Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Total Solar Eclipse

Posted by michael on from the turn-around,-bright-eyes dept.

The Grey Mouser writes: "Just got word that a live video feed from the first total solar eclipse of the 21st century will be broadcast over the web tomorrow. The transmission will be available from 11.35 to 13.35, 21 June UTC (that's EDT+4). A great way to start the work day. Check out www.live-eclipse.org for more details, and the video stream tomorrow. Looks like Real, Quicktime, and WMP formats are available. Here's hoping for clear skies over Madagascar and Zimbabwe!" The summer solstice is today, so there's about 15 hours of daylight to enjoy (in my latitude anyway) - turn off the computer, go outside, get a tan.

12 of 104 comments (clear)

  1. Its already today, over here by anticypher · · Score: 3

    The eclipse was just starting when this got posted. The site is heavily slashdotted, but the BBC and other news sites already linked to the feed. If you can get through, there are some cool shots of the whole sky in a fish-eye lens, and telescope shots of sunspots.

    News for nerds, after the fact

    the AC

    --
    Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
  2. Buy Red Hat Shares! by EyesOfNostradamus · · Score: 3

    During one of the previous eclipses, Red Hat shares rose by over 1500% in just a couple of days. Buy buy buy!

  3. Re:Spooky celestial stuff by EyesOfNostradamus · · Score: 5
    And also:
    • 42'nd death day of late Douglas Adams
  4. Spooky celestial stuff by Dr_Cheeks · · Score: 5
    So, let's see:
    • Mars is really close to the Earth.
    • It's a solar eclipse.
    • It's the summer solstice.
    I guess today's our best chance to find out if those druids were onto something : )

    Wait, suddenly I have a thirst for human blood....

    --

  5. Ur by KhaliF · · Score: 5

    Work? turn off the computer?, go outside?, get a tan?

    A geek craves not these things :)

    --
    HelpGeeks - don't bother visiting, it's not worth it! Really!
  6. Solar eclipse over the web by Phillip2 · · Score: 5
    Right so viewing a solar eclipse in a 100x50 window, with the screen refreshing every 5 seconds is going to convey the experience really well.

    I am selling 5cm high plastic replicas of Everest if anyone is interested. Why take the risk of climbing the real thing, when you can get the experience from your home in comfort and safety?

    Phil

  7. Mars also... by tsmit · · Score: 5

    Heard on the radio on the drive in this morning, Mars is going to be the closest to earth it has been in some large number of years.
    If it's clear tonight, an average telescope should be able to pick up the polar ice caps.


    Of course, this is also the day that if you're standing on the north pole, the sun will rise, circle around you, and set in the same place. Weird day all over the place.

    --
    Yes, my girlfriend is a BitchX
  8. Make your own live feed by Codeala · · Score: 5


    <head>
    <title>Total Solar Eclipse Live Feed</title>
    </head>
    <body bgcolor="#000000">
    </body>
    </html>

    ====

    --

    Codeala - Just another mindless drone
  9. No waaaaay! by imipak · · Score: 3

    > turn off the computer, go outside, get a tan.

    What? You think I want to get cancer -- let alone fall behind the constant stream of exciting news and events from the world of science and technology??

    I'm sorry, but I'm smarter than that! ;-)
    --
    "I'm not downloaded, I'm just loaded and down"

  10. Quick comment re: eyes by freeweed · · Score: 3
    Just had to make sure this gets said, as every time an eclipse happens, the same bull is repeated. The radiation from the sun cannot get any stronger during an eclipse than it is normally. It is perfectly safe to glance up directly at the sun for a brief moment, just don't stare at the damn thing! During an eclipse (even without totality), it is even more safe, as more and more of the radiation gets blocked by the moon.

    Yes, I'm still very bitter about missing my (probably) one and only full eclipse in 1979, as my luddite parents were CONVINCED that looking directly at an eclipse would burn your eyes out. The trick is to look away BEFORE the sun re-emerges, so that the sudden glare doesn't blind you!

    --
    Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
  11. Great... by JediTrainer · · Score: 3

    Perfect. A streaming site showing a cool live event, and we have to make it suffer the /. effect so nobody gets to see it!

    :)

    --

    You can accomplish anything you set your mind to. The impossible just takes a little longer.
  12. More than just seeing it. by standards · · Score: 5
    It's incredible how much good science comes out of solar eclipses. My organization has brought our approx. 1000 kg dimotrian telescope from Texas to central Africa so we can study the plasma winds of the sun - in hopes to determine some of those picky nuclear details of the sun.

    See http://stardate.utexas.edu/resources/ssguide/sun.h tml

    It is exciting to see a solar eclipse for 15 minutest, and then spend the balance of the time exploring a very interesting continent.

    Too bad I couldn't go.