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Main Forum => Enter the voids of the OT-forum => Topic started by: Markus on March 08, 2006, 12:21:17 pm

Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 08, 2006, 12:21:17 pm: Hi folks,

on March 29 there will be a solar eclipse, visible all over Europe, the greatest part of Africa and a long way into Asia. The Eastern part of South America will see it at sunrise. On a narrow path reaching from the Eastern tip of South America over the South Atlantic, Western and Northern Afrca through the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and Turkey well into Asia, the eclipse will be total: Black Sun!

Many authors have described total solar eclipses as the greatest natural events one can witness, and I daresay they're right. The Austrian poet Adalbert Stifter wrote about the eclipse over Austria in 1842: "What is the most terrible thunderstorm, it is a noisy flea market compared to this deadly silent majesty." Only the ignorants can say "It gets dark and then bright again - so what?" That's like describing Therion's "Siren of the Woods" with the words: "Some people make noises", just a hundred times worse.

Impressive as they are, total solar eclipses are rare events, and each is visible from a rather small area only; therefore they are often hard to reach. This one is rather easy to reach for Europeans because the shadow of the moon will strike tourist areas such as Antalya in Turkey. Thus I will take a short trip to Turkey to view the eclipse from there. :w00t:

But even those of you that live and stay in places where the eclipse is partial, not total: You're not allowed to miss it! You get the chance to view a partial solar eclipse only once every few years on average, so these are rare, too. And they are beautiful in their own right. You will see the moon gliding silently between you and the sun and you will feel that everything is in motion, that you are part of a great cosmic dance. Don't miss that chance! (Or you'll get trouble with me.)

Besides that, a deep partial (76% in Bucharest) will cause changes in your environment. The sun won't burn on your skin as much as it usually does, the colours around you will look paler than usually, the sky will be a deeper blue. The shadows will be unnaturally sharp, and wherever sunlight falls through small holes, small solar crescents will appear on the ground - be it beneath a tree with leaves, through the holes of noodle sieve, a straw hat or anything else. These changes may be subtle, but you will see them if you just open your eyes and look.

But in any case: Never ever look at the sun without proper protection! NEVER!! Its fierce glare would burn your eyes - even if it's partly hidden by the moon. The uneclipsed part of the sun would still burn itself into your retina - a smaller part of your eye gets burnt then, but still it gets burnt. There are several secure ways to watch the sun safely. The easiest may be to invest a couple of bucks in special eclipse-viewing-glasses that should be available at every good opticians' store. If you want to use binocularsm a telescope or a camera protection is even more important, and there are several good methods for that, too.

So in short:

1. Find out whether and when the eclipse is visible from your place.

2. Get yourself those special filters to protect your eyes.

3. Watch the eclipse, and think of me as you do so, wishing me clear skies. :)

This is an order. You may leave now.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Tzar-0 on March 08, 2006, 12:49:33 pm: Quote
This is an order. You may leave now.

Yes sire !

mmm for Belgium and for France we should look at the sky at about 11h30-40 for the begining... http://www.cieletespace.fr/Dossiers/Eclipse/RendezVous.aspx (http://www.cieletespace.fr/Dossiers/Eclipse/RendezVous.aspx) .

Well I know there is no one else here now who comes from Belgium or France anyway.
I didn't find for others countries. But anyway there is a cool pic on that page.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 08, 2006, 12:59:59 pm: Ah, right, extra information needed. :)

As usually Fred Espenak at the NASA has set up a complete website for this event (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEmono/TSE2006/TSE2006.html), including everything you need to know. Maps, tables, everything. Click "Local Circumstances for <your region here>" to find out when it happens and how deep it gets. You just have to convert the times from UT (GMT) to your local time. There are even photo guides and webcast links there.

If you scroll down on this page (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/solar.html) on the NASA Eclipse Home Page you'll find articles on eye safety, too.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 08, 2006, 01:03:47 pm: I'm stupid: forgot I was reading the topic and left....and when I came back, Tzar-0 had already replied :D

Oh, well... I'll wish clear skies anyway, Markus (but without the "Yes, Sire") ;)
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Tzar-0 on March 08, 2006, 01:12:09 pm: Thanks for your informations Markus. The hours are not the same in the website I gave but we should better believe the nasa anyway...

And yes we can just wish you a nice trip and hope for you it will be cloudless. ^_^
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 08, 2006, 01:20:12 pm: Bah! nothing to see here in North America :angry:. When I lived in home country I saw three solar eclipses... here... nothing!!!
Canada is definitevily the outerworld :(
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 08, 2006, 01:22:02 pm: Hi Tzar-O,

indeed there are differences of a few seconds between the times on your site and on the NASA site. That doesn't mean one of them is wrong: Firstly, a city is not just a point but extends to several kilometres even for smaller cities. But the local circumstances are always computed for a single point on Earth. If two sources use slightly different coordinates for a city they will get slightly different results. Secondly there are different methods of calculation, depending on different definitions of some important terms. That can also create differences of a few seconds.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 08, 2006, 01:22:58 pm: What were you saying about "wrong side of the world", Aluqak? :evil:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 08, 2006, 01:25:53 pm: Ah, poor Aluqak,

Quote
Bah! nothing to see here in North America :angry:. When I lived in home country I saw three solar eclipses... here... nothing!!!
Canada is definitevily the outerworld :(
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tough luck this time, it seems. :( But in other years the Americas are preferred. But I'm afraid that the next really good eclipse year for North America will be 2012...

