15 January 2010 Annular Solar Eclipse - a trip full of changes
It looked it would be an easy trip. Just a week off, a cheap package tour, hotel half board and flights to Kerala, India. It could not be easier. We had a big trip booked for July and wanted to keep this as simple as possible.
Prior we left the country, the tour operator cancelled their chartered flights and we were obliged to book our own scheduled flights. Not a problem as we do normally anyway. It means we changed departure airport. But after a short while we also had to change the return dates. We also had to arrange our own transport from the destination airport to the hotel. And if the changes were not enough of this “package tour” we also had to change hotels just a week before we left. Meaning we had to change and reorganise the local transport. Was this still a package tour? At the end it was half the distance from the airport and the hotel looked less touristic, though a bit more basic.
Originally we had the intension to observe the annular eclipse form the northern edge. When our good friend Derryl Barr could not make it to join us for this trip, we were not too fused to go to the edge or stay around the hotel where annularity would be about 8 minutes. But a week prior we left we got messages from the international occultation association that our presence on the northern edge would be helpful, considering their stations all over the eclipse track.
The GPS we had for nearly 20 years seemed to fail reception coverage at home and it looked we had to give it an honourable funeral. GPS positioning was still possible with blackberry phone, as well as time keep via the internet. The plan would work. Filming position and time prior the continuous shot and record again before we end the footage. With these data IOTA would be happy to get our measurements and valid to contribute to determine the diameter of the sun. Excellent.
Our current equipment was the Sony 25x video camera but as stand alone on a tripod and separate one of our C90 telescope for visual observation. We had the intension, for fun and composite photo after, to make a shot every 10 minutes of the whole eclipse, before and after annularity every 5 minutes and before second contact continuous filming until third contact was over. Via the internet and some calculations I had exact lunar profiles, timings and positions. Via Google Earth and the calculations we choose some positions on the northern edge, so we were exact at the edge, but just not too far to miss the entire annularity. A bit risky, but we had to rely on the calculations and the accuracy of the Google Earth. The blackberry GPS should guide us to the exact spot. Quite exciting preparations and we took all data and printouts to support.
Although the basic hotel, it was a wonderful spot. Beautiful place, quiet and peaceful and so friendly and helpful people all round us. The position was latitude 8.395918 or 08 23 45.3048 north and longitude 76.973047 or 76 58 22.9692 south. First contact would be at 05h34m47s with sun altitude 54. Second contact at 07h40m12s at altitude 59. Maximum at 07h44m11s, Third contact at 07h48m09s at altitude 58. Forth contact at 09h35m18s. Local times (with 5.5 hours difference) would be I 11h04m, II 13h10m, III 13h18m and IV 15h05m.
So far so good. But … no coverage on the blackberry, no internet. That would not work to have accurate timings. The video timings never would be accurate enough. But also the risk of finding the exact location without GPS support. We did not want to be too far north and miss the entire annularity (and see a partial only). Or we did not go through the efforts and have annularity but not on the edge. We noticed that the roads are bit of a “mess” and it would be an impossible task to relocate positioning once we would be back home. A German colleague texted (phone coverage was OK) that Google map was not correct and had to change plans for positions as well. So we decided to stay at the hotel and checked possibilities. The roof of the hotel was ideal and that was the place to be for an 8 minutes annular eclipse.
Coming from a place where it was the last week minus 11 degrees, we were boiling and it was blue sky all day with temperature at about 34 degrees. Two days before the eclipse we had rain, thunder and lightning in the afternoon. Oh dear. But is stayed well and we had a perfect blue sky. Most of the time, in the east some lower small clouds. But no treats. Our roof observation was ideal and we could observe the entire event from beginning to end, total about 4 hours, without moving our position.
Jo handed out eclipse glasses (we still had from Rainbow Symphony sponsoring at eclipse conferences) to the locals and the tourists in the hotel. Press coverage was small. A single article a few days before and another the morning of the eclipse. That was about it. Major coverage was more for some other locations in Kerala, as the capital Trivandrum, and the very southern tip where it would be a little longer annularity. At least hassle from the press.
