The Eclipse is coming! The Eclipse is coming!

Yes, it's on Monday, August 21st, 2017

I don't know a lot about the eclipse except I'm pretty sure you'll be looking up rather than down. So here's info from the Nasa website:

On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse of the sun. Anyone within the path of totality can see one of nature’s most awe inspiring sights - a total solar eclipse. This path, where the moon will completely cover the sun and the sun's tenuous atmosphere - the corona - can be seen, will stretch from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. Observers outside this path will still see a partial solar eclipse where the moon covers part of the sun's disk. NASA created this website to provide a guide to this amazing event. Here you will find activities, events, broadcasts, and resources from NASA and our partners across the nation.

https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/

Eye Safety Info: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety

Reputable Vendors of Solar Filters & Viewers
https://eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters

New York City is expected to get a 71% eclipse. Petaluma, Ca. a 77.3% eclipse. Time for Petaluma -- start 9:01 AM ---end 11:30 AM.

What the eclipse will look like via zip code: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/7/25/16019892/solar-eclipse-2017-interactive-map  

Months ago I bought Eclipse Glasses as a deal of the day, 10 pair for $12. They're cheapie cardboard like the old 3D glasses if you're old enough to remember. Now I'm not sure if I should trust them although they do bear the important "Meets Requirement for ISO 12312-2" (Adapted in 2015). So not to take any chances, I just ordered ten more pair for $19.99. They're listed as from Lunt Solar Systems which is on that NASA list, so hopefully they're the real deal. I did find that a lot of eclipse glasses on the approved list are already sold out. This is the Amazon link. It's a GizWiz link. You pay the same $19.99 and GizWizBiz gets a small credit to buy more stuff on Amazon. UPDATE: When I checked on 8/10/17, I found these are sold out at the $19.99 price.

IMPORTANT SAFETY UPDATE!!!! Today 8/12/17 Amazon emailed: Amazon has not received confirmation from the supplier of your order that they sourced the item from a recommended manufacturer. We recommend that you DO NOT use this product to view the sun or the eclipse. (They are issuing a refund.)

So I won't be using my solar glasses although they do say 'Lunt Solar Systems', which is on the approved NASA list of manufacturers. I think that's the only way to be truly safe at this point. You may want to do the same if yours came from Amazon, although you will probably get the same safety email.