Join the discussion
Write your take first — we'll ask for email only when you're ready to publish.
- Hacker News
- Whoah, so cool how the map shows the shadow of mountains at that late time in the day. Geneva and the Jura look awesome.by clbrmbr
- I was able to catch the last solar eclipse in the US, and it was amazing. I'm a little sad I won't be able to catch this one, especially in Mallorca. Seeing the eclipse low in the sky, an hour before sunset. That has got to be a phenomenal view.
I think this tool is super neat. I love the shadow simulation for the terrain. Very well done!
by mr1337 - In the Dwarkesh podcast about relativity they talked about one of the ways to prove einsteins theory was to observe a total eclipse - stars that should not be visible were predicted to bend their light rays and be able to be seen. Explorers launched grand expeditions in the early 1900s to be the first to witness and prove the phenomenon.
Made me yearn for a more heroic time.
They kept being thwarted by weather, clouds etc and eventually scientists worked out the theory could be easily proven by the red shift of stars by direct observation.
by djfergus - All times need heroes.by squigz
- > one of the ways to prove einsteins theory
> scientists worked out the theory could be easily proven
Theories aren't proven.
Einstein, working from previous theories and models, wrote his hypothesis or proposal of General Relativity. This, too, gained consensus and gave rise to mathematical models. The models made predictions, and the predictions have been largely confirmed to date. It has proven to be a robust theory without notable falsification.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lens
Therefore, the theory enjoys popularity and prominence, and a good reputation in the scientific consensus. There is no "proving a theory" but the models had predicted the gravitational lensing phenomenon, and empirical observations confirmed these predictions as reality, and science marches on.
- We will be in Ibiza but more of a coincidence. I didn't even know that there is one when we booked.
What makes this eclipse VERY different is the low angle (3-4 degress), so the viewpoints need to be planned well.
Also the clouds further to the west are extremely important, for Spain there is
https://www.aemet.es/es/eltiempo/prediccion/destacados/p5_t?...
as well as
by naiv - Very detailed site. It said open source. where is the source?
- by gregsadetsky
- A well-known Dutch photographer made handy tool: https://eclipse.albertdros.comby michelb
- Wow, a very simple and easy tool to check the visibility.by deepmem
- In Spain it's a trio of consecutive eclipses from 2026 to 2028 (the last one annular). To view the second one I don't even need travel anywhere.
Will be in Saragossa on Wednesday and gonna use Canon binos with image stabilization, the partial phase with filter and then some precious seconds without (a scary moment, I'll rely on an alarm to prevent my eyes to get damaged when the totality is over). Some people generally advised to skip any instruments and just enjoy it with your own eyes for the first time, but I'm too curious about corona details to let this opportunity pass.
by alkyon - it's called Zaragozaby Zardoz84
- Also on my way there - I’m curious how packed the city is going to be. I imagine the bridges are going to be absolutely packed
- I’ll be in Iceland this week to photograph it. Any other HNers going to be around?
I’m @sneak.07 on Signal, let’s meet up.
by sneak - Best of luck with the weather!by gbear605
- I'll be there! Hoping the forecast changes!by torgoguys
- I saw the one in Canada back in 2024, I don’t think I have ever witnessed such an amazing phenomenon like that before, a white glowing ring in the sky!! I will see if I can catch the 2027.by tamimio
- I brought binoculars to the 2024 event and made sure to keep my eyes closed during the preceding partial solar eclipse (eye acclimation).
After the total eclipse was over, I watched a single honeybee re-orient itself, having temporarily lost its heliocentric bearings (bees "see" the sun's polarity, which helps keep them oriented).
Having also witnessed the 2017 total eclipse, certainly these are memorable events worth traveling into their totalities (could not say the same for partial eclipses).
- I suggest this one: https://eclipsemap.xyzby franch
- This is really good, found a possible great spot near Lugo!by gdotdesign
- Very cool! Just remember the one truth about solar eclipses: total or nothing.
While I don't want to dismiss partial eclipses entirely, please don't think that partial eclipses are "almost the same" as total eclipses. One is a curiosity, the other is a memorable life event.
by glimshe - Really? Well that's sad. I'll be going to see my first partial eclipse this week.by dom96
- Obligatory reference https://xkcd.com/2914/by guillego
- If you've ever needed an excuse to rent a sports car and drive for 4-8 hours, this is the one.
- Agreed, but I'll just add that annular eclipses occupy an intermediate point on that scale.
With a partial eclipse, shadows look odd and the sunlight "feels" noticeably dimmer and more muted, but if you're not paying attention you might not notice much out of the ordinary.
An annular eclipse is much more dramatic and unmistakable. It's not as striking as totality, and of course you can't directly observe it without eye protection, but the "ring of fire" is beautiful in its own way.
by teraflop - This one passes nearby me. I have a 2 hour car drive planned for the day. Trying to convince people, specially with kids, to go to the totallity path, has proven useless: the websites say "eclipse will be at 99.9 something% here", and they are fully convinced it will be close enough.by otherme123
- Partial and annular solar eclipses are interesting.
Total solar eclipses are magical.
The sun turns into a gleaming jewel and all of nature around you enters another dimension. The animals freak out, the temperature of the air around you drops dramatically, your shadows morph and multiply into weird shapes, it feels like midnight with an ethereal glow.
You see the atmosphere of the sun glow in all chromatic glory.
You'll never witness anything else like it.
by echelon