A very nice visualization of the Great American Eclipse from NASA

 

 I predict clear skies for eclipse day next year!

 

Here is the latest satellite image for the area. The patterns have remained consistent over the last 10 years based on the previous post of satellite images. Today's image shows consistency with the past patterns so I would safely say we will have clear skies on eclipse day at the base camp. However there will be a Plan B... we are talking about the weather after all!

 

21 August 2016 satellite image 1400 UTC

The eclipse occurs one year from today!

Here is a safe way to view any solar eclipse using a pair of binoculars and a screen.  

I recorded this in 2012 for the transit of Venus but the technique works for any observation of the Sun especially solar eclipses.
 

 

It is 370 days to the eclipse but one year from today we will be all packed in our RVs

and ready to head out to Douglas, WY

What will the skies be like on the day and time of the eclipse?

Trying to predict the weather a year in advance is no easy task...however predicting sky conditions is a bit easier. We have archive images from weather satellites that show definite patterns in cloud cover over the Earth. I assembled a number of images from the GOES weather satellite spanning 2006 to 2015 on 21 August at the approximate time of the eclipse of 21 August 2017. It seemed that in 2013 there was a small area of cloud cover during eclipse time. The other years proved to be cloud free. You will notice what looks like a light grey area as well as obvious clouds. The light grey is actually water vapor but not clouds. The satellite sensors detects into the near infra red region of the spectrum which detects water vapor. I will post the 21 August 2016 image when it is ready and we can compare the prediction to the latest weather satellite image one year out.

 

Countdown to Eclipse Day 2017

Days Until the Great American Eclipse!

Powered by howmanydaysuntil.org

THE SOLAR RADIO TELESCOPE

 

This is the radio equipment and computer set up that was tested on 27 July 2017 from a campground near Yosemite National Park. The equipment will be used to monitor any emissions from the Sun that will occur during the total solar eclipse in August 2017. All tests were successful...all equipment worked fine and a solar emission was received as well!

 

 

Solar emission during test. The time and date are Universal Time