Will You Be Watching The Partial Solar Eclipse Tomorrow ?

I'm a sucker for this sort of thing. I find astronomy so fascinating. The distances and numbers are often mind blowing. I love the fact that our sun is pretty much exactly 400 times bigger than the moon and pretty much exactly 400 times further away, thus making them virtually identical in size in our skies.
I get the best view ( hopefully ) just after 0930am tomorrow. Anyone else looking forward to this ?

mo1905 wrote:I'm a sucker for this sort of thing. I find astronomy so fascinating. The distances and numbers are often mind blowing. I love the fact that our sun is pretty much exactly 400 times bigger than the moon and pretty much exactly 400 times further away, thus making them virtually identical in size in our skies.
I get the best view ( hopefully ) just after 0930am tomorrow. Anyone else looking forward to this ?

I'll be watching!! Really enjoy watching natural phenomenon take place! 09:30 am is optimal viewing time in my neck of the woods too-just hope the smog that's over us at the moment doesn't spoil it!

Yes, I'll be watching tomorrow. It's the sort of thing that gets me excited too. If I remember, I'll take some binoculars out with me NOT to look at the sun, but to focus an image on a piece of card. There was a much less dramatic partial eclipse, probably 18 years ago, when I remember doing this successfully.
Did any of you go to Cornwall for the 1999 total eclipse. Heavy cloud, but still worth it. Sat on a cliff top as it went duller and duller on an August morning, then suddenly it went dark and seagulls all began to screech. And then it was all over.
Sally

Sally wrote:Yes, I'll be watching tomorrow.  It's the sort of thing that gets me excited too.  If I remember, I'll take some binoculars out with me NOT to look at the sun, but to focus an image on a piece of card.  There was a much less dramatic partial eclipse, probably 18 years ago, when I remember doing this successfully.  
Did any of you go to Cornwall for the 1999 total eclipse.  Heavy cloud, but still worth it.  Sat on a cliff top as it went duller and duller on an August morning, then suddenly it went dark and seagulls all began to screech.  And then it was all over.
Sally

I was in cornwall only by coincidence,on holiday in Carbis Bay when the the '99 eclipse occurred-very eerie but didn't last long.

I remember it well Sally. Lots of hype and build up but we had so much cloud cover we hardly saw a thing. I remember there was a flight you could book specifically to see the eclipse as it was above cloud level. Hopefully we'll have clear skies tomorrow. I know I shouldn't but I can't help looking directly at the eclipse ( with sunglasses ). I agree it's not wise but I'd be a little disappointed just to see a reflection of it on cardboard or something. Still, I'm not advising anyone else to do this lol ! Official advice, DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN :-)

Use a welding mask or get a small offcut of glass and then 'Smoke' it with a lit candle-works well!

I'll certainly be watching, but the weather forecast is not promising down here in Devon. Fingers crossed for a break in the cloud! Otherwise it will have to be on Stargazing Live in the evening with Liz Bonnin's footage from above the clouds in the Faeroe Islands. It will certainly go very dark anyway.

The last partial here was in 2003, only about 30-40% if I recall, and the reduced light was very strange.

I was in Rome for the 1999 one. Was it really that long ago?

I'm not that bothered about seeing it. I was told to look towards the sun to see an eclipse when I was a child at primary school. It hurt and my eyes have been more light sensitive than most peoples' since then. So it doesn't really interest me.

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Pupils 'banned from watching solar eclipse' for cultural and religious reasons.

"The school made this decision when we became aware of religious and cultural concerns associated with observing an eclipse directly.

Although we are sorry for any disappointment, pupils were still able to watch the eclipse on screens in classrooms.

However, the overcast conditions in West London today meant they would not have been able to see it live in any case."

IVOR JOHNSTONE, HEADTEACHER NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Link to ITV news here http://www.itv.com/news/london/2015-03-20/children-banned-from-watching-solar-eclipse-for-cultural-and-religious-reasons/

How long before it becomes a criminal offence in the UK for being a Christian or a Jew etc.

What religious and cultural reasons could there possibly be? There's a scientific reason for not looking directly at the sun but religious? Cultural? Which religion doesn't believe in the sun and the moon???

Weird.

Dillinger

What a special day for many who were able to see the partial eclipse ...... for others it was spoilt!

I had to make do with watching it on the news .........

plus a thank you to Rod for posting the picture.

All the best Jan

sanguine wrote:" />

Great pic. I managed to see absolutely nothing but enjoyed the TV coverage.

mo1905 wrote:

sanguine wrote:" />

Great pic. I managed to see absolutely nothing but enjoyed the TV coverage.

Absolute dead loss for me too! lol Just a bit of reduced light and that was it!! Going to Norway next time me thinks!!

Paul wrote:

mo1905 wrote:

sanguine wrote:" />

Great pic. I managed to see absolutely nothing but enjoyed the TV coverage.

Absolute dead loss for me too! lol Just a bit of reduced light and that was it!! Going to Norway next time me thinks!!

Same for me far to cloudy, at 7 am there was a bit of blue sky so I was hopeful but an hour later it had gone 

Started to get a bit dim~9:34 so took a shot and it came out OK!
Between Burnley & Bury