Total eclipse of the Sun

[Nick]

I read a board post on FB that green welding glass is the same as many filters you can buy.

Check out these two posts on that:

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-10-10-Stop-Neutral-Density-ND-Filter/
http://diyphotography.net/use-welding-glass-as-10-stops-nd-filter

Potentially a saver from buying a $200 filter, and just as good? I'm planning on trying this out. Might be good for the eclipse too.

I believe I've seen ashergrey on Flickr use welding glass in some of his shots. Now there's a guy I'd love to see join backcountrypost...

 

[John Fowler]

I'm tempted.....

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FGQ088/?tag=backcountrypo-20

does anyone ever used a solar filter?
I actually will only use it for the Venus/Sun transit, but anyway, there will be more solar eclipses in the future.

I got mine from Thousand Oaks Optical (thousandoaksoptical.com). $58.00.

 

[Yvonne]

I got mine from Thousand Oaks Optical (thousandoaksoptical.com). $58.00.

cool, have to figure out if they still have them available.
Thanks for the link.

 

[Dave]

I believe I've seen ashergrey on Flickr use welding glass in some of his shots. Now there's a guy I'd love to see join backcountrypost...

Ask and ye shall receive.

I have indeed experimented with welding glass since I'm too much of a cheapo to invest in a proper set of ND filters. Success has been hit-or-miss, as you don't have a real good measure of how to adjust your exposure. It's also tough to ensure your shot isn't ruined by light leakage. You will also deal with heavy vignetting on wide lenses.


Water Canyon Arch by ashergrey, on Flickr


Saddle Arch by ashergrey, on Flickr


Big Hunt by ashergrey, on Flickr


Above the Brink by ashergrey, on Flickr


Duchesne River by ashergrey, on Flickr


Farmington Creek 1 by ashergrey, on Flickr

I am intending to head down around Cedar City for the eclipse. My original hope was that SR14 would be open so I could shoot from around Cedar Breaks but that doesn't look like it's going to happen.

 

[Bob Palin]

Cedar Breaks is open, 14 will supposedly have "limited access" in June.

 

[Dave]

Cedar Breaks is open, 14 will supposedly have "limited access" in June.

But you have to take the long route up from Parowan. Limited access is only through the weekends and overnight hours from what I understand and that comes after the eclipse anyhow. My original plan had been to hike Ashdown Gorge prior to the eclipse but without the ability to do a car shuttle that becomes an unattractive prospect. My backup plan was to shoot from Kanarraville but I'm afraid that will be everyone's backup plan.

 

[audraiam]

Wanted to throw up a couple of links about the eclipse and eye protection. In case you didn't see on Facebook Nick and I have purchased 10 sets of eclipse glasses for the backcountrypost group doing the Subway on May 20th. In my search I also located very reasonably priced welding glass on amazon. CAUTION you must have shade #14 to protect your eyes and prevent damage. Thanks to the University of Colorado Boulder and Fiske Planetarium for providing some reliable information (opposed to the normal hearsay you would get on a forum

).
SLTrib article with plenty of detail about viewing locations:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/54027686-78/eclipse-moon-view-utah.html.csp
CU Alumni post with scientific info about eye protection:
http://www.cualum.org/2012/05/01/annular-solar-eclipse/

Lastly, I read this and just about freaked out, hence the rush to order eye protection. I can't believe you don't feel pain as the damage is being done. Everyone please take caution and protect your eyes during this event!
"The part of the eyes that are injured don’t have pain receptors, so it won’t hurt, but you’ll go blind," the planetarium’s Jarvis said. "It’s called solar retinopathy, and it burns out retinal cells. I’ve talked with plenty of people who looked at the sun and now can’t see in the center of their vision, only peripherally."

 

[barl0w]

In case you didn't see on Facebook Nick and I have purchased 10 sets of eclipse glasses for the backcountrypost group doing the Subway on May 20th.

Awesome! While we're out with you guys at the subway, I ordered a pack for the kids and grandparents back at home. Safety first!

 

[uintahiker]

It's been on my calendar, but I haven't decided where to go yet...

May I suggest Canyon de Chelley? Ruins, plus eclipse= awesomeness.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

May I suggest Canyon de Chelley? Ruins, plus eclipse= awesomeness.

