{"id":2028,"date":"2017-08-27T21:18:40","date_gmt":"2017-08-28T04:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/troyjohnstone.com\/blog\/?p=2028"},"modified":"2019-02-13T20:51:01","modified_gmt":"2019-02-14T03:51:01","slug":"eclipse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/troyjohnstone.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/eclipse\/","title":{"rendered":"Eclipse!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Eclipse<\/a><\/p>\n

A total eclipse probably shouldn’t happen. I say “probably” because the probability is too small. After all, we are the only known planet that has a moon just the right size and distance to provide a perfect<\/em> total solar eclipse where the moon just barely covers the sun, allowing the viewer to see the corona and prominences. It also happens to be the only place where there is someone to see it.<\/p>\n

The moon’s diameter is 400 times smaller than the sun, but it is also 400 times closer, making them roughly the same apparent size in our sky, depending on eccentricities of the orbits. This has allowed us to discover so much about the sun, moon, our own planet and the universe long before we had the technology of modern telescopes and spacecraft. If the size of the sun or moon, or the distance to the moon and sun were off even a bit, a perfect total eclipse would not be possible. Yet, perfect total solar eclipses happen because of this perfect combination. This alone should give us pause as we watch in wonder. But not only are they astounding and awe-inspiring for this fact alone, total eclipses are strange and beautiful and they are wonderful to experience!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

After 14,327 km, or 8902 miles, we finally arrived in Wyoming for the eclipse!\u00a0 This was the final stop and a major highlight on our Epic Road Trip.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I have been interested in astronomy since I was just a boy. I’ve seen many lunar eclipses and probably 6 partial eclipses, but never a total eclipse. I had been planning for this for at least a couple years and so was very excited to finally be on site, in the path of totality. Several times on the journey we crossed the path of totality and the anticipation was building for us and the communities along the shadow’s way.<\/p>\n

In preparing for viewing the eclipse I came across a description that basically said that the difference between seeing a partial eclipse and a total eclipse was like the difference of being in the parking lot of the Super Bowl and being in the stadium. After finally experiencing a total eclipse, I can attest to the truth of that statement.<\/p>\n

Casper and the surrounding area was one of the hot spots for viewing the eclipse. It had a generally favorable forecast for clear skies, high altitude, and an eclipse time when the sun would be high in the sky. So many people were predicted to descend on the area, many local people opened their property for others to stay. We were thankful to secure a spot to camp near Douglas that was within the path of totality. It was a great spot, with lots of wide open sky and a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape. We really appreciated our host’s hospitality.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The details for our location<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lat:42.77371 Long: -105.50395
\nElevation: 1,545 m (5068 ft)
\n1st Contact: 10:23:26
\n2nd Contact: 11:44:12
\n3rd Contact: 11:46:34
\n4th Contact: 1:11.03
\nTotality Duration: 2m 23<\/p>\n

August 20<\/strong><\/p>\n

This was the day to get ready and test the gear. I had hauled two small telescopes, four tripods, filters, eyepieces and other equipment the whole trip, all tucked away somewhere in the van. Ben had a small hydrogen-alpha telescope<\/a>, a Coronado PST, for looking at the sun too. My filters are white light filters, blocking 99,999% of the light of the sun, whereas an H-alpha filter only lets in one particular spectrum of light. This lets you see the sun in a very special way with solar prominences, filaments<\/a>, sunspots<\/a> and other features are visible. I spent several hours testing cameras and other gear and was very pleased to see several large sun spots<\/a> right in the middle of the sun.<\/p>\n

\"20170820-DSC01207\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This next image is from NASA on August 22 and shows the size of the sunspots compared to Earth and Jupiter. Most of these sunspots are at least the size of Earth.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"20170820-DSC01185\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170820-TWJ_6783\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"20170820-TWJ_6784\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

We then drove to Casper to check out the festivities happening there. Several blocks of the main street were shut down and we wandered from booth to booth, picking up a few t-shirts as we went.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Eclipse day<\/strong><\/p>\n

The star of the show has arrived!<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The star of the show has arrived<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beautiful clear skies and a wonderful view.<\/p>\n

\"20170821-TWJ_6795\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Time to get the gear set up and get ready for the show! I positioned my van directly behind the gear to help block the wind, which was initially quite strong and gusty. The weather was forecast to be clear, and there was a bit of a haze near the horizon, but thankfully the show in our area would be high in the sky.<\/p>\n

I had my 60mm Meade ETX AT set up with a sun funnel (a fancy way to describe an oil funnel, cheap eyepiece, and a sample piece of rear projection screen material. This would allow several people to see the progression of the eclipse at once. This ended up being very popular.<\/p>\n

\"\"
My sun funnel set up for groups to view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Gear<\/a>
Gear getting set up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"20170821-TWJ_6804\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I also had my 120mm Sky Watcher refractor and15x80 binoculars set up, all protected with Baader Solar Film.<\/p>\n

People began to gather as first contact approached.<\/p>\n

\"First<\/a>
First Contact! The moon just starts it’s crossing in the upper right<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"20170821-DSC01286\"<\/a> \"20170821-TWJ_6805\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"20170821-TWJ_6810\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6812\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The collander of Science! <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

Someone brought along a particularly high-tech eclipse observational tool that I bet very few other people had access to: The Colander of Science!<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Colander of Science!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The <\/a>
The collander of Science! <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6824\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The collander of Science! and strange shodow tips from my fingers… <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Lenses <\/a>
Lenses to the sky <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Checking <\/a>
Checking on The collander of Science! <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6829\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"We <\/a>
We made it! <\/div> <\/div>
\"Shadows <\/a>
Shadows are getting sharp edges <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6836\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6839\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6843\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6844\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6846\" <\/a> <\/div>
\"20170821-TWJ_6847\" <\/a> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n