Event #2350

2012 Annular Eclipse!

Hog Lake Plateau, Red Bluff, CA

Registered Boxes: All Traditional HH/Cootie/Flea Postal LTC Event Box Traveler Other

Starts	Sun May 20, 2012 5:00pm
Ends	Sun May 20, 2012 10:30pm
Owner	Green Tortuga
Admins	Green Tortuga
Signups	31/∞
Location	Hog Lake Plateau, Red Bluff, CA View Map
Add to Calendar	Google calendar ICS file (e.g. Outlook, iCal, etc.)

Description

Hog Lake Plateau has been famous for it's abundance of letterboxes, and today, not only can you hunt down all of these amazing boxes, but you can also watch an extraordinarily rare annular eclipse!

Now you might be thinking, "What the heck is an annular eclipse?" It's the lesser known cousin of the most incredible celestial spectacular known as the total solar eclipse. Technically, this is not a total solar eclipse since the sun is never completely covered by the moon, but it's still incredibly rare, and incredibly awesome to behold.... even if it's not quite as awesome as a true total solar eclipse.

The earth revolves around the sun at a slightly elliptical orbit, and the moon revolves around the earth at a slightly elliptical orbit. Which means the distance from the earth to the sun varies slightly over time, as does the distance from the earth to the moon. As a result, the apparent size of both the moon and the sun changes slightly from day to day. Usually, it's too small to even notice.... but during a solar eclipse, it can mean the difference between a total solar eclipse and an annular eclipse. The moon isn't quite big enough to completely cover the sun's surface during an annular eclipse, but the moon will be fully engulfed by the sun. During "totality," you'll see a ring of fire completely encircling the new moon.

The next annular eclipse visible from the United States won't happen again until 2023!

You can read more about this eclipse with a fancy map showing the precise eclipse path and duration at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2012May20Agoogle.html. Weather information along the eclipse path can be found at http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~jander/ase2012/ase12intro.htm--we'll be located at one of the best places along the entire eclipse path for this event! You'll find some information about Hog Lake Plateau at http://www.redding.com/news/2007/oct/07/rich-with-history/.

At this location, the eclipse begins at 5:12:13 PM (first contact), the annular part begins at 6:26:58 PM (second contact), the annular part ends at 6:31:19 PM (third contact), and the entire eclipse ends at 7:36:49 PM (forth contact). The main event between second and third contact will last about 4 minutes and 21 seconds during which you'll see a ring of fire completely around the moon. Less than an hour later, at about 8:22 PM, the sun will set. This ought to be a wonderful place for stargazing, so stick around during the evening if you have time.

Feb 13, 2012: Safe Eclipse Viewing
As you all know, it's generally not very good for your eyes when you stare directly at the sun. This includes watching an annular eclipse. From the center line, this eclipse will block 94% of the sun's diameter, which translates to 89% of the sun's area. That means 11% of the surface of the sun will still be visible (and quite bright), and it's important to protect your eyes.

You can use any approved solar filter or a #14 welder's glass, which each blocks dangerous ultraviolet and infrared light. I intend to buy some cheap "eclipse glasses" you'll be able to purchase from me on the day of the event if you haven't already made other plans. It looks like they'll cost about $2 each, and you can keep them after the eclipse is over. =)

I'll be ordering these eclipse glasses at some point in April, and if you'll need them, be sure to sign up for the event with the number of glasses you'll need. (Probably one per person.) I'll be using that list as a guideline for how many to order, and those on the event signup list will get first dibs on the glasses if demand exceeds supply.

Apr 19, 2012: Annular Eclipse Update!
Seems a few of you want to know if there is any updated information for this event. So here's the skinny! =)

I've officially set the location to Hog Lake Plateau a few miles outside of Red Bluff, CA. It's a letterboxer's wonderland and should be a great place from which to watch the grand event. During the afternoon you can hunt down letterboxes, and during the late afternoon/evening, we can watch the eclipse unfold. The parking lot here is fairly small so if you can carpool to the location, please do. Even if it means meeting other letterboxers in Red Bluff and carpooling the last few miles to the actual event, that would help. Although I suppose there's pretty much unlimited parking along the shoulder of the road if push comes to shove. =)

In related news, I ordered a solar filter for my telescope so we'll have that to view the eclipse. I tried it out last week from here in Seattle and it wasn't particularly exciting--not even any sunspots to be seen. But during the eclipse, it should be an awesome view!