Cheers, anyway!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Tzar-0 on March 08, 2006, 01:29:20 pm: haha no markus :P

It is just me who's stupid , I didn't take the time to read all your previous post and just went seeing the hours...by the way I was so I didn't even think that it could be GMT hours... :ph34r: ...I know I should hide somewhere for that
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 08, 2006, 03:42:07 pm: I'm too lazy to study all the site, but I think that I won't see a lot... maybe 40%, I think. Well, maybe later I'll try to read it better. But be sure I'll think in Markus when the eclypse will happen :ph34r:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 08, 2006, 03:52:52 pm: Barcelona: 43% eclipse magnitude, first contact at 9.21 UT, maximum at 10.21, fourth contact at 11.23. That's about as much as I saw last October. Believe me - even if it's far from being total it's worth to have a look. :-)

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 08, 2006, 04:00:05 pm: Quote
Barcelona: 43% eclipse magnitude, first contact at 9.21 UT, maximum at 10.21, fourth contact at 11.23. That's about as much as I saw last October. Believe me - even if it's far from being total it's worth to have a look. :-)

Cheers!

Markus
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Thanks thanks :pop:

I'll try to watch it, then (with appropiate glasses, of course -_- ).

*cannot wait until the day :w00t:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 08, 2006, 04:44:56 pm: Quote
I'll try to watch it, then (with appropiate glasses, of course -_- ).
[snapback]7496[/snapback]

:iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl:

But you have to convert these times from UT to your local time! Dunno what difference you have to UT...

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 08, 2006, 04:55:39 pm: Quote
:iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl: :iconmi77kl:

But you have to convert these times from UT to your local time! Dunno what difference you have to UT...

Cheers!

Markus
[snapback]7497[/snapback]

What's UT time? :unsure:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Tzar-0 on March 08, 2006, 06:47:02 pm: universal time same as GMT
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: TheOFFman on March 09, 2006, 11:23:02 am: Thx for information wise Markus!
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 09, 2006, 11:28:01 am: You're welcome, OFFman,

I couldn't keep that to myself, anyway. :lol:

You may expect about 60% eclipse magnitude, BTW - that is clearly enough to not e subtle changes in the sky and your surroundings.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 14, 2006, 11:48:16 am: Hi folks,

before I forget it: Prepare to watch the Prelude to the Black Sun tonight! There will be a rather weak but interesting lunar eclipse, peaking at 23.47 UT.

More details to come!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 14, 2006, 01:01:52 pm: So here we go with the details, folks.

No eclipse comes on its own: Whenever there's a solar eclipse, two weeks before or after it there is a lunar one, and vice versa. So if there's a solar eclipse on March 29, there must be a lunar eclipse in mid-March or mid-April. It's in mid-March - tonight, to be exact.

It's only a penumbral eclipse where the moon enters the penumbra, the outer and lighter part of Earth's shadow without entering the inner and darker umbra. That means there will be no red moon. In fact, some claim such a penumbral eclipse was invisible in any case. Nonsense! You can't see the beginning and the end of the event because the darkening is all too weak there, but you will see the greatest eclipse if you just look.

This pic (http://mreclipse.com/LEphoto/NLE2002/NLE2002-3w.JPG) shows very well what to look for: Before the eclipse you'll see the normal full moon, glaring bright. At mid-eclipse the moon will be darker, less glaring, and there will be a clear difference in brightness between opposing limbs. This time the Southern part of the moon ("downside" in the sky) will be darker.

So take a look at the full moon, say, at 21.00 UT and another look at the eclipsed moon around 23.47 UT. I bet you'll see it, but all the ignorants out there won't. ;)

