April 2024 Challenge -- A Total Eclipse of the Sun

[Dukasaur]

Official Monthly Challenge for April 2024

Brought to you by the Community Team.


A Total Eclipse of the Sun



On April 8th, we will have a total eclipse of the sun.

Now, a solar eclipse happens roughly every 18 months. However, that's every 18 months somewhere on earth. At any given location, a total eclipse is very rare, and for a given spot on earth, it is approximately once every 400 years. To have one somewhere in your neighbourhood, within reasonable driving distance, is basically a once-or-twice-in-a-lifetime event.

Naturally, I'm pretty excited that my neighbourhood in the Niagara Region is in the path of totality for this one.

A solar eclipse involves the moon blocking out the light of the sun. Often in folklore and literature, the light of the sun is referred to as gold and the moon is contrasted as silver. Naturally, for our gold medal, we chose the Solar System map to represent the sun, and for our silver medal we chose Lunar War to represent the moon.

Bonus achievement: For our bronze medal, I chose Canada. Now, the path of the eclipse will cut a broad swath across Mexico, the US, and Canada. The best viewing is supposed to be in Texas. I could have chosen the Mexico map, or either of the North America maps, or either USA map, or the Texas map. I chose Canada, and it's not just because I'm Canadian and prejudiced. There is a specific cultural reason why I thought of the Canada map before the others to represent the path of the eclipse. There will be a bonus General Achievement handed out to the first person to correctly guess and post in this thread the reason why I chose this map from among the many that I could have chosen. If nobody guesses correctly in the first week, I'll start handing out clues.

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LINK TO APRIL SCOREBOARD

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Settings -- Bronze
Map: Canada
Players Per Game: 5
Game Type: Assassin
Initial Troops: Automatic
Play Order: Sequential
Spoils: Flat Rate
Reinforcements: Parachute
FOG: NO
TRENCH: NO
Round Limit: 20 or 30
Round Length: 24 Hours or 2 Minute Speed
Joinablility: Public

Settings -- Silver
Map: Lunar War
Players Per Game: 4
Game Type: Standard
Initial Troops: Automatic
Play Order: Sequential
Spoils: Nuclear
Reinforcements: Chained
FOG: YES
TRENCH: YES
Round Limit: 20 or 30
Round Length: 24 Hours or 2 Minute Speed
Joinablility: Public

Settings -- Gold
Map: Solar System
Players Per Game: 8
Game Type: Terminator
Initial Troops: Automatic
Play Order: Sequential
Spoils: Escalating
Reinforcements: Adjacent
FOG: ANY
TRENCH: NO
Round Limit: 20 or 30
Round Length: 24 Hours or 2 Minute Speed
Joinablility: Public


Medal Criteria

fifteen hundred and eighteen (1518) points are required to qualify for a Challenge Medal. You must have at least two (2) kinds of token.

Each Bronze victory is worth seventy-nine (79) points.

Each Silver victory is worth eighty-five (85) points.

Each Gold victory is worth ninety-one (91) points.





Notes

• *No sign-ups required. Monthly Challenge FAQs.
• Games must start between CC Time: 2024-04-01 09:00:00 and CC Time: 2024-04-30 23:59:59 to be considered for the challenge.
• Wins will count until CC Time: 2024-05-31 23:59:59.
• Any issues will be solved by Dukasaur, and His word is final.

[Delf]

I have to admit I sat on an Airfield in Kent in the UK in 1999 and was lucky to have a cloudless sky when the "Eclipse" occurred. One of only a very few places the cloud didn't ruin it.

It was unbelievable. All the birds all went quiet, the temperature drop absolutely rapid, much faster than the darkness encroaching. Take a day off. Don't miss the opportunity for a total eclipse. I've been fortunate to experience 2 other partial eclipses, they were wild but were NOTHING compared to the Total Eclipse. It was a day I remember vividly, even after 24 years

[jfm10]

Canada will see the eclipse first

[Frox333]

Total Eclipse of the Heart

[Nucker]

I quote

"because I'm Canadian and prejudiced"

[Nucker]

I have to admit I sat on an Airfield in Kent in the UK in 1999 and was lucky to have a cloudless sky when the "Eclipse" occurred. One of only a very few places the cloud didn't ruin it.

It was unbelievable. All the birds all went quiet, the temperature drop absolutely rapid, much faster than the darkness encroaching. Take a day off. Don't miss the opportunity for a total eclipse. I've been fortunate to experience 2 other partial eclipses, they were wild but were NOTHING compared to the Total Eclipse. It was a day I remember vividly, even after 24 years

Apparently, this only happens once every 400 hundred years. But in my time here I remember being at least at 2 and missing out on several that took place outside of my location.

[Dukasaur]

A few good guesses but so far nobody is getting it.

[Dukasaur]

I have to admit I sat on an Airfield in Kent in the UK in 1999 and was lucky to have a cloudless sky when the "Eclipse" occurred. One of only a very few places the cloud didn't ruin it.

It was unbelievable. All the birds all went quiet, the temperature drop absolutely rapid, much faster than the darkness encroaching. Take a day off. Don't miss the opportunity for a total eclipse. I've been fortunate to experience 2 other partial eclipses, they were wild but were NOTHING compared to the Total Eclipse. It was a day I remember vividly, even after 24 years

Apparently, this only happens once every 400 hundred years. But in my time here I remember being at least at 2 and missing out on several that took place outside of my location.