I've also ordered eclipse glasses for everyone to safely watch the eclipse. They haven't arrived yet, but I'm expecting them to arrive any day now. =)

Caveat: Check for updates to this event a day or two before the event. Because we cannot move the eclipse, we have to work around it. If the weather reports a day or two before the event are looking bad, I might try to move it somewhere else in the area at the last minute. (Probably south towards Sacramento or southeast towards Chico.) I'll try to give at least 24 hours advance warning if I change the location of the event, but make sure to check for updates--especially if the weather forecasts are looking iffy. As long as the weather forecast is clear and sunny, the location will not change.

I've also extended the event until 10:30 at night. The eclipse ends less than an hour before sunset and this location should have incredible views of the nighttime sky. So I plan to hang around with my telescope and check out whatever planets, star clusters, and galaxies we can find. Venus is scheduled to be a beautiful then crescent this evening. Saturn and Mars will be high in the sky--and Saturn's rings are one of the most beautiful things you'll ever see through a small telescope, and the rings are angled perfectly for a wonderful view. =)

You're all more than welcome to join me, but if you have to scoot earlier for school or work in the morning, that's fine too. Staying late is optional. =)

The May issue of Astronomy magazine is out which talks about the eclipse--you might be interested in picking up a copy if you want to read more about it. If you stay late for the nighttime viewing, it also has a star chart that might be useful. Bring your binoculars and a telescope! (Unless you have a solar filter for them, however, do NOT under any circumstances use it to watch the eclipse!) I haven't seen the May issue of Sky and Telescope, but it will likely have information about the eclipse and the nighttime sky chart as well.

This will be an afternoon and evening to remember! Do whatever prayers and sun dances you can to keep the skies clear this day, at this time, from this location. =)

May 9, 2012: A quick update....
This afternoon, I took my telescope out and got a few photos of the sun. Several sunspots are visible--if you have eclipse glasses, you'll probably be able to see them as tiny dots on the sun even now. They won't look especially impressive, but it does give you something to look at while you're waiting for the main event. =)

If you're curious how I'll be taking photos of the eclipse, take a look at the photos I've uploaded to the event's photo gallery. (You can also see the sunspots I'm talking about.)

The weather forecast for Hog Lake Plateau doesn't go out through the 20th (at least not the forecasts I'm looking at), but all of those sunny days in the immediate future certainly warm my heart. =)

The next week sees highs from 86 to 94°F at the location, and it will likely be very, very hot during this event. Be prepared. There are no services out here. No restrooms, no snack bars, no vending machines with cold drinks. Even shade is very limited, so if you have a large umbrella or tarp, you might want to bring it. At the last annular eclipse Amanda and I saw in Panama--another miserably hot locale--I bought a 5-pound bag of ice for the afternoon and it was AWESOME! We'll be bringing it again this time as well, but I'm not sure we'll have enough to share with everyone. If you want a 5-pound bag of ice, be sure to bring your own! =)

Hmm.... yes, I think that covers it all for now. This is gonna be awesome!

May 9, 2012: Eclipse Glasses
I had a question about if those eclipse glasses would arrive in time. I guess I left y'all hanging, but for those who missed my blog post about them, yes, I did receive the eclipse glasses and have plenty for everyone who is currently signed up so don't worry about that! =)

May 16, 2012: The Latest Updates!
We're now close enough to the event to see a relatively accurate weather forecast for the event--and as of right now, it's predicting "mostly sunny" with a high of 84°F and a low of 57°F if you stay the night. Not too bad! =) A little on the cool side for this area and "mostly" sunny is certainly a good thing.

In case Hog Lake Plateau doesn't show up on your maps and you need written directions, you'll take the Antelope Blvd exit in Red Bluff from I-5 (#649) and head east on Highway 36. After about two miles, 36 makes a sharp turn to the left, then follow it out another seven or eight miles to the Hog Lake Plateau trailhead on your left. You'll see one other trailhead just before Hog Lake Plateau--don't be fooled! That's not the one.

If the parking lot isn't big enough for everyone's cars, there is some space across the street for overflow parking. I'm not sure that will be necessary--not too many people have signed up for this event!--but I think between the two we should be covered. The shoulders of the road aren't really suitable for parking on.