Need any more details? Fred (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2006.html#2006Mar14P) will tell you all you need to know.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 14, 2006, 01:45:18 pm: Hey man, do you know if the lunar eclipse will be visible from this side of the pond?
I feel so lonely here ... without solar eclipses :bawling:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 14, 2006, 01:49:53 pm: There, there, Aluqak. *hands some hankies* You'll survive. NTSMS is with you. :w00t:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: ViruS on March 14, 2006, 01:53:24 pm: Quote
Hey man, do you know if the lunar eclipse will be visible from this side of the pond?
I feel so lonely here ... without solar eclipses :bawling:
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Sheep don't give nothing to Aluqak let him stay lonely as i was 5 days :ph34r: :iefox8dr:
/me steals the hankies and disapear :ph34r: Muhaahah hahaha
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 14, 2006, 02:28:58 pm: I'm sure he can get some other hankies by himself anythime :nanana:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 14, 2006, 03:24:45 pm: Yeap, food is not a problem for a Cheif Anglerfish B)
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 14, 2006, 05:57:09 pm: Hey Aluqak,

you didn't look at the map (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/image1/LE2006Mar14-Fig1.GIF), did you? The moon rises in eclipse over most of America. Unless you live on the Western edge you might be able to view the event, although it will be more difficult for you due to the low altitude.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 14, 2006, 06:06:12 pm: Quote
you didn't look at the map (http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/image1/LE2006Mar14-Fig1.GIF), did you? The moon rises in eclipse over most of America. Unless you live on the Western edge you might be able to view the event, although it will be more difficult for you due to the low altitude.
[snapback]7591[/snapback]
Map?... was there a map? ... :c0857do:
Anyway, It's nice to see that I could see the lunar eclipse buuuut... it's not the altitude that concerns me but the clouds. It has been raining here since yesterday night, and in theory it won't stop until tomorrow :mad3:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 14, 2006, 06:13:23 pm: Well, I didn't speak of a map, I just said Fred knew everything else you need to know. :D

BTW - outside the moon has risen in a mainly clear sky. Now I hope it'll stay that way. If the weather is fine I'll try to take a few pics.

Hell Manegarm!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 14, 2006, 10:48:41 pm: I can't see the moon from home, and it's too cold and dark and I'm too tired to go out to street now :unsure:

btw... I've seen the moon this evening, and it's pretty cool. Very big and round. I've had to stare to it for long time! :blush:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 14, 2006, 10:55:57 pm: And you dare to say that?! :mad3:

Make yourself a hot drink now, put on a warm pullover and have a nice evening walk! Otherwise... :ph34r:

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 14, 2006, 10:58:03 pm: Quote
And you dare to say that?! :mad3:

Make yourself a hot drink now, put on a warm pullover and have a nice evening walk! Otherwise... :ph34r:

Markus
[snapback]7600[/snapback]

B... b... but... I am on pijamas... :unsure:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 14, 2006, 11:20:49 pm: Cute... take two pullovers, then!
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 14, 2006, 11:24:46 pm: And I'm going to sleep... I'm really tired to walk down 5 floors and then, walk them up... all in pijamas and 2 pullovers :bawling:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 15, 2006, 02:07:39 am: Full success: Very distinct changes on the moon and in the terrestrial surroundings as well. More details tomorrow... If the pics turn out nice, I'll show you some of mine; otherwise I'll find you some on the web.

Good night! :sleep_1:

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 15, 2006, 11:00:38 am: Hi folks,

as promised some more details on my observations last night. And what a lucky one I've been! After greatest eclipse, as I packed my things and went home, the first thin clouds appeared. This morning saw a dull grey sky, dropping small shapeless snowflakes.

I was surprised how clearly the eclipse was visible and how distinctly it affected even the surroundings. Before the eclipse I saw a glaring full moon that made the snow on the ground glitter and was difficult to look at - you could hardly see the maria, the dark regions on the lunar surface in all that brightness. At 22.40 UT - more than one hour before greatest eclipse - the Southwestern part of the moon seemed slightly darker than the rest. I saw that with the naked eye, but it was even better to see with binoculars. And the glare was gone! It was easy now to look at the moon and to see its surface features.

20 minutes later I noticed that the moonshine around me was subdued. The landscape was still brightly lit, but not as brightly as before, and the snow glittered less. The moon looked much darker than a usual full moon and seemed slightly too yellow for its high altitude - it had a colour that you usually see when it's closer to the horizon.

These effects were very clearly visible for about an hour around maximum eclipse, and they were more intense than I had expected. I have seen a number of total lunar eclipses already, and with each total you get a penumbral eclipse like the one last night for free. But I have never seen these things so clearly! Often I just haven't looked because everyone told me you couldn't see the penumbral eclipse, anyway. Later, even as I watched out for the penumbral eclipse I didn't see the changes in the surrounding landscape. And seeing a show of nature that most people overlook is always impressive!

Cheers!

