March 20. 2015 Solar Eclipse

[C3PO]

In less than 24 hours we'll have a solar eclipse that is visible in most parts of Europe, and I'm lucky enough to be living in the part that gets to experience a total eclipse. The only other "dry" place that it hits is Svalbard(NO).

You can check the obscuration and times on this map:
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2015Mar20Tgoogle.html

More maps:
http://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/march-20-2015/

The local weather hasn't been looking great, but now there is a chance we'll have 'only' broken cloud cover Friday morning.

Most news channels are covering this event in some form or another, and some have even sent TV crews to the Faroe Islands. :lol:

So fingers crossed for good weather and don't stare at the sun.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

I heard that both the Faroe Islands and Svalbard are having record number of visitors coming in for the eclipse. Is that what's happening in your place? :hmm:

 

[asbjos]

I've read that Svalbard is experiencing a doubling in population in these days (in other words about 2500 visitors).

Here in Norway (on the mainland) the Moon will cover 87 to 96 percent of the Sun, which is the largest eclipse until 2061. On Svalbard, the eclipse will (as C3PO mentioned) be total.
The weather is sadly not too good, with clouds over most of mainland Norway, with best conditions in central Norway.
The weather on Svalbard, though, will be relatively good, and if you want to watch, the national broadcaster here in Norway will have the entire event on live stream, available for everyone to watch internationally: http://www.nrk.no/troms/watch-the-solar-eclipse-in-svalbard---norway-1.12257825

Here in Norway, solar eclipse glasses are sold out on many places, and people have to buy glasses for wielding in a "last resort". Luckily, I have been prepared, and bought my glasses close to two years ago. Where I live (Trondheim), the sun will cover 93.9 % of the Sun's area, but the forecast show clouds during the entire eclipse. But I will still ditch the lecture, stand outside and hope for a glimpse of the eclipse.

 

[C3PO]

I heard that both the Faroe Islands and Svalbard are having record number of visitors coming in for the eclipse. Is that what's happening in your place? :hmm:

The number I keep hearing is 8,000+, but I'm not sure if that's including the cruise ships heading this way. 8k may not sound much but you have to compare it to a population of just short of 50,000. The annual average is about 8,000 so we will probably have twice the normal number of tourists in 2015 (or slightly less).

The Faroese tourist board has quite a nice site.
http://www.visitfaroeislands.com/

 

[C3PO]

The Faroese national broadcaster will stream the event too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Egm1Z5OYcU

The weather here today is fairly nominal.

Here you can stare at the Sun without any ill effect ... if you can find it. :lol:

 

[Ripley]

A good read (how to safely watch it):
http://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/how.html

 

[Siliconaut]

Good Luck to anyone trying to catch it! There is total eclispse track passing in 2017 a hundred or so miles south of me western Kentucky. millions will probably line up to catch it. I'll certainly be one of them.

 

[Artlav]

I heard that both the Faroe Islands and Svalbard are having record number of visitors coming in for the eclipse.

Heh. I couldn't find any place on Svalbard back in August already.
All sold out, except for a few absurdly expensive rooms.

I guess i'll be catching the next one, in 2017 (says he since 2008 ).

 

[C3PO]

[eventTimer]2015-03-20 09:40:53?before|after;%dd% Days %hh% Hours %mm% Minutes %ss% Seconds %c%[/eventTimer] the start of a total Solar eclipse in Tórshavn Faroe Islands.​

 

[Izack]

Enjoy! I hope the weather is fair when it starts.

 

[Delta glider]

Tried it in orbiter.

 

[asbjos]

Heh. I couldn't find any place on Svalbard back in August already.
All sold out, except for a few absurdly expensive rooms.

I guess i'll be catching the next one, in 2017 (says he since 2008 ).

I read somewhere that the last hotel room on Svalbard was booked in 2007, so I guess you have to be earlier next time!
And yes, private homes could be rented by the owners some months before the eclipse for 25000 NOK (=3500 USD) for one night, so they sure do know how to make money up there!

 

[TachyonDriver]

Probably going to be too much cloud cover in Lancashire, but what the heck, I'll just enjoy the semi-darkness whilst at work.

 

[C3PO]

The weather in the Faeroes has decided to tease all the eclipse hunters, so nothing new there. :lol:

The cloud cover is ~9/10 and we have seen the disk for a few minutes this morning. So we'll continue to cross fingers.

Most TV channels have started showing partial obscuration from around Europe.

 

[GLS]

Some haze and clouds, but it's very visible here. I can notice the overall darkening of things already.

 

[Urwumpe]

MacGyver observations part 1

4 layers of blue/reflective gift paper (mylar like) between two transparent strips on a Surface RT camera.

 

[C3PO]

TE minus 20 minutes, and the weather is worsening.

It looks like we have to wait another 230 years. :lol:

 

[Ghostrider]

There it goes...

 

[Urwumpe]

Forget filters ... using the RT camera directly can also work, if you try to catch the first reflection...

 

[GLS]

Image taken at around maximum eclipse.