but I’m open to suggestions. I’ve got to dig out my camera bag with the Minolta in it and see what I’ve got that I might have forgotten about. I don’t need the bag as I got a hard case with the Sony when I bought it on eBay.

I've got a Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 lens I'll be using. I've been taking some practice shots of the sun with it and I'm quite impressed with the results.

I picked up this solar filter and found it works amazingly well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LON3XIM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

As for the weather, the 10 day forecast is showing clear skies with minimal clouds, hopefully this pans out. I'll be a bit more relaxed once we get to 5 days out. Fingers crossed

​

 

[60something]

I'm so very fortunate! All I have to do is walk out the front door. I'm well within the path of totality. I need to get ahold of my telescope though. it has a nifty 5"solar filter. I've waited for this for close to forty years.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Ireland, Scotland and the NW UK will get a 0-20% nibble out of the sun. They'll be the last to see it. Begins after 7:45 pm, local time.

 

[Cashew]

Yeah. Think I might even drive a few hours up to Burlington VT to be in the trajectory. Probably won't buy special glasses. Squinted at it last time and nothing bad happened. Regular sun glasses are probably good enough.

 

[BobbiSueEllen]

Yeah. Think I might even drive a few hours up to Burlington VT to be in the trajectory. Probably won't buy special glasses. Squinted at it last time and nothing bad happened. Regular sun glasses are probably good enough.

I don't at all feel good about you saying that. I caused my eyes a good deal of pain watching a mere annular eclipse, in brief glimpses, through cloud cover last October. Don't do it! Those concentrated infrared & ultraviolet rays are no joke. You may not go blind but you can permanently burn spots on your retinas, and those never heal. Don't do it!

Can I get some backup on this?

 

[SofiaInPampers]

I live in East Central Indiana. The path of the total eclipse is about 4 miles southeast of my home. My husband is a Sheriff’s Deputy in our county. They are expecting a huge turnout of people in our area. They have actually closed the schools on this day. The county is prepared for total gridlock. We’ll see. I’ll have the perfect view from my backyard.