Total Solar Eclipse of 20 March 2015 in Svalbard - Aventdalen
It has been an amazing trip... Joanne and I travelled to Svalbard, the most northern settlement about 800 miles from the North Pole. Besides Faroe Islands and Svalbard, we choose the latter to observe the total solar eclipse of 20 March 2015. Map Michael Zeiler.
Preparation started more than 2 years ago. Despite the majority of the Svalbard accommodation was taken by the larger eclipse tour operators, Jo found two rooms. Being in Svalbard in 1993 for a partial solar eclipse, I knew there is a not a lot to find in terms of accommodation. We had two double rooms in one of the old Coalminers barracks transformed into accommodation, called Guesthuset 102. All other accommodation was booked more than five years in advance by the major eclipse chasing organisations. We offered the other room to our dear friend Derryl Barr who shared with his friend Johnny Duran.
It has been an amazing trip... Joanne and I travelled to Svalbard, the most northern settlement about 800 miles from the North Pole. Besides Faroe Islands and Svalbard, we choose the latter to observe the total solar eclipse of 20 March 2015. Map Michael Zeiler.
Preparation started more than 2 years ago. Despite the majority of the Svalbard accommodation was taken by the larger eclipse tour operators, Jo found two rooms. Being in Svalbard in 1993 for a partial solar eclipse, I knew there is a not a lot to find in terms of accommodation. We had two double rooms in one of the old Coalminers barracks transformed into accommodation, called Guesthuset 102. All other accommodation was booked more than five years in advance by the major eclipse chasing organisations. We offered the other room to our dear friend Derryl Barr who shared with his friend Johnny Duran.
Our flights we fixed about 11 months ago and we secured a weeks stay. March is still pretty cold in Svalbard. Temperatures can go down below minus 30 degrees Celsius. So we were geared up to the extremes as we have to concur at least a few hours of extreme cold during an eclipse period of 2 and half hours. No shelter, just in the middle of nowhere. We would have a 2 minutes 27 seconds totality where the Sun is completely covered by the Moon and complete darkness occurred in this permafrost ice and snow region.
We had a few days to "acclimate" and thought we could get used to the cold. Dog sledging day before the eclipse for about four hours and besides cameras and equipment, also out cheeks, fingers and feet got so frozen and stiff it was painful. So, we used extra layers for eclipse day! No telescopes and expensive cameras for this eclipse. Power will die instantly, lens focusing failures and lens frost once you are in the "sticks". Not to mention our fingers or hands ...
Hired a private taxi and a private polar bear guard (Katja) as we selected our solar eclipse observation place where no mountains obscured the low altitude sun and which was out of protected zone. Once out of Svalbard settlement, due to the polar bears, everyone is obliged to carry a gun or rifle. Even during our stay, a Czech hiker was attacked and the polar bear had to be shot.
Eclipse day and first contact would be at 10h11m local time. Although it was completely clouded out at 5h in the morning, the sky opened and it completely cleared even well before eclipse time. The taxi driver told us that a lot of eclipse chasers have been around and he described them "as penguins", standing in ice or snow and watching. We felt safe having the guard with riffle and could observe the eclipse entirely under ideal clear sky conditions.
The sky was clear blue and crisp. A "sun dog", a small rainbow at 22 degrees at the right appeared, than a circumzenethal arc on top. Wow!!! Perfect sky. The partial phase moving along and it became darker. Crescents when we crossed fingers over the long shadows. The shadows long and fuzzy. The sun altitude only about 10 degrees. We could feel the temperature drop. Johnny measured to minus 25 degrees Celsius. But the data of the programmed sensors I had for humidity and temperature had to be analysed and downloaded once home. The sensors gave a drop of nearly 6.5 degrees, down to -22 deg Celsius, while the humidity increased nearly 20%.
Coldest temperature being -22.1 degrees Celsius about 13 minutes after total solar eclipse maximum. Humidity increase nearly 20%, being 74.1% and about 15 minutes after solar eclipse maximum. Graphs to follow ...
Just before totality, shadow bands, very obvious and clear in the snow and ice surface in front of us. Amazing! I started a wide field camera to run for filming the eclipse and surroundings. Once home I could see what's on as I never used before but at least it could withstand he lower temperatures. Venus was constantly in the footage and so could the shadow bands be noticed. Corona overexposed though but the surroundings where very good! Another small pocket camera, which I held inside all the layers on my body for some general shots and as well some footage.
The Baily's beads and immediately the chromosphere and the corona. Beautiful prominent streamers in the corona, very asymmetric, so white, so crisp. Wow!!! This was a beauty! The sky still cloudless and perfect for eclipse observing and the sun altitude so low that it seemed to be enlarged to view at! Some large prominences where visible and the planet Venus far to the left.
