Annular solar eclipse on 2012 May 20
 

"On 2012 May 20 (21 in China/Japan), an annular eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses Earth's northern Hemisphere. The path of the Moon's antumbral shadow begins in eastern Asia and crosses the North Pacific Ocean where it ends in the western United States."

[URL]http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/ASE2012/ASE2012.html[/URL]

Will anyone be watching? Californians?

I am driving my family to southern tip of Utah (around Bryce/Zyon NPs). Nothern California would have been farther for me (or e.g. Reno NV).

I've already seen a full eclipse in 1981, but not an annular - and so reasonably close to home. Next one could be a decade away.

[QUOTE=Batalov;299687]"On 2012 May 20 (21 in China/Japan), an annular eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow corridor that traverses Earth's northern Hemisphere. The path of the Moon's antumbral shadow begins in eastern Asia and crosses the North Pacific Ocean where it ends in the western United States."

[URL]http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/ASE2012/ASE2012.html[/URL]

Will anyone be watching? Californians?

I am driving my family to southern tip of Utah (around Bryce/Zyon NPs). Nothern California would have been farther for me (or e.g. Reno NV).

I've already seen a full eclipse in 1981, but not an annular - and so reasonably close to home. Next one could be a decade away.[/QUOTE]
Gah! I'm only just inside the outermost partial-eclipse ring.

[QUOTE=Batalov;299687]Will anyone be watching?

I've already seen a full eclipse in 1981, but not an annular - and so reasonably close to home. Next one could be a decade away.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I plan to witness the ring. This will be my second annular, saw the 1994 one. Have traveled a couple of other times to see maximum coverage (but not into the path of totality) or interesting views.

[url]http://www.eclipse2017.org/ECLIPSE2017_main.HTM[/url] ?

I'll be able to see a partial from Tucson, but won't be able to travel north for the ring. I've seen one annular, and one total (Mexico, 1991). Absolutely spectacular- I'm waiting impatiently for the 2017 total eclipse, when the path of totality crosses the US. Already making plans...

Norm

[QUOTE=Spherical Cow;299699]I'm waiting impatiently for the 2017 total eclipse, when the path of totality crosses the US. Already making plans...[/QUOTE]Yes. Me too. Nashville is where I plan to be.

We're headed to Albuquerque on Saturday. We plan to ride the tram to the top of Sandia Peak Sunday afternoon, as long as there are still tickets available.

I watched an eclipse when I was young, sometime ago now, when my parents took me to see it and take pictures. Now I get to take my family. The weather is supposed to be really good too.

Edit: It was [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhistory/SEplot/SE1979Feb26T.pdf"]this one[/URL] that I saw. We were in Washington.

I saw [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot1951/SE1981Jul31T.GIF"]this one[/URL]. ...And [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2002Jun10A.GIF"]this[/URL] one, partial in S.D.

[QUOTE=Batalov;299756]I saw [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot1951/SE1981Jul31T.GIF"]this one[/URL]. ...And [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2002Jun10A.GIF"]this[/URL] one, partial in S.D.[/QUOTE]
So I saw this lunar [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEplot/LEplot1951/LE1982Jul06T.pdf"]one[/URL] (the whole thing) and parts of others.
These solar ones: [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot1951/SE1977Oct12T.GIF"]first[/URL], traveled for this [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot1951/SE1991Jul11T.GIF"]one[/URL] (but not to totality), traveled to see [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot1951/SE1994May10A.GIF"]this[/URL] annular, watched this [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot1951/SE1993May21P.GIF"]one[/URL] come up as a sunrise (near a famous landmark and photographed it). Saw bits of others.

Have thought about traveling for this [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2015Mar20T.GIF"]one[/URL] and visiting St. Louis for this [URL="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2017Aug21T.GIF"]one[/URL].

In May 1994, I viewed the annular eclipse from an Illinois state park on the centerline.

My tip for those without a telescope:

Consider planning to take pictures of the unique pinhole-images of the Sun's ring cast by tree leaves at mid-eclipse. Look beforehand at the circular Sun pinhole-images cast by such leaves to see how big they are. Then imagine that each one has a 95% hole centered in it.

- - -

Cosmic coincidence:

For [U]both[/U] of the next two (2017 and 2024) total solar eclipses in the U.S., the totality centerline will pass closer to Carbondale, Illinois than to any other city!

[URL]http://www.squidoo.com/carbondale-illinois-us-solar-eclipse-center[/URL]

(Nearby Cape Girardeau, Missouri will also be within both paths of totality.)

AFT til 21st pm.:smile:
Prime95 off-line on laptop too.:yucky:

Sunday forecast for St.George UT - clear!

(Not so for San Diego. Another reason to head off to NV/UT. Hot though!)