Solar eclipse
There will be a solar eclipse on August 21 2017. This page is a collection of all the things going on.
Glasses
***BE SAFE***
Solar viewing can damage your eyes. https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/iso-certification
Glasses are hard to find online and in Wichita. MakeICT had some, but we no longer have any.
Alternatives to glasses include: Welding Lenses: Shade 14
Note: The article above says 12, but a lot of other places have advised 14, go to a reputable welding store. As of now, the 15th, I (James) can't find a pair on Amazon, that I know will get here.
Projection viewing: This allows you to make a pinhole projector.
DO NOT DO THIS WITH TELESCOPES, or BINOCULARS. At best, it can fry the optical instrument, at worst, it will focus and reflect well enough that your eyes are damaged.
Road Trip
Several of us from MakeICT are planning a road trip. The thread is here: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/makeict/1UROgfkw5IU/eu9KFze_BgAJ;context-place=forum/makeict
We will be choosing our destination the day before the eclipse when we have a good weather forecast. Probably St. Joseph MO, or near York, NE Schedule:
0700 - Leave for eclipse (likely earlier, I'm thinking 5am or earlier given the traffic) 1000 - Arrive at location (optimistic) 1130 - Partial Eclipse starts 1300 - Full Eclipse 1430 - Partial Eclipse ends, Leave for Wichita 1730 - Arrive in Wichita (optimistic)