But the 2 and half minutes were over so quickly. The chromosphere, Baily's beads and a beautiful diamond ring appeared and the show was over! We observed once again beautiful shadow bands on the white surface and the partial phase and the solar eclipse was finished at 12h12 local time. Feet half frozen, exited but tired and our transport which we arranged did not turn up. At least our polar bear guard was constantly with us to protect us from any predictor. So with an extra half delay we could get back to the settlement to warm up and have ... drinks!!!
Although seen many solar eclipses before, this was the most beautiful and extreme total solar eclipse. No pictures and no photos or footage will and can describe! Below just an extract of some pictures. Measurements and footage of landscape and shadow bands still to follow.
We had a few days to "acclimate" and thought we could get used to the cold. Dog sledging day before the eclipse for about four hours and besides cameras and equipment, also out cheeks, fingers and feet got so frozen and stiff it was painful. So, we used extra layers for eclipse day! No telescopes and expensive cameras for this eclipse. Power will die instantly, lens focusing failures and lens frost once you are in the "sticks". Not to mention our fingers or hands ...
Hired a private taxi and a private polar bear guard (Katja) as we selected our solar eclipse observation place where no mountains obscured the low altitude sun and which was out of protected zone. Once out of Svalbard settlement, due to the polar bears, everyone is obliged to carry a gun or rifle. Even during our stay, a Czech hiker was attacked and the polar bear had to be shot.
Eclipse day and first contact would be at 10h11m local time. Although it was completely clouded out at 5h in the morning, the sky opened and it completely cleared even well before eclipse time. The taxi driver told us that a lot of eclipse chasers have been around and he described them "as penguins", standing in ice or snow and watching. We felt safe having the guard with riffle and could observe the eclipse entirely under ideal clear sky conditions.
The sky was clear blue and crisp. A "sun dog", a small rainbow at 22 degrees at the right appeared, than a circumzenethal arc on top. Wow!!! Perfect sky. The partial phase moving along and it became darker. Crescents when we crossed fingers over the long shadows. The shadows long and fuzzy. The sun altitude only about 10 degrees. We could feel the temperature drop. Johnny measured to minus 25 degrees Celsius. But the data of the programmed sensors I had for humidity and temperature had to be analysed and downloaded once home. The sensors gave a drop of nearly 6.5 degrees, down to -22 deg Celsius, while the humidity increased nearly 20%.
Coldest temperature being -22.1 degrees Celsius about 13 minutes after total solar eclipse maximum. Humidity increase nearly 20%, being 74.1% and about 15 minutes after solar eclipse maximum. Graphs to follow ...
Just before totality, shadow bands, very obvious and clear in the snow and ice surface in front of us. Amazing! I started a wide field camera to run for filming the eclipse and surroundings. Once home I could see what's on as I never used before but at least it could withstand he lower temperatures. Venus was constantly in the footage and so could the shadow bands be noticed. Corona overexposed though but the surroundings where very good! Another small pocket camera, which I held inside all the layers on my body for some general shots and as well some footage.
The Baily's beads and immediately the chromosphere and the corona. Beautiful prominent streamers in the corona, very asymmetric, so white, so crisp. Wow!!! This was a beauty! The sky still cloudless and perfect for eclipse observing and the sun altitude so low that it seemed to be enlarged to view at! Some large prominences where visible and the planet Venus far to the left.
But the 2 and half minutes were over so quickly. The chromosphere, Baily's beads and a beautiful diamond ring appeared and the show was over! We observed once again beautiful shadow bands on the white surface and the partial phase and the solar eclipse was finished at 12h12 local time. Feet half frozen, exited but tired and our transport which we arranged did not turn up. At least our polar bear guard was constantly with us to protect us from any predictor. So with an extra half delay we could get back to the settlement to warm up and have ... drinks!!!
Although seen many solar eclipses before, this was the most beautiful and extreme total solar eclipse. No pictures and no photos or footage will and can describe! Below just an extract of some pictures. Measurements and footage of landscape and shadow bands still to follow.
Eclipse sceneries before, during and after totality -footages of two other cameras still to follow (with shadow bands!)
Aurora on eclipse day and during night 20 to 21 March 2015
And other activities ... a selection ...
And ... pre-eclipse trips to Greenwich and Stonehenge UK
Temperature and Humidity measurements every second. Sensors not acclamised and only to take "serious" from 09h45 onwards.
Picture by Derryl Barr with us in Aventdalen on 20 March 2015
Pre-eclipse trip with Joanne, Derryl and Johnny to Stonehenge
Pre-eclipse trip to Greenwich with Joanne, Laura, Derryl and Johnny