Markus

P.S.: Pics to follow tonight.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 15, 2006, 01:37:31 pm: Thanks for the details man!.. the clouds over here were beautiful too :unsure:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 15, 2006, 05:26:30 pm: Hi there,

I promised you pics, you get some pics. :D

[attachmentid=50] (The uneclipsed full moon, just before the event)
[attachmentid=51] (The moon around mid-eclipse)

Too bad you didn´t see anything, Aluqak! Clouds are stupid. Important as they may be, let them bring rain only when there´s no special event above them!Enjoy!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 16, 2006, 01:43:25 pm: Hey man! Those pics are great!!! :iconmi77kl:
How did you took them? did you use a telescope or something... because the resolution is amaizing B)
I think that I'll learn to invoke the Higest Wind for the next eclipse... to blow out all those clouds. :pop:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 16, 2006, 05:03:33 pm: Thanks for the comment, Aluqak! :)

Well, for those interested in the technical details: I used an ISO 100 film in the primary focus of a refractor with f=2250 mm and d=150 mm - you can see the telescope here (http://home.arcor.de/schulplanetarium-halle/bilder/proref.jpg). In other words: I had a tele-lens with 2.25 m focal length at f/15. It's embarrassingly simple to take pics of the sun or the moon with that set-up. :lol3:

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 16, 2006, 05:11:16 pm: Nice pics, Markus (useless to say), and... woooow, what a telescope :w00t:

I prefer not talking about my equipment if I have to take any pic of the moon... or whatever :blush:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 16, 2006, 07:05:32 pm: :blush: I looked at the pics without maximizing them, at 1st.

Veeeery nice ones, Markus! *hides the digital camera, not to be eaten by the telescope*

Namarie!
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 17, 2006, 08:51:22 am: Hey girls,

don't let the sheer size fool you! I have already worked with a telescope that is equally powerful, but only a third the size - just small enough to fit in a large trunk. That depends on the technology the scope uses. But anyway: This large one does make it easy to portrait the sun or the moon. :) Too bad I can't take it along to Turkey. :lol3: But then again I don't intend to do any astropics there at all.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 17, 2006, 08:55:18 am: Quote
Hey girls,

don't let the sheer size fool you! I have already worked with a telescope that is equally powerful, but only a third the size - just small enough to fit in a large trunk. That depends on the technology the scope uses. But anyway: This large one does make it easy to portrait the sun or the moon. :) Too bad I can't take it along to Turkey. :lol3: But then again I don't intend to do any astropics there at all.

Cheers!

Markus
[snapback]7671[/snapback]

Size does not matter (or it does :evil: ).

:roll1:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 22, 2006, 10:52:52 am: Hi there,

my travel preparations are running hot now. Just one more week until the great day, less than a week until my departure to Turkey. :w00t:

I have decided to take along my small private telescope (named "Arthur", by the way), though not for photos but only for visual observation - "just looking". Totality will last about three minutes, which is quite a lot already, and I won't waste any of that time on taking pics that others will do even better.

Oh, and have I mentioned already that the journey goes to Konya, the city where the order of the dancing derwishes was founded?

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 22, 2006, 01:48:23 pm: Wow! Now I'm really jealous man. It sounds like very, very nice trip. Turkey was not in travel wish list until a few years ago when I met guy from Turkey (playing football by the way ;)) and he showed some pictures of his country. They were SO amaizing that Turkey jumped to the top 5 of my "I-have-to-go-there-before-I-die" list.
So good luck man... and hope you'll put to some of your pics on-line.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 23, 2006, 10:39:27 pm: Well, folks,

I'm nearly off. I don't even know yet whether I'll have to start on late Monday morning or Sunday night since there might be a change in my flight. In any case my travel and eclipse preparations are running so hot now that I hardly have the time to talk much anymore.

So behave, even when I'm not looking, ;) and don't dare to forget watching the eclipse yourself! Ah, and wish me clear skies. :)

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Phanta on March 24, 2006, 01:09:28 am: If I'm lucky I'll see some of it in the morning...

a half-sun rising must be quite a cool sight though ^_^
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 24, 2006, 08:31:43 am: Eya Markus!

Be sure I won't forget to watch the sky to see the Eclypse! Enjoy your travel and take care... and aware with angry anglerfishes, as I've heard it can be some problem with one of them eating the Sun when it'll be hidding by Moon's shadow!!! In fact, I've heard it can eat the shadow itself :afraid1:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 24, 2006, 08:48:51 am: Hi there,

let the anglerfish beware of me, Luth! Better noone disturb me in any way in those sacred hours and minutes. See this report (http://astroverein-halle.de/ergebnisse/tle2003_11/tle2003_11_weihrauch_en.html), especially at 1.45 - I still have no idea how I managed to stay polite back then.

And Phanta, if you get to see that you're quite lucky indeed. :) I had that luck during a solar eclipse three years ago (http://astroverein-halle.de/ergebnisse/ase2003.html). It's really a fantastic sight! The perfect to watch place is a mountain with a free view of the Eastern horizon, where the sun will rise.

Cheers and good luck to all of you!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 28, 2006, 06:51:40 pm: Tomorrow's the big event! :iconmi77kl:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 28, 2006, 07:02:29 pm: I will be working in the moment of maximum eclypse :bawling: . I though it was one hour sooner than it is, because we (Markus too) didn't thought about the change of hour, just past Saturday. The good new is that I enter to work at 12h, so just before entering the eclypse will be started enough to see it, and at 12:40, the maximum moment, I am the only monitor in the dinning room I'm outside the dinning room, so I will be able to catch my glasses and, in a rush, look at the Sun. Don't tell to my boss!!! :evil:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 28, 2006, 07:42:16 pm: Quote
Don't tell to my boss!!! :evil:
[snapback]7967[/snapback]
I won't betray you, Your Majesty! (haha. Bet I will :evil: )

I'll be at school, so it should't be a problem to get a quick glance.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 29, 2006, 04:19:00 pm: A cloudy, very cloudy morning. You know, those clouds which cover all the sky... not very high clouds, no very thick, but thick enough to cover the Sun and any Sun idea.