While the weather forecasts are currently favorable, my backup plan--if it's needed--is to drive south on I-5 to the a rest area which all have good views of the sun and are generally quick and easy to get to. The first rest areas on I-5 south of Red Bluff is well inside of the annularity. The next one is right on the edge--the Google map shows it barely being inside of the annularity, but I'm not sure how precise those maps really are so that location might be iffy. Neither, obviously, are as nice as Hog Heaven, but that would be a worst-case scenario anyhow which, at this point, doesn't look like it would be necessary. I'll take another look at the weather on Saturday and make sure things are still looking good for Hog Heaven, so do check for any last minute changes! But as of right now, they aren't looking necessary.

May 19, 2012: One Last Update!
The weather forecast is looking good--the weather widget on AQ shows "mostly sunny" for tomorrow while weather.com shows "sunny" for the whole day. Plenty of sun in the forecast! The highs for the day are around 90°F so be prepared for that. And remember, you won't find any services at this location--not even Honey Buckets.

I have enough eclipse glasses for everyone who has signed up--they're $2 each. I'll also have patches, whistles, and the other stuff in the AQ Marketplace with me so if you're interested in that and want to save on the cost of shipping--that is an option. =)

Marmalade and Thunderbird went to the eclipse site yesterday and planted a couple of new boxes--be sure to print out the clues if you haven't already! I'm not aware of anyone else who has recently planted boxes there, but it wouldn't hurt to check for other new boxes. =)

And..... I think that covers everything. See y'all there! =)

May 22, 2012: Eclipse Photos and the Venus Transit!
I'm finally back in Seattle and catching up on everything. I've uploaded the eclipse photos I took to AQ's Facebook page because, let's face it, it's a heck of a lot better interface than the one AQ has. So check out the photos at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.419157341450699.99803.167064676659968 and feel free to add your own! I didn't get any people photos (too busy trying to get photos of the eclipse!).

Also, let me apologize for the fact that they're all a bit blurry. That little point-and-shoot camera I have has trouble focusing on objects like the moon or the sun so I can't get super sharp images with it. (I really need a DSLR to manually set the focus--NEXT ECLIPSE!) But the photos are still probably better than most of you were able to get. ;o)

If anyone wants the original high-definition images of the files, I've zipped them into a single file that you can download at http://www.atlasquest.com/images/misc/eclipse.zip. It's a big file--about 150 megabytes in size--so keep in mind it might take awhile to download. I probably won't leave these up forever since they take up so much room.

In other news, be sure to keep your eclipse glasses around for the Venus transit on June 5th. The transit begins a few minutes after 3:00 PM for all of the west coast and lasts through sunset. It won't be anywhere near as impressive as the annular eclipse, but it's also a rare event that won't happen again for 105 years.

Historically, it's important because it's the first time scientists were able to measure the size of the solar system. They ran around measuring exactly when the transit started and finished in various points on the earth and were able to use that to calculate the distance from the earth to the sun for the first time. (Nowadays, we can just shoot radar signals and time how long they bounce back.) But this time around, scientists plan to use the Venus transit observations to help them measure the size of planets in other solar systems that transit their star. Even the Hubble Space Telescope will be watching this transit by using the moon as a "mirror" (pointing the telescope directly at the sun would damage the scope) to study to the light bouncing off from the moon.

So, a little after 3:00, look outside for a small, black dot slowly crossing the sun's surface. The full transit takes about seven hours so for anyone on the west coast, it ends at sunset.

For those of you visiting the South Pacific, New Zealand, or Australia later this year, there's another solar eclipse to watch out for on November 13th. This is an actual total solar eclipse--about a THOUSAND times more awesome than the eclipse we saw. =) The only place from land to watch the totality is from the very northernmost part of Australia, but the whole area will get a pretty decent partial eclipse.

The next total solar eclipse visible from the United States happens on August 21, 2017. It cuts completely through the contiguous United States including Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, northeastern Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, western Kentucky, Tennessee, southwestern North Carolina, northeastern Georgia, and South Carolina. Check out the map at http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2017Aug21Tgoogle.html for details.