Not enough time for Canyon de Chelly...I want to spend at least 3 days when I finally head there...which probably isn't going to happen this year like I had hoped since I am out of days off already

 

[Dave]

Anyone ever hiked down to Temple Arch from Strawberry Point? I'm wondering the angle of the arch and the lay of the ground around it. It would be cool to shoot the eclipse through an arch.

 

[blueeyes]

I bought these a couple days ago for the kids and I

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R733VW/?tag=backcountrypo-20

 

[barl0w]

Nice article in the Daily Herald today on watching the eclipse from a NP:

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/loc...cle_41ea0942-9aab-11e1-8dbf-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[Nick]

So does anyone know exactly what time this eclipse will take place in southern utah? I'm getting mixed results when I search around.

 

[blueeyes]

We just got our glasses in the mail today! You put them on and see a cyclops staring back at you. At least she has one lovely blueeye. When you look at the sun it is smaller than I thought!

I found this on Yahoo answers

The circumstances in St George and Kanarraville are almost identical as they both fall in the annular eclipse area. Despite that, Kanarraville is closer to the central path of the eclipse, so the eclipse there takes a slightly longer time. Coming to the facts, the eclipse in Kanarraville starts 25 seconds before St. George. Further, the annular eclipse starts 45 seconds earlier, and ends 25 seconds earlier. Hence, the annular eclipse in Kanarraville lasts 20 seconds longer (at 4 minutes and 33 seconds) than in St. George (at 4 minutes and 13 seconds). There's a slight difference in degree of obscuration (at 0.1%), but this is hardly noticeable as the time differences above. Being at a slightly higher latitude, and a significantly higher altitude (almost 900m higher), sunset at Kanarraville is also slightly delayed from that at St. George, and this is important as the eclipse observation ends in both places with sunset. The only thing that may favor one place over the other regardless of everything said above is the weather at the day of the eclipse. Kanarraville is more likely to have a rainy day with some cloud cover than St. George, so keep watching.

The eclipse will start at around 6:22pm. The annular eclipse will be seen starting 7:31pm and will last for about four to five minutes. You might stop seeing the eclipse before sunset as the sunset gets closer to the horizon.

 

[intuitive cat]

Nice article in the Daily Herald today on watching the eclipse from a NP:

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/loc...cle_41ea0942-9aab-11e1-8dbf-001a4bcf887a.html

that's unfortunately a misleading article, as it only includes the SEUG parks. (South East Utah Group). both Zion & Bryce fall within the range, though they are slightly off centerline.
the path goes something like this from northwest to southeast over major points: Mt. Shasta, Pyramid Lake, Round Mountain in central Nevada, Kolob Plateau,the Glen Canyon Dam(n), just south of Navajo Mountain, over Canyon De Chelley & past the NE edge of the Hopi Mesas & on to Albuquerque (Sandia Mnt.). it's quite the selection of major geological areas and sacred sites. perfect for 2012 mystique :twothumbs:
interactive google maplink:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html

I would think that the Cedar City/Kannaraville/St. George areas as well as the national parks are going to be absolute zoos! people travel from all over the world to witness these type of eclipses. So, I think I am going to get as far out the Hole in the Rock Road as i can, or else find some other rather secluded place around here - all depends on what a few friends and i end up deciding on.
I'm amazed and overjoyed that my home is within the path! I could watch it from my yard!

 

[Dave]

Cedar Breaks was crowded, but not overly so. I assume that's thanks to SR14 still being closed. Still, it was busy coming down from Brian Head. And let's not talk about the idiocy of UDOT restricting I-15 to one lane NB when there was no overnight roadwork going on near Nephi.

My buddy and I hiked out to the Ramparts Overlook and had it all to ourselves. Most of the watchers seemed to congregate at the easy spots. I wanted some piece of foreground for my pictures and was able to get that from the forest. Not the greatest shot ever but hey, it was my first time ever shooting an eclipse.


Ring by ashergrey, on Flickr

 

[Bob Palin]

I took me a while to figure out how to get the best pictures, in the end a 50c mylar 'eclipse viewer' held over the end of the lens got the best shots


Annular Eclipse - Peak by Bob Palin, on Flickr


Annular Eclipse - After Peak by Bob Palin, on Flickr

 

[IntrepidXJ]

Here's a quick one I processed just now....got home at 2am last night and now I need to get to work...


Ring of Fire by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

 

[Yvonne]

wow Randy, that's awesome!! I guess you used a special solar filter