From what I understand, even if you're in the path of totality you need the lenses for the time before and after totality.

I bought some at Wally World over the weekend.

We ordered some from Amazon.

If I was in the path of totality, I'd be re-reading Dolores Claiborne now.

"Path of Totality" sounds like a cheesy band name.

Don't buy just any glasses. There are some that are approved by NASA.
NASA approved

or you can simply watch it on television from where ever you are it will surely be on the news until you are tired of hearing about it.

KoRn has an album called "The Path of Totality". It is not good.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Path_of_Totality

I bought new binoculars to view the eclipse

Our schools are delaying dismissal that day by 40 minutes.

Nice! You should be able to get a real close view!

I'm actually going further away from the eclipse, I will be in Newfoundland. From what I understand, it will only be a partial eclipse there.

saw last night that the Science Channel will broadcast it live starting at 11:00 AM EST...can't wait for those 6 hours of riveting commentary...

Well, Fred, there is the sun. and look, it is slowly getting covered by the moon. oh, it is now .00000009% more covered, ooh, an additional .0000012%...

Yes, Biff, this is exciting stuff...as the sun is covered, you will notice it will get darker, and then as the eclipse passes the sun, you will notice it is getting brighter...

LOL....Happy.

....reminds me of our local weather forecasters here on the Texas panhandle, where the weather in the summer is typically hot, dry and sunny. They spend 10 or 15 minutes telling us about how it's going to be........hot, dry and sunny....today, tomorrow and for the rest of the week....saying these facts several different ways, continuing to beat around the bush. They take up part of the time telling us to stay hydrated, stay indoors and wear sunscreen if going out. Then, if we should have a threat of a severe thunderstorm, the head meteorologists takes over, kicking his subordinates off the program, and spends 10 or 15 minutes telling us it's going to rain, lightening, thunder, hail, possibility of tornado as though he's covering the end of the world.

If we watched one of the previous recordings on You Tube (one is linked above) do you think it would look any different?

All this hoopla is getting a little embarrassing.... Are we all that starved for distraction?

For me, it's the rarity of the occurrence.....and watching it on TV is just not the same as experiencing it live. I admit that if I was off work, I probably would NOT travel to the path of totality, mainly because I avoid large crowds of people.

HMDAGAL From what I understand, even if you're in the path of totality you need the lenses for the time before and after totality.

Yes, you'd be looking at the sun. Got the glasses and an eclipse filter for the camera. For camera buffs, it's equivalent to 16 f stops! The glasses - staring at a flourescent bulb from about a foot a foot away - saw nothing. Outside - full sunlight - nothing. Stared at the sun - a little orange dot, actually quite pretty.

Even with the glasses, be careful. For example the glasses we purchased from Amazon state on them not to look directly at the sun with the glasses on for more than 3 minutes at a time.

I was think this would be my only chance to see a solar eclipse. According to this map: https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com/future/ there will another passing over southern IL in just seven years. And with any luck, I may live long enough and be retired to Florida to see 2045.

I ordered and received glasses from Amazon as well. I also received an email from Amazon over the weekend telling me NOT to use them, since they are not a "certified" brand.

I am getting a refund, but it would have been nice of them to send me "certified" replacements.

Today I learned that people in the future will never see a total eclipse. The moon is gradually moving away from the earth, and so in the future it will appear smaller. In 600 million years, it won't appear large enough to totally block the sun's light.

well, I guess we know Pale will be around...heck, he was here when it broke off from Pangea due to the life-altering meteor and rose to the sky to become our moon

The moon moves away from the earth at about 1.48 inches per year. Mankind will have done itself in by the time anything is noticeable.

Pale will still see it...just sayin