I wish I cared about the eclipse

[JacknDiane]

But I dont

Do you?

@ExOptimist I’m watching the Perseids despite not caring about the eclipse. They are much more spectacular.

Also, much more interesting astronomy news today than a run of the mill partial eclipse: www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/12/astronomy-discovery-new-cosmic-object-black-hole-star?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

How pompous and arrogant! 🤣 I’m sure it’s possible for people to be multi-faceted and enjoy both science and entertainment shows!

Why would people be experts on something that happens so rarely? And it did go completely dark in some parts of the world.

Embarrassingly, I got the time wrong and I think I was in Morrisons at the height of it!🤦‍♀️🤭
It was nice walking back in semi-darkness with virtually nobody around, in significantly cooled air, with birds definitely doing something different.
Otherwise, I'm afraid I do find them slightly underwhelming.
I was in Cornwall as a very young person in 1999 for a total one. That was more of an event. Been there, done that 🤷‍♂️

I was out for a walk and saw loads of people with picnic blankets, camping chairs, tents. Some took it very seriously. Then you had the ones with their colindars who were obviously not prepared.

I thought it was all a bit underwhelming. We had a partial eclipse about 10 years ago in the South East, it just went a little gloomy so wasn't expecting much from this one and I wasn't disappointed.

I didn't care as such as to make or get any way to see it myself, but I was out on a walk with a friend and saw lots of people with all kinds of devices for trying to see it. We then sat outside the pub and the light went kind of weird, but it was also cloudy so a bit of a non event.

I was just happy to see others excited about it and caring enough about something to look away from their phones for 10 minutes

I think the other thing with this one was that it was evening, and so it was hard to tell if the slight darkness was purely due to the eclipse or the night drawing in generally. I think it was a few minutes after 8pm when the eclipse ended, by which time it would have been getting darker anyway.
The 1999 one was late morning if my memory serves me correctly, and 100% coverage in Cornwall and parts of Devon, so it felt much more exciting. Also the whole approaching millennium thing. Just a good year generally.
If you've never seen a 100% eclipse I recommend trying to at some point in your life. Literally pitch dark in the daytime. Because the sun is so bright, even 99% will still not be all that dark.
Apparently there's one next year in parts of southern Europe and the middle-east -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_2,_2027

But, if it's another hot summer, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Spain...

Anyway, I'm glad it brought joy to many, even if some of us were secretly or not-so-secretly a little underwhelmed 🌘🫤

I’m more interested in the one going over Southern Africa in 2030!

I missed it! 7.30pm rolled around and I though - surely it’s about now? But though I was inside I have a lot of glass and I didn’t even notice a change if light!
But the last one was while at work and we all went to a local park and soaked it all in. I guess something in your 20s experienced collectively is more of an event than when you’re in your 60s on your own!

I loved the patterns it made on the side of my house. West facing garden surrounded by trees.

I found it fascinating.

That’s really lovely (apart from the whole baby eating pebble bit lol)

In 1999 DH and I went to Normandy for the total eclipse, and it was honestly amazing.
This time, I left DH in the garden with a pinhole camera and a welding mask, drove through the dimming light to pick our daughter (passing people out with their colanders!), and just enjoyed the vibes. Daughter had been experimenting with a pinhole camera on the train.

There was an article on the BBC about a guy who used a welding mask in 1999 and messed up his eyes!

I was interested and did with proper certified eclipse glasses and phone filters. I remember very well the last one in 1999. That was total, I was in a Surrey zoo with my youngest DD,it went totally dark, and I didn't like it at all, but I am night blind. Claustrophobic and have to have the tiniest bit of light at night,I have to be able to see the walls, and how far away they are.

Not all welding masks are equal. Fortunately, he is a welding nerd as well as an astronomy nerd.

I thought totality was only Cornwall, South Devon and the Channel Islands in 1999? I remember hoards of people travelling to Cornwall especially.
Am I wrong about that?