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Partial solar eclipse on October 3rd - how dark will it get?



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 15th 05, 04:15 PM
Christian Wickert
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Default Partial solar eclipse on October 3rd - how dark will it get?

Hi,
during the partial solar eclipse on October 3rd in Central Europe, about 50
% of the sun will be blocked out, as far as I found out for Germany.
Does anybody know, if these 50 % are enough to be perceivable at all for
someone who doesn't know an eclipse is happening? Will it only slightly get
darker, even on a cloudless day? Will you notice a change on a cloudy day?

Thanks for any help.

Christian


  #2  
Old June 15th 05, 05:21 PM
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No, you won't.

Andrea T.

  #3  
Old June 15th 05, 08:42 PM
Howard Lester
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"Christian Wickert" wrote

Hi,
during the partial solar eclipse on October 3rd in Central Europe, about

50
% of the sun will be blocked out, as far as I found out for Germany.
Does anybody know, if these 50 % are enough to be perceivable at all for
someone who doesn't know an eclipse is happening? Will it only slightly

get
darker, even on a cloudless day? Will you notice a change on a cloudy day?


Yes, *you* will notice a change on a cloudless day because you are paying
attention. There is just something "different" about the landscape tones,
and it may get just a touch darker. The vast majority will notice no change,
nor will *you* notice a change on a cloudy day.

Howard Leste


  #4  
Old June 16th 05, 04:36 AM
Cousin Ricky
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Howard Lester wrote:

Yes, *you* will notice a change on a cloudless day because you are paying
attention. There is just something "different" about the landscape tones,
and it may get just a touch darker.


In my experience, it takes a *lot* more than 50% before i can perceive
a difference. In fact, i will notice the drop in temperature long
before i notice any darkening. I guess difference people have
different sensitivities.

During a deep eclipse--more than 90% or so--i found myself often
reaching to remove my sunglasses--and then discovering that i wasn't
wearing any. The effect is eerily different from the darkness of
sunset or overcast skies. Because the Sun is still high, shadows are
still sharp, and the sunlight is still neutral-colored. Your eyes tell
you that it's getting dark, but your brain tells you that something
isn't quite right about the scene. In my case, i subconciously figured
that high sun + dark landscape = sunglasses, hence the trick my senses
played on me.

However, 50% coverage is not enough for me to sense all this, even when
i know there's an eclipse. I haven't really paid attention to exactly
when i start to perceive a difference, but i would estimate when the
Sun is between 70% and 80% eclipsed.

The vast majority will notice no change,
nor will *you* notice a change on a cloudy day.


These concur exactly with my experiences.


Clear skies!

--
------------------- Richard Callwood III --------------------
~ U.S. Virgin Islands ~ USDA zone 11 ~ 18.3N, 64.9W ~
~ eastern Massachusetts ~ USDA zone 6 (1992-95) ~
--------------- http://cac.uvi.edu/staff/rc3/ ---------------

  #5  
Old June 16th 05, 12:56 PM
Dave Mitsky
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Christian,

During the annular eclipse of 1994 I noticed a subtle change in ambient
light. The Sun was about 95% eclipsed at my location. There was a
definite drop in temperature.

Dave Mitsky

 




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