We started filming at 11h00m local time and to capture first contact we filmed until 11h05m (5mins) with I at 11h04m47s. We the aid of de C90 telescope we could see first contact was at calculated. So we shot a 30 seconds film every 10 minutes. There was some clouds low on the horizon at 11h25m. But the sky was still clear. At 11h45m we could, with hand and fingers, make crescents, so with the crocks and with Jo’s hat. It appeared some more small clouds at the east horizon at 11h55m. Far form the sun and not disturbing at all. At 12h0m there was a tiny small cloud under sun. At 12h07m there was a sudden wind and a tiny transparent small cloud over sun, only partly. It was one little breeze. It felt not as warm at 12h12m and at 12h20m the top clouds were gone. It was getting darker at 12h22m.
It was 12h25m and the bigger group sun spot start started to be occulted – it touched. It was still clear. At 12h27m one part of sun spot was gone. It was colder and darker and there were plenty of crescents of the palm trees. At 12h32m the last part of the sunspot group was gone. Some birds were on edge of the wall on the hotel roof at b12h33m but …it was a clear sky!!! At 12h41m birds were “floating over” and around the palm trees. It was darker. At 12h44m the heat is gone out, and behind us, the sky is darker blue. At 12h48m butterflies are flying around on and over the roof and ants are crossing around on the concrete roof floor.
It is 12h52m and it shows funny fuzzy shadows and at 12h55m the sun crescent now shows the shape of a “C”. It is 12h58m and darker. Wish we brought are light meter. At 12h59m the tourists at pool are all using our eclipse glasses. At 13h03 the crescents are all over, at the pool, on the umbrellas, etc. From 13h05 we continued filming until 13h25.
With hand over the sun, very careful and quick, blocking off a part, the corona is visible. At
13h09 the edges of crescent sun are broken. Annularity 13h10m12s. It goes quick and broken edges to complete! It is mid annularity at 13h14m but not as dark as anticipated. It is still magnitude 91 (percent). All tourists all looking at pool, we could see alone on the roof of the hotel. Oh … a cloud over sun - very thin and not even visible in C90, through the solar filters. It is 13h16m and there were never shadow bands visible. At 13h18m annularity breaking up, very quick. The end of annularity at 13h18m09s. So theoretic an annularity duration of 07m57s.
At 13h19m the annularity is completely dissolved. The birds are still noisy in the trees. It did not change anything with them. At 13h25m finished we finished annularity filming and the hotel owner Sanyl came to talk and said that on TV they said it was complete dark in the south. Something we could not believe because the magnitude was all over 91%. But with clouds it could have been possible. For us, although looking for, no stars or planets, no shadow bands, no shouting, no noise or firework, no notice of eclipse happening as what we learner from Sanyl, the "Hindi stayed in". The drop temperature for sure was more then 5 degrees on the hot concrete.
From now we had a shot of the film again per 5 minutes and after per 10 minutes. It was clear, not a cloud. At 13h32m the sunspot was back visible at the top and at 13h35m the crescents were still visible on top of the pool umbrellas. At 13h40m it was back warmer now. And at 13h42m the larger spot was nearly back. At 13h44m Sanyl, our visitor back gone and the large sun spot was completely back. It was getting hot again at 13h55m and at 14h05m it was really hot now!!! The sun was getting (back) lower in altitude at 14h15m, but it was hot hot hot. It was still clear sky all the time!!! And at 14h45m there was a little cloud at sun. Our last film shot was to capture fourth contact and it was from 15h02m and until 15h06m. The moon was gone at 15h05m and further. Theoretical it was 15h05m18s. We filmed in total 43 minutes.
Besides the Sony video camera we used as well a Sony digital camera for shots and the blackberry for photos. It was all over and we had a perfect successful annular eclipse. Later that evening we saw footage of the eclipse and various TV channels. We also learned some locals buried some disabled children in the ground, head up only, with the hope they would get better caused by the eclipse. We remained still a few days in the hotel returned home with some delays. At least the snow was gone. We also learned that the majority had visible clouds all over the path. We had been lucky again. Up to the next one in July.