11.30 a.m. The eclypse has already began, and no Sun. Some little part of the sky naked of nasty, grey clouds, but very far from the sun. I am walking to my work, and nothing makes me think I'll be able to see the eclypse before I'll enter the school.

11.58 a.m. I am almost in the school. I only have to pass the road and I'll be inside the building. The last glance to the sky... and a little hope, some clouds are more thin, the sun tries to show itself!!! I grab my Ready-For-Eclypse-High-Priest-Glasses and I look up there... YES!!!! I can see it. Not clearly at all, some very thiny clouds stand between the Sun and me, but I can perfectly see the eclypse.

12.01 p.m. I enter the school, but still in the playground I decide to look again at the Sun... The small little thiny fluffy (ooops, not, fluffy not) cloud has gone!!! Now the sight is perfect, and I have to share the Glasses with a lot of teachers and school workers, of course.

12.20 p.m. I go out to bring the little kids to the dinning room, but just before entering the class, the last watching... it's the maximum eclypse moment, and just now the clouds have gone again!

12.40 p.m. I am the only monitor out, in the courtyard. Every kid has gone to home or to dinning room, and it's time to go down to there... but I have time for a last glance. I put the Glasses on, I see how the Sun is not so hidden as few moments before, I grin, I put my Glasses off and I keep them, very well kept, in my handbag. I'm happy.

EPILOGUE. Now there's a fantastic sunny day :angry:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Tzar-0 on March 29, 2006, 04:31:42 pm: You are luckier than me actually...Between 2 classes of the morning...I came out the building but this was only to see that today is a cloudy day.

Let's hope that Markus had a clear sky.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 29, 2006, 06:07:21 pm: I DO have a clear sky (it has been like that for almost a week now) :D.... but there's a "minor" problem... I cannot see the eclipse from here :(.
Nice to see you enjoyed it Luth (I must add that was a nice repport :)).
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Sirius13 on March 29, 2006, 07:27:22 pm: I hope Markus has had a great experience!

Markus =====> :iconmi77kl:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 30, 2006, 11:36:20 am: I had quite a good view too: at 1st contact (12.44) I was in the sports hall at school, so I couldn't watch it, but by the maximum contact (13.57) I was
at home, so got it (with my sun glasses on B) ).
And then, I didn't watch the 4th contact (15.09), 'cause my eyes were aching. :blink:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 30, 2006, 03:35:52 pm: Quote
I DO have a clear sky (it has been like that for almost a week now) :D.... but there's a "minor" problem... I cannot see the eclipse from here :(.
Nice to see you enjoyed it Luth (I must add that was a nice repport :)).
[snapback]7984[/snapback]

Sorry to hear it Aluqak... and thanks for eating the clouds in the best moment!!! :P

Ely: which type of sun glasses did you use? normal ones? :afraid1: Good you could see the eclypse though! :P
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 30, 2006, 04:15:52 pm: Yep, I used normal sun glasses, but pretty stong ones, though (still, no skiing type :D). I know, Markus' gonna kill me!
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 30, 2006, 04:40:23 pm: Quote
Yep, I used normal sun glasses, but pretty stong ones, though (still, no skiing type :D). I know, Markus' gonna kill me!
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He will... and me too!!! :ph34r:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 30, 2006, 09:41:55 pm: Hi folks,

to make it short: Despite a cirrus layer (thin, high clouds) we could observe totality very well. PURE MAGIC! Beyond all words... But I'll give you a report in the days to come, anyway, and link to a couple of pics made at our observation site.

Luth, I enjoyed your report very much - thanks for sharing! And Liv, I'm really gonna kill you tomorrow. As if I hadn't told you!

Cheers for now!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 31, 2006, 11:39:35 am: Hi there,

before I write down my report I have to kill Liv as promised: Girl, what the hell have you done?! Haven't I told you clearly enough that you needed special eclipse viewing glasses? How could you believe that normal sunglasses would offer you any protection?!

You've been very lucky that your eyes hurt! The destruction of your eyes by bright light can go quite painlessly, and the destruction process continues for several hours after the exposure. You look into the sun at noon, and in the evening your eyes are still getting burnt from within, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. You've been very lucky that you stopped your foolish attempt instead of doing any more damage.

Why didn't you listen to me? Did it seem like I didn't know what I was talking about? Did you get the impression I tend to exaggerate with the warnings? Haven't you heard that after every eclipse some ignorants go at least partially blind because they didn't hear or heed the warnings? If your optician didn't get you those special glasses - and I want to assume that you at least tried to get some - why didn't you ask me for alternatives?

