Eclipses

[Pete]

If you're a bit nerdy like me, then look out for 2 eclipse paths coming around soon (booking travel to these sorts of things needs to be done early!).

On October 3rd 2005, an Annular Solar Eclipse (where the sun appears as a ring of fire, since the moon will be too small in the sky to totally obscure it) will cross Spain diagonally from northern Portugese border, down to Valencia taking in the city of Madrid on the way. It then crosses the Med, clipping the south-western part of Ibiza and into Algiers, off into Africa including Libya, Sudan, Kenya and Somalia. I'll probably be on Ibiza that day.

A total eclipse (totality is when you get to see the rather impressive corona of the sun) crosses a similar region on March 29th 2006. It'll go through Ghana, Nigeria, Libya and then the eastern Med before hitting Turkey then Georgia and Kazakstan.

If you don't fancy travelling, a partial eclipse will be viewable in the UK on both these dates (although there's nothing quite like being there...)

Pete

[Pete]

This time next week (Monday 3rd Oct) I'll be in Ibiza watching the Annular Eclipse.

[img]/ibizaeclipse.jpg[/img]

This will be the last annular eclipse visible anywhere from Europe until 26th January 2028 and the next annular eclipse in the UK isn't until 23rd July 2093. In the UK, a partial eclipse of the sun will be visible on the 3rd Oct from just before 8.50am local time and mid-eclipse around 10am and ending around 11.15am.

With solar eclipses where at least half the sun is covered (which is pretty much most of the UK), the sky turns a noticeably darker blue and this effect increases the deeper the eclipse. Places in the southwest of the UK should notice the sky is a darker blue around maximum eclipse than normal if the skies are clear!

Another effect will be the sunlight filtering through the leaves trees and bushes can produce a pinhole camera effect producing crescent suns on the ground. You can create the effect if you have a kitchen colander.

Full details of the Annular Eclipse on 3rd October can be found here

Hi Pete

I am jealous. No doubt we will have grey skies for our
partial eclipse here in the UK.

Turkey, parts of Greece and cyprus look good for Mar 29th 2006.

I find the global maps for total eclispes and annular eclipses are handy too. Especially if you need to plan ahead to book those reward seats!!

Robert

[Pete]

I'll be out of here this weekend to have a third attempt at seeing an eclipse (and not clouds like Noyen in '99 and Ibiza in '05!). Off to Turkey for the week, so membership stuff will be being looked after by mcuth & preiffer.

In the UK, you should be able to see a partial eclipse (about 30%) next Wednesday starting about 10.45am until 12.20pm with the maximum point about 11.30am. Remember never to look at the sun without a solar filter, or you'll be bumping into things for the rest of your natural. It's not big, and it's not clever.

Cya

Pete

[HighFlyer]

On a slightly related note, please let me know if you find out about any lunar eclipses (if that is the right terminology, the ones that turn the moon red) as i have seen programs on them on the Discovery Channel and would love to see one.

Thanks,
Sarah

Originally posted by HighFlyer
On a slightly related note, please let me know if you find out about any lunar eclipses (if that is the right terminology, the ones that turn the moon red) as i have seen programs on them on the Discovery Channel and would love to see one.

ISTBC but I think that this occurs with all lunar eclipses as towards totality the only light that is reaching the moon is red light refracted through our atmosphere.

Phil

I remember the last eclipse we had here in england, it was cloudy[xx(][:(!]

Cheers,
VS045

[Pete]

Originally posted by HighFlyer
On a slightly related note, please let me know if you find out about any lunar eclipses (if that is the right terminology, the ones that turn the moon red) as i have seen programs on them on the Discovery Channel and would love to see one.

Thanks,
Sarah

Well, you've just missed one (March 14th), but it was pretty cloudy over most of the UK, so I missed it too [:(]

Next one viewable in the UK is 21st February 2008, with the maximum eclipse at about 3:30am. The next total lunar eclipse you'll be able to see in the UK after that isn't until September 28th 2015, so as you can tell, these things don't happen that often.

