The eclipse is boring

[Kazuya]

I think it's just me but uh looking at the sun is super boring and well kinda pointless. I don't get why people are making such a big deal over this, so could someone explain to me why everyone is freaking out over the SUN, like really the sun. 

[MisterIceTeaPeach]

It's a natural phenomenon you might see only once in your life, maybe twice if you're really lucky and become very old.

[Rex Glacies]

What Aya said. Admittedly, it will look different depending on where you are, with the further you are from the "totality" the less impressive it becomes.

However, if you are close to it it becomes neat as you can see nearly all of the sun covered up, making it look like a crescent moon. And, of course, if you're lucky enough to be at the totality, it will be "nighttime" during the day because the moon will block out nearly all of the sun's light.

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Not in total eclips zone, but about 60% of the sun was blocked out. It wasn't so much the sun but looking at the world around you. Like somebody toned down the brightness slider. It wasn't at all like dusk or dawn lighting.

[Magical Glace]

Total Solar Eclipses are pretty rare.  Seeing them is basically a once in a lifetime thing.

[Captain Karnage]

It's a once in a lifetime event, total solar eclipses are very rare on land

not to mention you can see the night sky in the midddle of the day

[Darros]

Err - you're supposed to not look at the sun. Nice tho.

Idk it looks nice even here where there's 55% coverage because the sky color has become more of a muted blue. It's just nature being cool.

[Ertrick36]

Didn't see the total eclipse myself, but apart from what people have said, total eclipses have some fairly interesting effects.

I don't live in an area where there's totality, but pretty darn close.  It's been fairly hot where I live (which isn't helped by fierce wildfires that fill the valley I live in with some thick smoke), but when I stepped outside during the eclipse, the temperature dropped to, like, 50 degrees Fahrenheit and everything became noticeably dim.  Pets also get pretty confused.  My area got about 90% or 80% eclipse.

I think if you're right under the totality, it does become dark, but you'll also be surrounded by a sort of strange glow from places not completely covered by the totality.  Generally speaking, it isn't this super duper amazing thing that'll totally blow your mind; it's just a neat little phenomenon that's fun to experience if you're lucky enough to be under or near the area of totality and one you might never see again.

Also it's the only time when staring at an almost entirely obscured form of the sun can still torch your retinas out.  You gotta wear specialized glasses or welding goggles in order to actually look at it, otherwise you literally will go blind.  Heck, even with the glasses (which are of a trusted brand, mind you), my eyes still got somewhat irritable.

Another thing about this is because it's so rare, people have concocted a bunch of nonsense theories about the end of the world being brought upon us.  I mean, those always occur, but rare phenomena tend to bring more of these crazy notions out into the public, and thus more people fall under their spell.

[kingddd]

5 minutes ago, Ertrick36 said:

Didn't see the total eclipse myself, but apart from what people have said, total eclipses have some fairly interesting effects.

I don't live in an area where there's totality, but pretty darn close.  It's been fairly hot where I live (which isn't helped by fierce wildfires that fill the valley I live in with some thick smoke), but when I stepped outside during the eclipse, the temperature dropped to, like, 50 degrees Fahrenheit and everything became noticeably dim.  Pets also get pretty confused.  My area got about 90% or 80% eclipse.

I think if you're right under the totality, it does become dark, but you'll also be surrounded by a sort of strange glow from places not completely covered by the totality.  Generally speaking, it isn't this super duper amazing thing that'll totally blow your mind; it's just a neat little phenomenon that's fun to experience if you're lucky enough to be under or near the area of totality and one you might never see again.

Also it's the only time when staring at an almost entirely obscured form of the sun can still torch your retinas out.  You gotta wear specialized glasses or welding goggles in order to actually look at it, otherwise you literally will go blind.  Heck, even with the glasses (which are of a trusted brand, mind you), my eyes still got somewhat irritable.

Another thing about this is because it's so rare, people have concocted a bunch of nonsense theories about the end of the world being brought upon us.  I mean, those always occur, but rare phenomena tend to bring more of these crazy notions out into the public, and thus more people fall under their spell.

Yep and not to mention it also affects some living animals and insects

A mutual of mine reported that the Locusts in their area started making even more sound when the sun disappeared during the time it happened.