It looked it would be an easy trip. Just a week off, a cheap package tour, hotel half board and flights to Kerala, India. It could not be easier. We had a big trip booked for July and wanted to keep this as simple as possible.
Prior we left the country, the tour operator cancelled their chartered flights and we were obliged to book our own scheduled flights. Not a problem as we do normally anyway. It means we changed departure airport. But after a short while we also had to change the return dates. We also had to arrange our own transport from the destination airport to the hotel. And if the changes were not enough of this “package tour” we also had to change hotels just a week before we left. Meaning we had to change and reorganise the local transport. Was this still a package tour? At the end it was half the distance from the airport and the hotel looked less touristic, though a bit more basic.
Originally we had the intension to observe the annular eclipse form the northern edge. When our good friend Derryl Barr could not make it to join us for this trip, we were not too fused to go to the edge or stay around the hotel where annularity would be about 8 minutes. But a week prior we left we got messages from the international occultation association that our presence on the northern edge would be helpful, considering their stations all over the eclipse track.
The GPS we had for nearly 20 years seemed to fail reception coverage at home and it looked we had to give it an honourable funeral. GPS positioning was still possible with blackberry phone, as well as time keep via the internet. The plan would work. Filming position and time prior the continuous shot and record again before we end the footage. With these data IOTA would be happy to get our measurements and valid to contribute to determine the diameter of the sun. Excellent.
Our current equipment was the Sony 25x video camera but as stand alone on a tripod and separate one of our C90 telescope for visual observation. We had the intension, for fun and composite photo after, to make a shot every 10 minutes of the whole eclipse, before and after annularity every 5 minutes and before second contact continuous filming until third contact was over. Via the internet and some calculations I had exact lunar profiles, timings and positions. Via Google Earth and the calculations we choose some positions on the northern edge, so we were exact at the edge, but just not too far to miss the entire annularity. A bit risky, but we had to rely on the calculations and the accuracy of the Google Earth. The blackberry GPS should guide us to the exact spot. Quite exciting preparations and we took all data and printouts to support.
Although the basic hotel, it was a wonderful spot. Beautiful place, quiet and peaceful and so friendly and helpful people all round us. The position was latitude 8.395918 or 08 23 45.3048 north and longitude 76.973047 or 76 58 22.9692 south. First contact would be at 05h34m47s with sun altitude 54. Second contact at 07h40m12s at altitude 59. Maximum at 07h44m11s, Third contact at 07h48m09s at altitude 58. Forth contact at 09h35m18s. Local times (with 5.5 hours difference) would be I 11h04m, II 13h10m, III 13h18m and IV 15h05m.
So far so good. But … no coverage on the blackberry, no internet. That would not work to have accurate timings. The video timings never would be accurate enough. But also the risk of finding the exact location without GPS support. We did not want to be too far north and miss the entire annularity (and see a partial only). Or we did not go through the efforts and have annularity but not on the edge. We noticed that the roads are bit of a “mess” and it would be an impossible task to relocate positioning once we would be back home. A German colleague texted (phone coverage was OK) that Google map was not correct and had to change plans for positions as well. So we decided to stay at the hotel and checked possibilities. The roof of the hotel was ideal and that was the place to be for an 8 minutes annular eclipse.
Coming from a place where it was the last week minus 11 degrees, we were boiling and it was blue sky all day with temperature at about 34 degrees. Two days before the eclipse we had rain, thunder and lightning in the afternoon. Oh dear. But is stayed well and we had a perfect blue sky. Most of the time, in the east some lower small clouds. But no treats. Our roof observation was ideal and we could observe the entire event from beginning to end, total about 4 hours, without moving our position.
Jo handed out eclipse glasses (we still had from Rainbow Symphony sponsoring at eclipse conferences) to the locals and the tourists in the hotel. Press coverage was small. A single article a few days before and another the morning of the eclipse. That was about it. Major coverage was more for some other locations in Kerala, as the capital Trivandrum, and the very southern tip where it would be a little longer annularity. At least hassle from the press.