Pete

[mcmbenjamin]

Hope you do not mind me asking but what produced your interest in eclipses Pete?

[Pete]

I went to the 1999 Eclipse, and although it was cloudy, the experience was still pretty spectacular. At the point of totality, there's a sudden pressure drop as though you are suddenly sinking. The birds go strangely quiet, and it gets pretty cold. I'd love to be able to see the corona of the sun in totality for myself, so have been keeping an eye out for opportunities ever since that first one.

In the US, you have an annualar eclipse coming on May 20th 2012 (running from northern california in a diagonal to north texas), but the biggie over there that everyone is waiting for is August 21 2017, when a total eclipse starts from Lincoln City, Oregon, sweeps across the US and leaves at Charleston, South Carolina. The track of totality includes Kansas City, Nashville and Knoxville. Greatest eclipse is near the small town of Crofton in western Kentucky, where locals will experience 2 minutes and 40 seconds of totality.

Compare that with the duration of the eclipse in Side, Turkey (where I will be standing next Wednesday), 3 minutes 46 seconds. Next week's eclipse is a rare long one.

Pete

Originally posted by pixuk
Well, you've just missed one (March 14th), but it was pretty cloudy over most of the UK, so I missed it too [:(]

Of course it was cloudy, it was my birthday

Cheers

Michael

[Pete]

Originally posted by mcuth

Originally posted by pixuk
Well, you've just missed one (March 14th), but it was pretty cloudy over most of the UK, so I missed it too [:(]

Of course it was cloudy, it was my birthday

Cheers

Michael

Or possibly, "Of course it was cloudy, Pete was waiting for an eclipse..."

Originally posted by pixuk
Or possibly, "Of course it was cloudy, Pete was waiting for an eclipse..."

Nah mate, definitely my birthday - it's never sunny on my birthday

Cheers

Michael

[Pete]

Now en-route back from an Internet-Connection-less Turkey, and I'm pleased to report I've finally seen a total eclipse live.

I'm even more pleased with my photos, which given the inability to practice these events, came out rather well. The camera is a Canon 300D, with a 70-200 zoom lens (at its max zoom) and a 2x extender.

Here's what the totality looked like (and this is an un-enhanced image):

[img]/midtotality500.jpg[/img]

Notice you can just make out a "prominence" at the top of the disc, where a chunk of the sun's matter is arcing above the surface. The sun was unexpectedly active, and I managed to spot a few of those prominences on my photos. You can also clearly see the magnetic poles of the sun, where the corona arcs in.

At the end of totality, since the edge of the moon is not completely smooth, the sun pokes through the mountains in an effect called the Diamond Ring, which I was also lucky enough to capture:

[img]/diamondring500.jpg[/img]

Next one is in China... And I'm seriously considering it.

Pete

[honey lamb]

I've just had a report on the eclipse from friends who watched it in Libya

Great pix, Pix [y]

Fantastic photos, Pete - you must be over the moon!

Sorry about that but, with those pics, I can see the attraction.

Best wishes

David

[preiffer]

Cool photos Pete [y]

China, you say...[:?] When's that...? [:I]

[Pete]

[img]/compositeEclipse.jpg[/img]

Well...

August 1st 2008: Total Solar. Very northerly path starting in very remote parts of Northern Canada, sweeping across Russia, south west Mongolia and ending near Xian, China. Russia might be an option, but not many places on the totality track that are easy to get to.

July 22nd 2009: Total Solar. Crossing India, Bhutan an China. Probably the best view will be from Wuhan, China, but most accessible is Shanghai (the southern part of the city is well within the totality track). Maybe this would be a good candidate for a V-Flyer trip?

[ChuckC]

Pete,
Congratulations on those pictures. You could start a website and sell copies of them -- they are that good! And the idea for a VF trip to China is perfect.

Chuck-

[preiffer]

Ooooooh - Air China! [y]