I know a couple of you were asking about my telescope.... You can find it on Amazon.com: Orion GoScope 70mm. I noticed when you go to that page, it also recommends a barlow lens and a moon filter--if you are planning to get this telescope for astronomy uses, both are highly recommended. The barlow lens is a cheap way to crank up the magnification (I used one during the eclipse) and the moon can be uncomfortably bright (not dangerously bright, but definitely uncomfortable) so a filter to view the moon is quite useful. The tripod that comes with the scope is pretty lousy--you'll want to upgrade to a better one. I used an altazimuth mount, but the important thing is to make sure it's pretty sturdy and it has a "slow-motion control" (which makes it easier to track and center objects at high magnification).

To view the sun, you need a filter that's a bit more robust than for viewing the moon. In my case, I used the 4.30" Orion Full Aperture Solar Filter. Except during an eclipse (or an even more rare transit of Mercury or Venus), it's not usually very interesting beyond the occasional sunspot.

I think that covers everything.... Thanks to everyone who attended and made the event so fun! =)

Jun 4, 2012: Venus Transit Reminder!
For those of you not tracking the movements of Venus, the Venus transit is scheduled to start a little after 3:00 PM (Pacific time) tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon! The exact time it starts depends on your location, but it looks like pretty much the whole west coast should be able to see the transit shortly after 3:00. If it's 3:15, it ought to be visible already, and the transit will last through sunset.

And remember--this is the last Venus transit for 105 years! Don't miss it! =)

-- Ryan

Jun 5, 2012: Venus Transit Times
Well, isn't THAT convenient.... I just went to the website where I checked for transit times, and I guess they're so overwhelmed with requests, their website isn't working anymore. Ooops! =)

I swear I remember looking at transit times all over the western states and they all looked like they started a few minutes after 3:00, but I was watching the local news (I'll be watching the eclipse from San Luis Obispo) and they said the transit started at 3:27 in the afternoon here. Which is actually quite a bit later than I expected!

So I went back to the website to get what it has for a local start time, except the darned website isn't working anymore.

So long story short.... I'm going on the record to say that the transit should have started by 3:30 this afternoon rather than "a few minutes after 3:00." =) I read somewhere that from first contact (with the transit begins) to second contact (when Venus is completely enclosed by the sun) takes about eight minutes, so those first eight minutes after the transit begins, you'll just see a small (and growing) bump on the edge of the sun.

Another thing you can try if you'd like to take a look at the transit through a telescope (and it WILL be much more impressive through a telescope than the eclipse glasses!) is to do a search in your area for a "Venus transit party" or "public viewing." If there's a park with an astronomy-related theme, you'll undoubtedly find people there. (In Seattle, try Solstice Park.) In Redding, I bet you'll find plenty of telescope at the giant sundial.

And once again, I'll take photos and post them online for anyone who's interested. =)

Jun 5, 2012: Venus Transit Is Over.....
So did you all enjoy the Venus transit? =) I certainly did! And, in fact, drove over to three different cities to view it!

I first spotted the transit at precisely 3:07:25--about a minute after it was expected to start. So awesome to see that first, tiny bump that I knew was Venus. =)

Second contact--when Venus is completely enveloped by the sun--happened for me at precisely 3:24:10. I'm still trying to figure out how to calculate the distance from the earth to the sun based on those times.... ;o)

Third and fourth contact (the opposite of second and first contact) I didn't see since the sun had already set.

Lots of sunspots to see through the telescope, but they were too small for me to see through the eclipse glasses. (Not a shock, though!) I also tried using the pinhole projection to see how that would work, but it failed miserably. Venus was definitely visible with the eclipse glasses, though, albeit certainly not as impressive as the solar eclipse we saw! =)

I've uploaded a series of Venus transit photos I took to AQ's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.428568283842938.101361.167064676659968. I really wanted to get at least one photo between 1st and 2nd contact, but I had quite a bit of trouble getting my camera to see anything through the telescope and the limited time--well, I failed. =( But I finally got a photo a few minutes after 2nd contact.

While I hope to be around to see the next Venus transit in 2117, I have to be honest with you--I'm not optimistic.

However! There is a Mercury transit scheduled for May 9, 2016. =) Mercury is a lot closer to the sun so it has a much faster orbit and transits the sun much more often than Venus. (2016, 2019, 2032, 2039...) On the downside, however, Mercury is a much smaller planet and very much further away from us than Venus was. It'll be a tiny spec--probably not visible even with eclipse glasses. You'll definitely want a telescope for the Mercury transit!

Until next time.... *exit, stage left*

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