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Celestial Christmas Gift
ggrappone writes: "If you call North America your home you'll be treated to a Christmas day eclipse. This article on CNN describes the rare event in more detail."
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The effect for most folks will be no more noticable then an high-altitude cloud.
It may not be extremely "noticeable", in that it's not something that demands attention. But it's definitely perceptible, and (I think) fairly unique. The dimming is not so pronounced as a cloud -- it's a much more gradual change in color and intensity. The only other phenomena I've experienced that brings to pass the same change of character in sunlight are fires; with some big enough blazes in the surrounding area, you get a similar color and subtle intensity shift.
Tweet, tweet.
The popular perception of a solar eclipse is the skies & land growing dark as streetlights pop on & birds take cover for the night. While that does indeed happen for a full eclipse a partial one is much less impressive, particularly one as partial as this will be for most folks.
Taking a 'bite' out of a very bright light-source leaves - a very bright light-source. The effect for most folks will be no more noticable then an high-altitude cloud. The landscape will slowly (imperceptably) dim then later brighten very subtly.
That said the images of the sun will be very impressive. I'm going to assume a /.'ers know better then to look at the sun directly (sun = bright light in the 'big blue room'.) Even good sunglasses don't generally filter enough, particularly for the extended viewing like this. It *is* possible to permanently harm one's eyes this way and no, your reflexes won't save you if you override them.
One of the simplest (and thus kewlest) ways to view is to punch a hole in a piece of paper (or tinfoil or whatever else handy) and let the sun shine through. The hole should be ~.25mm and a second surface (prefereably white) ~20-50cm behind it (Your Milage May Vary) This will get you a view approximately the same as the fantastic photos you see but it'll be yours & real-time.
Good luck. Even for those of us in Northern parts of North America (Montreal) this will be an easy-to-miss event but if one takes the time & effort (& the weather cooperates) it can be an exciting one to catch.
I don't read ACs: If a post isn't worth so much as a nom de plume to its author then I wont bother either.
Christmas day eclipse on precisely the Christmas before the Millenium ends? That's a little bit creepy...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
Yes? What do you want? I'm busy now, call back later.
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. -Friedrich Nietzsche
When you hear the phrase "God loves America," the usual reference is to the USA, not North America as a whole.
But if God loves America, why was Bush elected? (All that proves is that God has a sense of humour)
Right now, there is that dreaded "lake effect snow" everybody talks about in the Great Lakes region.
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Gleepy the Hen. More intelligent than the average hen.
Heh. You'll be lucky to see ANYTHING in Phoenix. The magnitude increases the farther north and east you go. Phoenix is kinda sadly located for that.
Here in Oregon we'll get 20-30%, which will only be visible with a projection system, and then only if it's sunny (which it is now...hopefully it can last).
Hey, it's 20 minutes 'till Christmas day downunder!
Harmonious numbers; as the wakeful Bird
Sings darkling, and in shadiest Covert hid
Tunes her nocturnal Note. Thus with the Year
Seasons return, but not me returns
Day, or the sweet approach of Ev'n or Morn,
Or sight of vernal bloom, or human face divine;
But cloud instead, and ever-during dark
Surrounds me, from the cheerful ways of men
Cut off, and the Book of knowledge fair
Presented with a Universal blanc
Of Nature's works to me expung'd and ras'd,
And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out.
So much the rather thou Celestial Light
Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers
Irradiate, there plant eyes, all mist from thence
Purge and disperse, that I may see and tell
Of things invisible to mortal sight.
John Milton, Paradise Lost, III, 38-55
This had to happen NOW, didn't it? I'm sure the sun will be just THRILLED to receive this insult, after deciding to be merciful and give in to our pleading. I'll bet now he decides to turn around and not end Winter after all.
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Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
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Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
Will Bill be smiling tomorrow because he reads that "Sun is eclipsed"?
If this article hadn't been written, I might have mistook Christmas day's eclipse for a failure to pay the electrical bill. Thanks, Slashdot!
- TreyAnd so it goes.
Ok, an eclipse would be very cool to see on xmas. Since we aren't getting any snow here in Phoenix, AZ (that's a Very Good Thing (tm)) an eclipse I would like.
OBwarm-weather-rub-it-in: Xmas time. Was 72 F yesterday here in the valley. Life is good. Got too drunk last nite (that wasn't weather related though...that was martini induced), so the headache ain't too hot, but otherwiase...
Happy Holidays! =)
Mostly cloudy with scattered showers.
Bah! Humbug!
The daystar burns my eyes!
heavens-above.com has very nice reports on this kind of thing, espically iridium flares and iis sightings. that link is generated by my preferences for east coast data, but that's easy enough to change.
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The last Christmas of the millenium and a rare solar eclipse; its times like these that I'm kind of sorry I'm not superstitious and could get all worked up over it...
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An in 1997 we were treated to a rare September 2 eclipse.
Been there, done that, got the Visigoths to prove it.
668: Neighbour of the Beast
Consolation: I get a PlayStation2 and you don't!
It's all about the Karma Points...
Moderators: Read from the bottom up!
SIG: HUP
I wonder how tramatic this will be to people suffering from seasonal blues... just think, it's winter, everything is dead, the holidays (christmas no less), and now the sunshine is going away..... noooooo, i think god hates me :)
Fred Espenak's site is better than any I've seen.
http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html
Four fifths of all our troubles in this life would disappear if we would just sit down and keep still. -C. Coolidge
...of English, so they couldn't see the parallel between Milton's belief in inner sight acquired due to his blindness and the irony of the sun being blotted out just when the days are supposed to be getting longer. And at dawn no less! Or else they thought you can just pull an apropos passage out of Paradise Lost with grep or something, and then just paste it. Or else they just don't like poetry.
To them I say:
But, while he was shouting, he saw with surprise
That the moon of that evening was starting to rise
Up over his head in the darkening skies.
"What's THAT?" snorted Yertle. "Say, what IS that thing
That dares to be higher than Yertle the King?
I shall not allow it! I'll go higher still!
I'll build my throne higher! I can and I will!
I'll call some more turtles. I'll stack 'em to heaven!
I need 'bout five thousand, six hundred and seven!"
Dr. Seuss, Yertle the Turtle.
Ditto. Nothing new I can say.
Sky and Telescope magazine has a better article on the eclipse, with a bigger copy of the maximum eclipse map.
The birth of Christ is going to be overshadowed by the coming of the anticrhist. Merry Antichristmas?
But the best view will be in Northern Canada...
Shut up, be happy. The conveniences you demanded are now mandatory. -- Jello Biafra
NightHawk
Tyranny =Gov. choosing how much power to give the People.
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