steveq

OK, Astronomy chapter of British Expats.

Who lives on the line of totality for next years eclipse. And can we camp on your lawn ?

Pulaski

It's over the state line from me, and I am planning on taking the day off and taking little Miss P down there to see it. I aim to get us as close to the centre line as I can. It will probably be the closest I will ever be to a total eclipse.

I was working in London when the total eclipse passed over the western end of Cornwall in 1999, and a few of us went up on the roof to see the almost-total eclipse. It was a clear sunny day, but as the eclipse started, the only cloud in the sky crossed in front of the sun, and we were treated to being able to watch the eclipse directly through the cloud.

steveq

We "happened" to be in Normandy on business, and ended up camping with an old friend in his tent, Lizzy and a very young #1 Q son (with #2 on his way) in another tent, and me in the car boot.

We set up cameras telescopes etc about an hour before totality, and watched a line of clouds barrelling their way over us, with 10 minutes to go. We rammed everything back in the car, and headed as fast as possible in the other direction to the clouds, got out, managed to get a decent camera set up and watched totality.

Driving into the nearest town, they'd had the cloud, and missed it.

Pictures here. Dave Wylie: The Personal Planet: Solar Eclipse

Shard

Good BBC program on getting to Proxima b on iPlayer now.

Shard

I like your vintage website! So few of those around these days. Also, Alba house looks good and appears to have an awesome sea view!

Shard

Cool to know that!

steveq

Not my site, but that of a very old friend, and our best man.

Shard

Yeah...was wondering why he was called Dave and your profile is Steve. Anyway, nice link, thanks.

SultanOfSwing

I don't live on the line of totality, but it is within a couple of hundred mile drive for us. I believe totality (and one in 2024 or so) is going to be visible in Carbondale, IL. You can camp on my lawn if you like if you give us a lift down

steveq

Carbondale is the heart of NASA's eclipse coverage I think. Is it the centre of the path or something ?

Steve

SultanOfSwing

I don't know why they chose Carbondale. Looking at the path of the eclipse it's more like 3/4 of the way along. Carbondale doesn't even have the longest period of totality, there are locations in Illinois that get a few seconds more.

I was able to confirm that the 2024 eclipse path goes over the same area, though

Pulaski

I think Steve was asking if Carbondale is near the centre of the width of the path, not center point of the length, so you get more totality than if you are further from the centreline of the path, and a more symmetric view of the corona.

I just checked, Carbondale is just a few miles from the centerline of both the 2017 AND the 2024 eclipses! ..... So my guess would be that NASA wants to collect some comparative data from the same exact location for the two eclipses.

The paths of the two eclipses cross in a x pattern, so while much of the US will be within a reasonable travelling distance of one eclipse or the other (the 2024 eclipse passes across Mexico and from Texas to Maine via Indiana and upstate New York), southern Illinois, south eastern Missouri and western Kentucky will see them both.

steveq

I think that must be the key part.

Most of the people I know who know about these things think heading west is probably best for maximising the chances of seeing it, but maximum EXTENT is near Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky.

Steve

SultanOfSwing

I think it's near the centreline vertically then, yes. But there are plenty of towns along that line, so I'm still not sure why Carbondale was chosen. Downstate Illinois isn't exactly the most interesting of places

Pulaski

I have added to/ edited my post above, once I thought about what is happening.