Fun eclipse fact, the dappled light under trees will show the eclipse. Many of the light spots are actually pinhole views of the sun. Normally they are perfectly round, in an eclipse they look like little moons going through their phases as the eclipse progresses. Fantastic to see a hundred little eclipses on the sidewalk.
Yes, I figured. And a lunar eclipse will follow about two weeks later, on June 4th I think. They always come in pairs. Not only do I dabble in astrology, my ex was an astronomy buff. We did a pre-homeschooling field trip to the Goldendale Observatory in Washington state when we lived in Richland.
If you plan to photograph this, make sure you have the right filters, and also note that the filters which make it safe for your camera don't always make it safe for your eyes. You can get some info at http://www.mreclipse.com/SEphoto/SEphoto.html I haven't decided if I'll buy a good glass filter or just use a filter holder.
Also, probably best to debug all your equipment in advance, using a regular sun, before the eclipse. Getting the right length lens, etc. is kind of a pain.
(I'm borrowing a canon demo 500mm L prime for the Transit of Venus next month).
Holy cow, thanks for sharing! I'm spending this week and next driving my motorcycle to an internship in Seattle from Iowa via the Southwest. Apparently it's perfectly viewable from the Grand Canyon the day after I'd planned to visit. Guess I'll move that stop back a day. :-D Thanks!
I will be at Lake Shasta, current plan to be at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain at the head of Doney Creek. I already have the shade 14 welders glass, but I'm still hacking together the pinhole telescope for projecting an image.
When this article refers to Northern California, it is not referring to the Bay Area, but the actual northern half of the state. To answer your question, the best viewing area in Palo Alto is a couple of hundred miles to the north.
If you wanna stay local, mount diablo should give a pretty decent show, if you wanna get the full view, anywhere in the sierras, like the little towns along I-80, grass valley, tahoe, etc.