Sorry for the harsh words, but you've been really irresponsible. Let's just hope you don't have any permanent eye damage. But never ever do that again! Promise?

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: ViruS on March 31, 2006, 12:20:43 pm: :ph34r: /me hides from Markus .. same thing without the glasses but for a short time after that special glasses hahha nice indeed the eclipse
Heyy don't kill sheepy :wub: no fresh grass for 1 week that's a punishment :evil:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 31, 2006, 01:29:51 pm: *sigh*

I know that was very fool of me, but I didn't watch the eclipse for long, just a bit, at max contact (ever worse, right?). I could't miss it! Thought of the sun glasses as a very low alternative option, because watching it without any protection at all would have been straight stupid (it was, anyway)

It's not an easy job to get eclipse lenses around here: in August '99 you could find them everywhere, because the corridor went straight through Romania, but otherwise, nobody cared.

You were very serious about your warning, and don't appologise about harsh words, I deserve those :P

*asks sorry and promises not to do something simillar again*
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 31, 2006, 01:32:41 pm: There's no punishment, Virus, just consequences! You have both put your eyesight at peril although you knew better. That's bad enough, isn't it?

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 31, 2006, 01:36:12 pm: It is... at least, I knew what the consequesces are, so it's even more stupid out of me.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 31, 2006, 01:38:23 pm: Hi Liv,

no, it wasn't extra-bad to watch at maximum eclipse. It's not the eclipse that makes the whole thing dangerous - during totality, at the greatest eclipse possible, you can even watch without any filters. But ONLY during totality. As long as a part of the sun is not eclipsed yet, it can burn your eyes badly.

Say, is your eyesight still alright or do you have any problems? I really hope you've both been lucky!

You should have just asked me. I could have told you about alternatives or could have sent you a pair of special glasses as a last resort.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 31, 2006, 01:40:39 pm: Mmmhhh.... enough of that unpleasant part, alright? But I do have your promise that you'll be more careful next time!

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on March 31, 2006, 01:47:00 pm: I've got no other problems besides my usual ones (glasses and tired eyes out of school). I'll get a control in a few weeks anyway :P (I KNOW, I should go get that control right now!)

Edit: The next solar eclipse visible from Romania's gonna be in about 83 years. Hopefully, I'll get to travel to view elipses in other countries :D
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on March 31, 2006, 02:13:46 pm: Hi folks,

there is so much to tell about my journey, even though it was only four days including the travel to Konya and back. We made an expedition to the incredible landscape of Cappadocia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia). (See the German wikipedia entry (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappadokien) for more pics.) But I'll concentrate on the eclipse here.

This is the very first report I write. I haven't looked at any pictures yet in order to make sure that my own memory can settle first. I haven't even listened to my own tape recordings yet, so the following is purely what I remember now.

We went to a place about 60 kilometres from Konya, Turkey, with a group of about 100 people. It was a very lonely site near the central line of the eclipse. A landscape of dry, rocky hills without any trees or bushes, just some sparse vegetation between the stones. The shadow of the moon was due to come in from the Southwest, and that's approximately where the sun was standing during totality, too. A few kilometres to the Northeast - "behind" us - was a larger village with the mandatory mosque.

We arrived a few hours before first contact and had enough time to set up our equipment. I only had a small and simple telescope and a pair of binoculars with me, but I was quite excited anyway - due to the plane travel I had had to disassemble it completely for the first time. All went fine, though, so I had enough time until first contact and could help Alexander a little - a great eclipse friend of mine with whom I had been to Zambia five years ago and who observed right next to me. The other observer in my vicinity was Bernhard, Alexander's cousin. We had enough space for ourselves; perhaps because I really had put up warning signs around us. :evil:

As I went down the hill to get our lunch packets a flock of sheep went by, followed by the shepherd and his donkey. Too bad I didn't have my camera with me at that moment - the sheep in front of those telescopes would have been a great image! I lost track of the herd later, but another observer told me they had huddled together for totality.

As first contact approached I looked at the sun through my telescope at a magnification of 56, which shows the sun completely filling the field of view. As soon as I saw the tiny dent made by the moon I shouted "Contact!". Apparently I was the first to see the moon because the others went "Really? Where?" and then, one by one, "Yeah, I see it, there it is!". A few seconds after the sighting in the telescope I could recognize the moon with the binoculars, too, then finally by the naked eye.

The weather was a problem. There was a clearer patch to the Southwest, but above us there were thin cirrus clouds. We didn't know what they would do - move away, dissolve, strengthen - so we stayed where we were and hoped for the best.

Through my telescope I could see three small sunspots which were invisible to smaller devices. They were near the solar limb and would be covered by the moon just before totality.