We started filming at 11h00m local time and to capture first contact we filmed until 11h05m (5mins) with I at 11h04m47s. We the aid of de C90 telescope we could see first contact was at calculated. So we shot a 30 seconds film every 10 minutes. There was some clouds low on the horizon at 11h25m. But the sky was still clear. At 11h45m we could, with hand and fingers, make crescents, so with the crocks and with Jo’s hat. It appeared some more small clouds at the east horizon at 11h55m. Far form the sun and not disturbing at all. At 12h0m there was a tiny small cloud under sun. At 12h07m there was a sudden wind and a tiny transparent small cloud over sun, only partly. It was one little breeze. It felt not as warm at 12h12m and at 12h20m the top clouds were gone. It was getting darker at 12h22m.
It was 12h25m and the bigger group sun spot start started to be occulted – it touched. It was still clear. At 12h27m one part of sun spot was gone. It was colder and darker and there were plenty of crescents of the palm trees. At 12h32m the last part of the sunspot group was gone. Some birds were on edge of the wall on the hotel roof at b12h33m but …it was a clear sky!!! At 12h41m birds were “floating over” and around the palm trees. It was darker. At 12h44m the heat is gone out, and behind us, the sky is darker blue. At 12h48m butterflies are flying around on and over the roof and ants are crossing around on the concrete roof floor.
It is 12h52m and it shows funny fuzzy shadows and at 12h55m the sun crescent now shows the shape of a “C”. It is 12h58m and darker. Wish we brought are light meter. At 12h59m the tourists at pool are all using our eclipse glasses. At 13h03 the crescents are all over, at the pool, on the umbrellas, etc. From 13h05 we continued filming until 13h25.
With hand over the sun, very careful and quick, blocking off a part, the corona is visible. At
13h09 the edges of crescent sun are broken. Annularity 13h10m12s. It goes quick and broken edges to complete! It is mid annularity at 13h14m but not as dark as anticipated. It is still magnitude 91 (percent). All tourists all looking at pool, we could see alone on the roof of the hotel. Oh … a cloud over sun - very thin and not even visible in C90, through the solar filters. It is 13h16m and there were never shadow bands visible. At 13h18m annularity breaking up, very quick. The end of annularity at 13h18m09s. So theoretic an annularity duration of 07m57s.
At 13h19m the annularity is completely dissolved. The birds are still noisy in the trees. It did not change anything with them. At 13h25m finished we finished annularity filming and the hotel owner Sanyl came to talk and said that on TV they said it was complete dark in the south. Something we could not believe because the magnitude was all over 91%. But with clouds it could have been possible. For us, although looking for, no stars or planets, no shadow bands, no shouting, no noise or firework, no notice of eclipse happening as what we learner from Sanyl, the "Hindi stayed in". The drop temperature for sure was more then 5 degrees on the hot concrete.
From now we had a shot of the film again per 5 minutes and after per 10 minutes. It was clear, not a cloud. At 13h32m the sunspot was back visible at the top and at 13h35m the crescents were still visible on top of the pool umbrellas. At 13h40m it was back warmer now. And at 13h42m the larger spot was nearly back. At 13h44m Sanyl, our visitor back gone and the large sun spot was completely back. It was getting hot again at 13h55m and at 14h05m it was really hot now!!! The sun was getting (back) lower in altitude at 14h15m, but it was hot hot hot. It was still clear sky all the time!!! And at 14h45m there was a little cloud at sun. Our last film shot was to capture fourth contact and it was from 15h02m and until 15h06m. The moon was gone at 15h05m and further. Theoretical it was 15h05m18s. We filmed in total 43 minutes.
Besides the Sony video camera we used as well a Sony digital camera for shots and the blackberry for photos. It was all over and we had a perfect successful annular eclipse. Later that evening we saw footage of the eclipse and various TV channels. We also learned some locals buried some disabled children in the ground, head up only, with the hope they would get better caused by the eclipse. We remained still a few days in the hotel returned home with some delays. At least the snow was gone. We also learned that the majority had visible clouds all over the path. We had been lucky again. Up to the next one in July.