I saw the 23 Oct 2014 N America partial solar eclipse

In summary, yesterday I saw a partial solar eclipse from my location in the Pacific Northwest at 2:45 - 3:00 PM PDT. I was able to see the Sun through breaks in the clouds, and noticed a bite taken out of it from the north, which was caused by the Moon passing in front of it. The eclipse was also viewable from the Slooh Community Observatory and Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, as well as through NASA Television. The conversation also mentioned upcoming eclipses, including both lunar and solar, and discussed cultural beliefs and theories about eclipses. Finally, there was a joke about a boy getting a haircut during an eclipse.
  • #1
lpetrich
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I saw it yesterday. I live in the Pacific Northwest, which was clouded over. But at about 2:45 - 3:00 PM PDT, at local maximum eclipse, there was a break in the lower clouds, and I could see the Sun through the upper clouds. It was rather fuzzy-looking, but I could see a bite out of it from the north. That "bite" was, of course, the Moon getting in the way, and right where one would expect it to be.

I also watched it at Welcome to the Slooh Community Observatory to explore the cosmos and at Official Site: Griffith Observatory Los Angeles, CA. One could also have watched it from NASA Television | NASA.Some upcoming eclipses, all total:

NASA - Lunar Eclipse Page
2015 Apr 04 -- 12:01:24 GMT -- Asia, Aus., Pacific, Americas
2015 Sep 28 -- 02:48:17 GMT -- E Pacific, Americas, Europe, Africa, W Asia

NASA - Solar Eclipse Page
2015 Mar 20 -- 09:46:47 GMT -- N Atlantic, Faeroe Islands, Spitzbergen
2016 Mar 09 -- 01:58:19 GMT -- Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Pacific
2017 Aug 21 -- 18:26:40 GMT -- N Pacific, contiguous US, S AtlanticRichard Carrier's master's thesis: Cultural History of the Lunar and Solar Eclipse in the Early Roman Empire about culture clashes between educated people, who often knew of the shadow theory of eclipses, and ordinary people, who often preferred to believe in the monster and sorcerer theories of eclipses. Some educated people got annoyed at all the noise that common people would make to try to stop lunar eclipses, and charlatans would often make a pretense of being able to stop them.

The monster theory of eclipses is a widespread prescientific belief; the monster is a wolf or a bear or a jaguar or a frog or a dragon or ...

The first known advocate of the shadow theory, however, was Anaxagoras of Clazomenae, who lived about 510 - 428 BCE.Finally, there is a connection of this event to a boy getting a haircut from his father. What might it be?
 
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  • #3
I happened to be outside around the time of the eclipse but unfortunately the sky was very overcast.
 

FAQ: I saw the 23 Oct 2014 N America partial solar eclipse

When and where did the 23 Oct 2014 N America partial solar eclipse occur?

The 23 Oct 2014 N America partial solar eclipse occurred on October 23, 2014, and was visible in North America, specifically in parts of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

What is a partial solar eclipse?

A partial solar eclipse is an eclipse where the Moon only partially covers the Sun from the perspective of the Earth. This occurs when the Moon's orbital path is not perfectly aligned with the Sun and Earth, resulting in only a portion of the Sun being blocked.

How often do partial solar eclipses occur?

Partial solar eclipses occur more frequently than total solar eclipses, with an average of two to five occurring every year. However, their visibility is limited to specific regions of the Earth, unlike total solar eclipses which can be seen from a larger area.

What precautions should be taken when viewing a partial solar eclipse?

It is important to take proper precautions when viewing a partial solar eclipse to avoid damaging your eyesight. This includes using specially designed eclipse glasses or a solar filter to view the eclipse directly, or creating a pinhole camera or using a telescope with a solar filter to project an image of the eclipse onto a surface.

How does a partial solar eclipse differ from a total solar eclipse?

A partial solar eclipse differs from a total solar eclipse in that the Moon only partially covers the Sun during a partial eclipse, while a total eclipse results in complete coverage of the Sun. This also means that the level of darkness during a partial eclipse is not as significant as during a total eclipse.

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