The first partial phase of a total solar eclipse is always dominated by mounting excitement. I made some souvenir photos of people with their equipment. A few people asked me to look through my scope, and I helped them with that. Bernhard gave an interview to a local TV station, and they just loved him because he spoke a few words of Turkish and said very, very friendly things about the country. Behind us, some of the observer still took it all very easily, joking and laughing.

About half an hour before totality I put up an eye patch. This is a trick to make sure that at least one eye is adapted to darkness when totality comes. I've used it with great success in Zambia 2001 and wanted to do it again.

The cloud pattern virtually didn't change during all that time. It was clear that we would have to observe totality through the cirrus layer. That meant we would lose a lot of corona, but we would see something of the black sun in any case - it really didn't look like any thicker clouds would still appear.

I looked out for subtle changes in the environment. Well yes, it was clearly cooler and the light was diminished. But it was hard to tell how much of that was due to the clouds and how much due to the eclipse. However, with a few minutes to totality there was no doubt anymore: The landscape was in a dull kind of twilight which got darker by the minute. The sun was a very aesthetic thin crescent in the sky - blazingly bright, but too small to illuminate the land properly. The tension was almost tangible - even the jokers behind us had gone almost silent now. The only sounds people made were sounds of tense expectation and astonishment, and it got darker and darker around us by the second.

With trembling hands I turned to observe the last crescent through the telescope. As I looked up once more the Southwestern sky was yet darkening. Knowing what else to look for I turned around and yes, in the Northeastern sky there lay an eerie and gloomy yellow light. I pointed that out to the others and returned to the telescope.

The solar crescent was rapidly vanishing. I tore off the solar filter: The final Baily's beads were shrinking away as the last sunrays reached me through some lunar valleys, and thus began totality. Also, a bright pinkish-red hem was visible, the famous chromosphere of the sun. I began to scream my head off as I saw one cloud of the same colur floating above the solar limb and then even a second one - prominences! They were beautiful, of delicate, complex structure, and at least one was detached. I shouted my observations at the world in general; I hoped to get them on my tape recorder and hoped to help the others to watch out for these phenomena if they hadn't found them themselves yet.

The chromosphere vanished within seconds as the moon progressed in its orbit and covered that outer layer of the sun, too.

I left the telescope and looked at the sun - at the black sun! The corona was smaller and showed less detail than in Zambia, but that was to be expected due to the clouds. Still it was immensely beautiful! There was a very bright ring around the black disk of the new moon, and weaker rays extended into the sky. I took off the eye patch and looked again, and really: With the dark-adapted eye I could see a little more of the corona. I could recognise the typical shape of the corona at a minimum of solar activity. There were fine but short streams near the solar poles, and the corona extended further into space near the solar equator. I even saw one or two darker rays in the equator region, so I recognised streams there, too.

The other observers had virtually disappeared for me. In the beginning I had still heard Alexander cheering. Later I heard someone mention that the lights had gone on in the village behind us, so I turned around and saw it with its lamps on in that untimely dusk. Someone pointed out Venus just above the Western horizon, and there it was: Right beneath the cloud layer, blazingly bright in the "all-around-sunset". While the skies above looked grey instead of deep blue due to the clouds, the horizon had taken on bright and vivid colours of orange and yellow, just as if the sun had set everywhere around us, not just to the West.

I looked up at the black sun again, still amazed by the brightness of that innermost corona. The lunar disk didn't look as black as it had under the clear skies in Zambia. The clouds must have scattered the coronal light, thus brightening up the disk.

As I looked at the black sun through my binoculars two more prominences appeared on the Western limb. I shouted that out, too, and put the binoculars away. The prominences were so huge that they could easily be seen by the naked eye. Following them, the chromosphere appeared again. It was so much thicker than I had expected, a massive and growing hem over about one quarter of the lunar limb. Beautiful as it was, it also heralded the end of totality. I looked down to protect my eyes from the first ray of sunlight shooting through some lunar valley. The crowd cheered up again and started to applause, while I just stood there with my arms up high, the palms stretched out to the sun as a final greeting. At the same time it got brighter by the second all around us, and the hills behind us brightened up as well as the lunar shadow receded from our site.

You can imagine the following minutes: Enthusiastic cheering. Laughter. Embraces. Tears. Alexander and I hugged each other very hard. We jumped around with joy, lost balance and rolled over the ground. :lol3: A short while later I fell very silent with watering eyes.

I embraced those that I knew at least little from the past few days and talked to some of the other observers. It was especially impressive to hear those that had had their first glance of the black sun. One of our tour organizers had tears in here eyes, too, and I caught the other organizer, who is said to smoke hardly ever at all, with a "cigarette after". They all confirmed what Adalbert Stifter had written down in 1842 and what many others had said after him, including myself: You can read as many eclipse reports and nowadays view as many pictures as videos as you like, but nothing can prepare you for totality. You really must experience it to believe.