Probably partials. Partials are far more common than totals.

[Dukasaur]

Three guesses and everybody else gives up?

[jfm10]

Essex Ontario Canada will be the first place to see totality of the eclipse.

[jfm10]

Permanent settlers started in 1608 in Canada so some of them may have experienced this at the 400 ago year mark

[plurple]

Three guesses and everybody else gives up?

TBH didn't see the guess thing so was confused what we were guessing

Is it because there is a sun and moon on the map

[Dukasaur]

Excellent guesses all. But no, no, and no.

I'll give you the first hint: people of the rock and roll generation are more likely to get this than the young 'uns.

[jusplay4fun]

My guess: You chose Canada since the largest city in the path of Totality is in Canada, in Toronto.

[jfm10]

Gordon Lightfoot would have wrote a song about it?

[Dukasaur]

My guess: You chose Canada since the largest city in the path of Totality is in Canada, in Toronto.

I believe Dallas is bigger than Toronto and in the path of totality.

Other people's guesses are decent but uninspired.

Second hint: Dick Ebersol isn't poor.

[jfm10]

Toronto Maple Leafs are the only home team playing in its path tomorrow

[t4mcr53s2]

is it because the paths of totality in 2017 and 2024 intersect near....
Saint louis where Randy Mayield if from ( he wrote and sings a song called the total eclipse of the sun?

or because another song with the same title was written and sung by Don Maclean who sounds like he should be canadian but is from the usa?

or because Pink Floyd ( usually considered a british band ) had their song the Dark side of the Moon written bu Richard Waters who is ( wait for it ) also from the USA ...

must be because the ellipse in 2024 leaves North America over canada ....

[Delf]

Nucker says:

Apparently, this only happens once every 400 hundred years. But in my time here I remember being at least at 2 and missing out on several that took place outside of my location.

LOL - No Total Eclipses do not only happen every 400yrs. The 400 yrs is the period between the total Eclipse to be seen in that part of the world and being seen there again. Partial Eclipces can be visable from the same point on earth quite regularly. It's Totallity that occurs over the same spot that takes centuries.

[Delf]

Is it because in Canada is the first/last place that this particular Totallity, can be viewed from over a land mass.

[jfm10]

[YouTube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vVZp8b2-cg[/YouTube]
Cape Breton Island ... the celtic heart of North America

[jfm10]

my last guess cause i am probably becoming annoying. its path is a rainbow and we see it last so kind of like a pot of gold thing.

[Donelladan]

Does it has to do with the previous total eclipse in Canada in 1972?

Dick Ebersol paid 50k to know who was the subject of the song You're So Vain hence he isn't poor and this song speak of that eclipse

And I guess 1972 is that old that only rock and roll generation can remember that eclipse.

[Dukasaur]

Does it has to do with the previous total eclipse in Canada in 1972?

Dick Ebersol paid 50k to know who was the subject of the song You're So Vain hence he isn't poor and this song speak of that eclipse

And I guess 1972 is that old that only rock and roll generation can remember that eclipse.

Finally someone who actually reads the clues!

I was hoping for a more specific answer, but I'm going to award the GA to you since you are by far the closest and there isn't exactly a stampede of people working the clues.

Full answer:
An eclipse always makes me think of the line in You're So Vain that says:

Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun

It's a deeply ingrained word-association in me. If anyone says, "eclipse", the line "you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia...[etc.]" immediately jumps into my head.

Nova Scotia, of course, is in Canada, so that's why I chose the Canada map. If someone didn't get it after the third clue, my fourth clue to give out tomorrow was going to be something about Learjets.

I already thought the Dick Ebersol clue was too easy. I was really surprised nobody got it yesterday after I gave out that clue. For those just tuning in: It is one of the most hotly-debated arguments in rock trivia, whether the "You" in "You're So Vain" refers to Warren Beatty or to Mick Jagger. Most experts believe it's Warren Beatty, but there is a vocal minority (including some of my local deejays) who hold out for Mick Jagger. David Cassidy has also been put forward.

In 2003, at a charity auction, Carly Simon auctioned off the information. As Donelladan has correctly noted, Dick Ebersol paid $50,000 to be told who the song is about, although he had to sign an agreement not to tell anyone else. A few other people have claimed to know, but only Carly and Dick are confirmed to know for sure.

In 1972 I was in Grade Four. My Grade Four teacher, Mr. Worobec, was the coolest dude I had met until that point. My first two teachers in public school, Mrs. Holmes and Mrs. Graham, were Conservative old bats. I think they were partially mummified. The only songs they knew were God Save the Queen and Rule Britannia! Mr. Worobec was a whole new kind of animal. He was young and hip and listened to Rock and Roll. Anyway, he actually sang You're So Vain in class one day.

[Ukey]

Good anecdote, Duk.

I hadn't checked this thread since before the clues started, but I don't think I would've puzzled it out even after the Dick Ebersol clue.

The only guess I was contemplating had to do with formerly-named Eclipse Sound near Baffin Bay, but I couldn't make a cultural connection.