August 21 Total Solar Eclipse - Kentucky

[kingjamez]

Now the question is what makes for a good solar eclipse viewing?

Flat ground?
Top of a hill?
parking lot to have open horizon / avoid trees?

Clear skies... that's all that really matters. Given the time of day, the sun will be high in the sky, so tree's won't matter much.

I'd recommend as you plan your trip to try and get to a place with the longest possible totality. It's such a strange experience, it's worth going a little further to gain more time "in the dark". Being on the edge and only getting a few seconds will be disappointing when you could get 2+ minutes at the right spot.

-Jim

 

[dhanson865]

Clear skies... that's all that really matters. Given the time of day, the sun will be high in the sky, so tree's won't matter much.

I'd recommend as you plan your trip to try and get to a place with the longest possible totality. It's such a strange experience, it's worth going a little further to gain more time "in the dark". Being on the edge and only getting a few seconds will be disappointing when you could get 2+ minutes at the right spot.

-Jim

Luckily for me it's not much of a trip.

5 miles from home gets me ~1 min totality (west Knox county/edge of Knoxville)
10 miles from home gets me ~1:30 totality (Farragut area)
15 miles from home gets me ~2 min totality (Lenoir City area)
50 miles from home gets me ~2:40 totality (around exit 56 on I-75)

Depending on the weather I guess I'll probably go for Lenoir City, better weather I might push further south on I-5 and worse weather i'd stay further northeast closer to home.