The rest is quickly told. Many took down their equipment and went to the busses even during the second partial phase, as the moon was still hiding a part of the sun. The more serious observers waited with that - among them Alexander, Bernhard and myself, of course. We watched the moon leaving the sun completely, observed right through to the fourth contact, to the end of the eclipse.

Oh well, and although time was very limited all during that journey we celebrated the success with a good long dinner, some wine and some more talk with coffee and Raki in the bar. That also meant good-bye because I'd have to leave very early the following morning.

Now we're all thinking about how to reach the next one! :)

Please be patient about the pics. I haven't taken any pictures of the eclipse itself, and the photos of the people and the equipment aren't digital. I'll give you links to the sites of the others where they publish their pics as soon as possible.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on March 31, 2006, 04:11:57 pm: Woooow Markus, what a LOOOONG and BEAAAAUTIFUL report! It is clear that you still have the memory very recent, as you wrote all the emotions like if you were still living them in the moment of the writting. I almost felt your joy when the black sun appeared! Really amazing report, thanks a lot for it :bawling: <<<<< emotion crying.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on March 31, 2006, 08:41:48 pm: Hey Man!
Thanks for that great repport. It was a real pleasure to read. I'd like to be there... but hey! there will be others eclipses!
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Sirius13 on March 31, 2006, 09:55:00 pm: Markus, what a fantastic report - it makes a fascinating read! :)

Sounds like you had a great experience, and I just know that you're gonna be getting some more of that the next time you can!! :D
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on April 03, 2006, 09:05:13 am: Hi folks,

I'm surprised that anyone has read that monster of a report at all. :lol3: Thanks for the friendly words!

The first few images are online. Right now you can find two small pics of the black sun and one of the surroundings here (http://www.kernschatten.info/home.htm), on Alexander's home page. On the landscape photo he is the guy in the middle, while I'm seen to the right. We have no idea yet who's on the left...

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on April 03, 2006, 10:48:05 am: As you can see, we did read it and did like it, so don't complain, Markus ;)
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on April 03, 2006, 05:42:15 pm: Hi there,

I'm not complaining, Liv, to te contrary: I'm pleasantly surprised. :)

BTW, there are more pics from our site available. I just learned that I happen to be in the background of the photos that a certain Dave Balch from L.A. took on our site. You find his report with the photos here (http://www.cancerfortwo.com/EclipseStuff/). I'm the guy with the straw hat and his back to the camera on this one (http://www.cancerfortwo.com/EclipseStuff/P3290007.JPG).

Another pic shows our eclipse sheep. :D

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on April 03, 2006, 07:22:26 pm: Sheep! Beeehehehehe! :lol:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Aluqak on April 03, 2006, 07:50:52 pm: Quote
I just learned that I happen to be in the background of the photos that a certain Dave Balch from L.A. took on our site. I'm the guy with the straw hat and his back to the camera.
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Nice pic Markus, you look .... :unsure: ... backwards.

Quote
Another pic shows our eclipse sheep. :D
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Getting hungry :iconmi77kl:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Luth on April 03, 2006, 09:28:56 pm: Ey Markus, is this hat the same one than in Africa pic? Do you need some new hat for next jouney? :P
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on April 03, 2006, 10:17:40 pm: The very same, Luth. :) That's my eclipse hat; I only wear it during eclipses or at least on eclipse journeys.

Cheers!

Markus
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on April 04, 2006, 12:11:25 pm: Eclipse hat? :blink: Is something special about it, does it push clouds away? :blink:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Sirius13 on April 04, 2006, 05:00:27 pm: Quote
Eclipse hat? :blink: Is something special about it, does it push clouds away? :blink:
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Didn't you know?! :huh:

The reason the eclipse was where Markus was is because the sun actually follows his hat! It's true.
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on April 04, 2006, 06:37:19 pm: I'm more inclined to believe that Markus' hat follows the Sun eclipses, but I'll have to trust you... :huh:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Sirius13 on April 04, 2006, 07:01:02 pm: Quote
I'm more inclined to believe that Markus' hat follows the Sun eclipses, but I'll have to trust you... :huh:
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have you ever known me to make stuff up?! -_-

Last summer I was presented with a crystal decanter by Sir Richard Branson, to commend me on how truthful and trustworthy my facts are, you know. You can check that on his website.

:unsure:

*trusts no-one will bother to look*
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Elizabeth on April 04, 2006, 07:07:06 pm: Quote
have you ever known me to make stuff up?! -_-
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Yes. :nanana:
Title: Lepaca Draconis Dies
Post by: Markus on April 04, 2006, 08:03:43 pm: Umm... yes, the hat follows the eclipse, not the other way around. More exactly the hat gets attached to my head when I follow the eclipse, and that has two reasons: During an eclipse you stand in the sun for several hours, and most of that time the sun is still strong. So it's good to have some protection on your head. The other reason is that you can project small images of the partially eclipsed sun through any kind of small holes, and wearing a straw hat you have a few dozen of holes with you. :lol3:

Cheers!

Markus