Here is another beautiful shot to show how fast the moon goes by even during an airplane flight.

https://twitter.com/TomHall/status/899658092526227457

[PeaceRibbon]

While I was a few hours away from major darkness zones, I still ended up with cloudy skies, but even then it looked really cool, cause what sun did filter through was sunset orange.

Also eclipse photos are the bomb. Gonna have some fun checking out the new ones on the net.

[wheelsonfire]

I'm in an area with 86% totality. Unfortunately, the sky decided it was a good time to be cloudy and raining… Luckily, I got to see someone streaming it, and I believe they were in the path of totality. It was incredible…

[Interdimensional Observer]

It was wonderful watching the eclipse, got to see like ~70% coverage before the clouds came in. Natural phenomena are awesome, and should really be cherished. Getting the glasses were a chore though, yet it was worth it- better than the cereal box thing. Watched some of the TV coverage too.

The next Total Solar Eclipse that will be in the US will happen April 2024. The path of totality will pass through Texas, and proceed on an arch that shall pass through upstate New York I think.

1 hour ago, Ertrick36 said:

Another thing about this is because it's so rare, people have concocted a bunch of nonsense theories about the end of the world being brought upon us.  I mean, those always occur, but rare phenomena tend to bring more of these crazy notions out into the public, and thus more people fall under their spell.

Well for premodern humanity who didn't understand what eclipses were, they saw the events, like comets and meteors, as an aberration of the natural order in the heavens above. Eclipses were ominous because they stole the Sun- the life giving source of all life, even if for just a short time. The Aztecs (or was it the Maya?) would offer sacrifices to stave off eclipses.

[Nym]

Sad that I won't be able to see it :(

[Rukina]

2 minutes ago, Nym said:

Sad that I won't be able to see it :(

Watch it online.

[Armagon]

I live in central Florida, so while we didn't get to see the entire thing, we still got the Eclipse. It was noticeably darker outside. Not super dark or anything, but darker than it would be on any other day. It was pretty nice.

[Ae†her]

You need a telescope m8. 

[SilverNexez]

2 hours ago, Logos said:

You need a telescope m8. 

Uh, it's the sun and moon, you wouldn't need a telescope, just binoculars or glasses with protection at most.

Personally, I'd like to have experienced it, but it wasn't near me. Just mostly sunny where I was. The news and internet was what I saw of it, which was pretty interesting.

[Ae†her]

1 minute ago, SilverNexez said:

Uh, it's the sun and moon, you wouldn't need a telescope, just binoculars or glasses with protection at most.

Personally, I'd like to have experienced it, but it wasn't near me. Just mostly sunny where I was. The news and internet was what I saw of it, which was pretty interesting.

The telescope is to watch the Sun's corona, and all of it's magnificence as it is suddenly blocked by the Moon. It truly is a glorious sight to see up magnified.

[Dandy Druid]

I think it's a pretty cool natural phenomenon that we will rarely see. It may happen once a lifetime for most people to the extent of what it was today.

That being said I saw people crying on the news and I was like "wtf people I know it's cool but how are you so emotional? You weren't even thinking about it last week I bet."

[Lord Tullus]

I was out there today. I was fortunate enough to live pretty close to the line of totality (I was around the high 90's, maybe?), and the eclipse, while not the most spectacular thing I've seen, was one of the coolest experiences in my life.  One of.  Not only did the thing last 2 and a half minutes (which is small) it may never happen again in your life time. Except by 2024. That prediction is... uh?  Next one, I guess. Anyway, it wasn't just the sun being blocked by the moon, causing a shadow to be cast dark enough to see venus and such during the day and looking at the sun. Around me, on the grass, the shadows cast by the trees in the partial eclipse were crescent shaped.  A completely different shadow was cast and it looked like a ton of half eaten Nilla wafers littered the grass.  In the totality, the trees were blending in with the dark sky.  The horizon was donned by an orange and purple glow.  The orb in the sky could be stared at with no damage to your eyes.  It was Totality awesome.  

It was a very neat experience.  I also got to look in a box and see the reflection of the eclipse in there, like they did in the 70's.  A cardboard box holds up with current technology folks. I've seen it all. Also, viewing the eclipse at the line of totality gives you bragging rights.  Kinda.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Lord Tullus

[Kazuya]

Sadly I wasn't in a place near totality, so I think that's why I didn't care about it at all. It was nice, I guess.