re: Solar eclipse
Seeing the Antarctica solar eclipse on HD TV is the next best thing to actually being there. It was spectacular! The best view was when they showed it from a distance, where you can see the sun on the horizon, with Venus, Mercury, and stars visible. In the close-up a big solar prominence was visible in the upper right at 1 O'clock position. I wish I could have taken good pictures of it. I tried but without a tripod the pictures were a total failure.