{"id":28601,"date":"2017-08-17T15:50:26","date_gmt":"2017-08-17T20:50:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=28601"},"modified":"2017-08-17T15:50:43","modified_gmt":"2017-08-17T20:50:43","slug":"oklahoma-and-other-states-planning-to-enjoy-solar-eclipse-from-the-cheap-seats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2017\/08\/17\/oklahoma-and-other-states-planning-to-enjoy-solar-eclipse-from-the-cheap-seats\/","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma And Other States Planning to Enjoy Solar Eclipse From The \u2018Cheap Seats\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_28602\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28602\" alt=\"A partial solar eclipse captured over Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City in 2014.\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/hefner-eclipse_WEB.jpeg\" width=\"620\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/hefner-eclipse_WEB.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/hefner-eclipse_WEB-344x500.jpeg 344w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/hefner-eclipse_WEB-103x150.jpeg 103w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/hefner-eclipse_WEB-207x300.jpeg 207w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Bill Davis \/ Flickr\/CC BY-NC 2.0<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A partial solar eclipse captured over Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City in 2014.<\/p>\n<\/div><p>A temporary mass migration that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/37234-expect-solar-eclipse-traffic-jams.html\">could reach<\/a> into the millions is expected as people across the United States relocate to catch a prime view of the country\u2019s first coast-to-coast total eclipse in nearly a century.<\/p><p>The vast majority of the country, including Oklahoma, isn\u2019t in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/source\/crh\/eclipse.html\"> the path<\/a> of \u201ctotality.&#8221;<\/p><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/338323812&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=false\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><!--more-->The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is northern Oklahoma is an ideal spot to see birds and bugs and the heavyweight stars of the grassland: A roaming herd of about 2,500 bison.<\/p><p>Katie Hawk with the Nature Conservancy says the preserve is also the perfect setting for viewing Monday\u2019s solar eclipse.<\/p><p>\u201cForty-thousand acres of prairies and this clear, open, wide prairie sky,\u201d she says.<\/p><p>Days after the conservancy announced its plans to host an eclipse-viewing event, tickets were gone. The conservancy expanded and opened up more seats, and those were quickly snapped up, too.<\/p><p>\u201cWe didn&#8217;t think there would be such a huge demand,\u201d Hawk says. \u201cYou know, with people being at work and whatnot, and having already been going back to school.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>\u2018Outside the stadium\u2019<\/h3><p>Most of Oklahoma is located within the 80 percent eclipse range, but the Tallgrass preserve is within a small triangle that will have the state\u2019s best view as the moon blocks light from the sun starting mid-day Monday.<\/p><p>\u201cIt&#8217;s in the 90 percent totality viewing region,\u201d Hawk says. \u201cWhat a great experience and opportunity we have here.\u201d<\/p><p>That\u2019s one take. Astronomers like Williams College professor Jay Pasachoff have another:<\/p><p>\u201cSeeing a 90 percent eclipse is like taking your family 90 percent of the way to Disneyland,\u201d says Pasachoff, who has observed 33 solar eclipses. The 90 percent or 80 percent eclipse most people in the U.S. are in a position to see is barely worth the effort, he says.<\/p><p>\u201cThe partial eclipse is not even the cheap seats. The cheap seats are in the stadium,\u201d he says. \u201cA partial eclipse is outside the stadium. You\u2019ve missed the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_28605\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-28605\" alt=\"A map from NASA shows the path of the moon\u2019s &quot;umbral shadow.&quot;\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/nasa-eclipsemap-620x325.jpeg\" width=\"620\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/nasa-eclipsemap-620x325.jpeg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/nasa-eclipsemap-500x262.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/nasa-eclipsemap-150x79.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/nasa-eclipsemap-300x157.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2017\/08\/nasa-eclipsemap.jpeg 1240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">NASA<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A map from NASA shows the path of the moon\u2019s &quot;umbral shadow.&quot;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Slice of darkness<\/h3><p>Monday\u2019s eclipse will cut a narrow 70-mile-wide slice of darkness that arcs from Oregon, through Nebraska, down to South Carolina. Astronomer Rick Feinberg, a former editor of Sky & Telescope Magazine now with the American Astronomical Society, says those regions will experience something that comes across more like an overcast day.<\/p><p>\u201cIt&#8217;s still broad daylight, but the character of the light might change a bit,\u201d he says.<\/p><p>Other eclipse-viewing events are scheduled around the state on Monday, and Oklahoma isn\u2019t the only place throwing partial eclipse parties. They\u2019re happening everywhere, from the public library in Huntsville, Utah, to the planetarium in Flint, Michigan.<\/p><p>Astronomers say any Oklahoman with the time and means should make a trip to the path of \u201ctotality\u201d on Monday. But, if that\u2019s not possible, Feinberg says even a partial eclipse can still be fun<\/p><p>\u201cWhen the sun&#8217;s a very thin crescent, some interesting things happen to shadows,\u201d Feinberg says.<\/p><p>Standard warning: Don\u2019t look at the sun without the proper glasses or filter. Feinberg suggest searching the ground for little crescent shapes, and watching how the focused light from the tiny sliver of sun looks when it\u2019s cast through leaves on trees.<\/p><p>When the sun is partially blocked, temperatures could drop as much as 20 degrees \u2014 rapidly. At the Tallgrass preserve, Katie Hawk says a quick chill plus dimming light could trigger some weirdness with wildlife.<\/p><p>\u201cYou might see bats come out of nowhere. You might hear crickets or cicadas start chirping. Some birds may stop flying or go to their roost,\u201d she says.<\/p><p>And while astronomers might not be moved by anything less than 100 percent eclipse coverage, Hawk and the Nature Conservancy have ordered extra eclipse glasses and expanded their watch party.<\/p><p>\u201cAs far as 90 percent goes, we&#8217;re pretty excited,\u201d she says.<\/p><p>And if the partial eclipse experience disappoints on Monday, make your plans now, Oklahoma: The southeastern corner of the state is in the blackout path for a total solar eclipse \u2014 in 2024.<\/p><p>\u201cThink of this as the warm up,\u201d Feinberg says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A temporary mass migration that could reach into the millions is expected as people across the United States relocate to catch a prime view of the country\u2019s first coast-to-coast total eclipse in nearly a century.The vast majority of the country, including Oklahoma, isn\u2019t in the path of \u201ctotality.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":28602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[491],"tags":[684,722],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28601"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28601"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28601\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28613,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28601\/revisions\/28613"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}