Post #3 - Totality

Post #3

Total Solar Eclipse 

     August 21st, 2017 will be a particularly special day. It's the day of a total solar eclipse! In fact, it is the first total solar eclipse the continental U.S. since 1979, a whole 38 years! A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon in its orbit moves between the Earth and sun and completely covers the solar disc. When on "the line of totality" the surroundings of the observer will seem like dusk has suddenly fallen  on the full 360 degrees of their horizon. The line of totality basically cuts across the whole continental US. It is a truly a very unique and special occasion, and I plan on being there. 

     Here in Michigan, we will only have a coverage of 80% meaning 20% of the sun is still visible during totality, and therefore not a true total solar eclipse. That's not good enough for me. So my sister and I have been planning for a special two week trip in August which revolves around 2 special minutes of totality. 

     Thousands of other people have also planned their trips as well, many have planned years in advance, and most/all of the hotels available along the path are already booked with people who are also eagerly awaiting this event to occur. Instead of staying in a hotel, her and I have planned on camping and car camping as a solution. And we plan on going to some of the most amazing places in the United States. 

     Where will we be during the eclipse? Well I don't want to be too specific, but basically, we plan on being on a giant sand dune in Nebraska which overlooks the desert plains surrounding us so we have an almost perfect 360 degree range of view. We plan on being further west because the chances of clear weather are higher than the East Coast for example, due to a more arid climate. It would be a real bummer to put all the effort into this trip, only for the view to be obscured by a cloud. On this particular sand dune, there has actually been a guy who has recorded the weather conditions for observing total solar eclipses for the past 30 years! Oddly specific, but I'm glad he did so, because he has concluded that about 75% of August days in the area are prime for observing an eclipse of this nature. This little piece of information, climate conditions, and geographic surroundings, have made this our top choice for observation. 

 

   Besides just viewing an eclipse, we plan on doing several other activities. Such as visiting Yellowstone National Park on state over from our viewing area! My family took a trip there once before, and my sister and I fell in love with it. There is so much to do and see, like hiking, camping, visiting Mammoth Hot Spring, Yellowstone lake, watching herds of bison go by, and mountain goats dance. The vibrant colors, the looming mountains, and unique wildlife are all things I am anxiously waiting to see. I plan on spending a fair amount of time there in the park.

     We also plan on going meteorite hunting in the Southwest areas of Arizona and New Mexico. Because meteorites are made of stone, iron, or a mix of both, their signals can be picked up using metal detectors. And because of the arid and dry desert climate, fallen space rock is easier to find than in Michigan for example. It rains much less there, and meteorites are less likely to be covered with mud or foliage, and less likely to be chemically altered through the process of weathering. I think it's a good place to start. 

     This trip is all about spending time with my sister, enjoying aspects of astronomy, and enjoying the outdoors. I don't expect it to be a super fancy or luxurious experience, I only expect to have a good time. I think it would be hard to NOT have a good time when I'll be with someone I love, doing the things I love, in some of the places I love the most. This is my idea of a perfect vacation, that has taken a lot of work, research, and prepping. But I believe it should all be worth it.