I don't get the Eclipse madness!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, we all have different things we get excited for. I couldn't fathom the madness around a taylor swift concert, going to innauguration, or the super bowl. This one's kind of cool in my opinion though.

Man I think all these things are awesome (maybe not going to the super bowl but...).

While they are often eclipses, they don't always pass over where you live, or even land at all. Having a TOTAL solar eclipse is rare over the USA. Yes, one happened in 2017, but the next one is not for 20 years. So my mother, who is 77, is chasing this current one because she knows it will be the last one in her lifetime. Now, if she lives until the next one I'll be rolling her out to see it FOR SURE.

I do think those who have been in the path of totality have experienced something super cool. Yes, it's hard to plan for because of clouds. Which is part of what makes it rare.

I thought the last partial one was cool. I hope it's sunny Monday so we can view this one. I still remember watching on eclipse in the 80s on my school playground (in buckets of water).

[Anonymous]

I don't care either. Will I go out of my house at the expected time and see what happens? Sure. But if I miss it or its cloudy, whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same - wasn't there just one a few years ago? We took a break from work to see it but I wasn't that impressed. Don't understand spending the crazy amount on hotels and travel times to see it.

We didn’t have totality in DC a few years ago.

I understand getting excited and going to a place on the path of totality. It’ll be a lot less interesting in the DC area so I’m not that excited. But it’s a lot cooler than something like the Super Bowl to me.

[Anonymous]

I will say that after the last eclipse in 2017, I saw that my hometown would experience totality for this one and was like, hell yes I'm traveling to see it. And then 2024 rolled around and it's not a great time for us. We just returned from spring break / Easter travel and I'm attending an out of state wedding this weekend. Ultimately I don't prioritize it enough to burn another 2 days of leave and either drive Sunday night or sit in traffic on Monday to get up there. I feel a bit guilty as my 8yo says most of his friends are travelling to see it, but I'll pick him up early from school to watch the partial eclipse here.

[Anonymous]

I'm not interested, but I've just never been into "sky stuff": star-gazing, astronomy, space travel, UFOs, or any of it. But I'm fascinated by deep sea stuff and mining, what lies beneath. We all have our interests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same - wasn't there just one a few years ago? We took a break from work to see it but I wasn't that impressed. Don't understand spending the crazy amount on hotels and travel times to see it.

We didn’t have totality in DC a few years ago.

I understand getting excited and going to a place on the path of totality. It’ll be a lot less interesting in the DC area so I’m not that excited. But it’s a lot cooler than something like the Super Bowl to me.

It's going to be 80% totality here, so that should still be interesting, and right during school pick-up time.

[Anonymous]

Same. It gets dark/ cold with storms. No big deal.

[Anonymous]

I'm just going to watch it on TV. I don't get it either.

[Anonymous]

I need a lot to amuse me and this falls way short.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same - wasn't there just one a few years ago? We took a break from work to see it but I wasn't that impressed. Don't understand spending the crazy amount on hotels and travel times to see it.

We didn’t have totality in DC a few years ago.

I understand getting excited and going to a place on the path of totality. It’ll be a lot less interesting in the DC area so I’m not that excited. But it’s a lot cooler than something like the Super Bowl to me.

I just looked it up since I didn’t find it impressive last time. In 2017 we had about 80%. This time it will be about 85-87%.

I wasn’t excited about seeing Taylor Swift with DD but then it was pretty amazing. I’d pay for that again but wouldn’t to travel to see the total eclipse.

[Anonymous]

Not the least bit interested either. If I remember I may go outside to see it but odds are I will completely forget when it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The next one is 20 years from now.

There won't be a solar eclipse anywhere in the world for 20 years or there won't be a solar eclipse in the United States for the next 20 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same - wasn't there just one a few years ago? We took a break from work to see it but I wasn't that impressed. Don't understand spending the crazy amount on hotels and travel times to see it.

But if you were here, you weren't in the path of totality. Totally different experience. Still may not be your thing but it like night and day. Pun intended.

[Anonymous]

Why don’t you go crazy over peak Perseid viewing? This whole over-hyped eclipse is very telling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The next one is 20 years from now.

There won't be a solar eclipse anywhere in the world for 20 years or there won't be a solar eclipse in the United States for the next 20 years?

NP. There will not be another solar eclipse that will be visible over the contiguous US (lower 48) until 2044.

The next total eclipse will be August 2025 visible in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and partially visible in other parts of Europe, Africa, North America (outside the US) and over the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.
There are total eclipses every 1-2 years visible from some part of the world, but if you don't want to have to travel internationally or out to sea, the next one is 2044.