Welcome to SkyTours with Derrick! If you've ever found yourself under the night sky wondering what that thing is, well, you've come to the right place to find out. I'll provide regular postings of just what's available for you to see at this time of this year, including planets, stars, constellations and my favorite - satellites! I'll also welcome your suggestions for what to add to the blog for your information and answer your questions.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

NE US Eclipse Viewers Clouded Out, But…


Planning on viewing today’s eclipse at sunset from somewhere in the northeast? Forgeddabowdit!  You’d better book a flight to Pittsburgh or Atlanta because these are about the only two places where it looks like you’ll have clear skies at sunset.For details about eclipse times, see yesterday's blog entry.

Eclipses are always dependent on the weather. Today the weather in the northeast ranges from rain in New England to overcast across the Delmarva Peninsula. A low-pressure system slowly pulling out to the northeast has brought occasional rain and solid cloud cover expected to last through Thursday night. Clearing should begin tomorrow morning but that’s 12 hours after the eclipse has passed.

Fortunately, there are 5 webcast options for viewing the eclipse online as seen from locations where the sky is expected to be clear today. Most begin their coverage at 5p EDT. You should be able to find good weather at one of them. 

Good Luck! Let me know which one worked best for you.


Slooh Community Observatory - http://live.slooh.com/


Lupica Observatory, Torrance, CA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocuc2TP0hoU

McMath Solar Telescope, Kitt Peak, AZ - https://sites.google.com/site/mcmathpierceeclipse/

University of Arizona’s Sky Center - http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/css/eclipse/