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Readers' Feedback
Eclipses
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As we will be traveling in Mexico during the Feb. 16 [1999] solar eclipse I am curious as to the kind of filters you use to photo it and do you know how eclipses effect us astrologically? At what time is the eclipse?
KryssTal Reply: Thank you for your interest in eclipses. Unfortunately, the Feb 16 eclipse will happen on the other side of the world from you. It will be visible in the Indian Ocean, Antarctica and Australia.
I will assume that you live in the USA (from your email address). The next solar eclipse visible for you will be a pair of partial eclipses on 31 July 2000 (in the North West USA, West Canada and Alaska) and the final eclipse of the 20th century on 25 Dec 2000 (USA, Canada, Mexico).
Mylar is a good filter for both viewing and photography as it absorbs the sun's harmful infra-red radiation.
I am not an astrologer so I cannot answer that question.
Regards and have a "buen viaje" as they say in Mexico.
Dear Kryss,
I have just spent the last hour or two surfing your web-site, which is of special interest to me since my book, Solar Eclipse, will be published by Constable in a few weeks time. I have already mentioned your web-site to the publishers, and you could well be hearing from them.
I would like to join your Eclipse Chasers WebRing, but your form on the web asked for my URL name or number, and I don't know what that is. If you could explain, I shall join.
I should much like to meet you, particularly to hear about popular reactions to eclipses. If found your descriptions relating to Phillipines, Java and Chile quite fascinating. My book contains some anthropological material which is also certain to be new to you.
Where do you plan to be on August 11?
Best wishes
Very impressed by your site and have added my web page [to the ring].
Please amend your pages to spell "occurrence" correctly, it appears at least twice.
KryssTal Reply: I'm afraid you are wrong. I found it spelled wrong THREE times! Thank you for spotting it. I have made the necessary corrections.
As a veteran eclipse chaser of 6 totals and 3 annulars, I wish to express my pleasure in reading your articles on the 5 eclipses. They were very well written & interesting. I was also in General Santos in '88 and saw a fabulous corona. A pregnant lady asked me if her fetus was safe, I was interviewed on radio, and we saw first-timers crying. Your article brought back many memories.
KryssTal Reply: Thank you for your kind words. Where did you see the eclipse in General Santos? Which are the other five eclipses you have seen? Are you planning to go to South America for the next. We are actually planning a trip which will last for four months and cover countries in South America that we missed in 1994 - 1995 when we travelled from Chile to Mexico along the Andes.
I went to the Philippines with the Roya Astronomical Society of Canada - Toronto Centre (RASC).
22 of our group observed from the 3rd story roof of the engineering building of the Mindanao State University, 15km south of the center line. We were extremely lucky to see the eclipsed sun in a huge clear patch of sky, surrounded by clouds. The corona had 4 fabulous wings, looking like a dragonfly in the sky.
Our picture is in Sky & Tel in July 1988, p.101 (my wife & I are in the 2nd row on the right edge). That was my 2nd total eclipse.
KryssTal Reply: I'll try and check that issue out - I was on the roof of City Hall with all the journalists.
My first eclipse was in Gimli, Manitoba with the RASC on Feb 26, 1979. My wife cried after totality with emotion.
KryssTal Reply: I read about that one - preseumably you saw it in Canada.
Yes, it was in Canada.
The third eclipse was at 42,000 feet over Finland with Scientific expeditions, with Fred Espenak as group leader.
KryssTal Reply: You've met Fred Espenak? You have certainly flown with the gods!
Fred Espenak is a friend of mine. Saw him again in April '97 ih Mississauga, Ont., Canada where I live at a private party celebrating Hale-Bopp and his recent trip to Mongolia.
Fourth totality was at Santiago, Mexico - in the soccer field in July 1991. We had cloud covering the sun just like you did.
KryssTal Reply: Very close to us. We passed Santiago and proceded a further 2 or 3km to a small hill nearby.
Fifth totality was 7 minutes!!! over the Atlantic ocean at 35,000 feet. We saw such a long totality because Glen Schneider did superb navigation. The corona was spectacular with an arrow-straight 2 1/2 degree long streamer.
KryssTal Reply: We've met Schneider - University of Arizona? We met him in a hotel in Delhi when we visited some friends from Chicago during the 1995 eclipse. He told us he was into chasing lunar shadows in planes!
Sixth totality was Huachacalla, Bolivia with Tuthill and group on Nov.3, 1994.
KryssTal Reply: We visisted Potosi in Bolivia after the eclipse and got to use the university's telescope. Those high altitude eclipses are a bit stark, eh?
Also saw almost total eclipse of May 30, 1984 from S.C.
KryssTal Reply: S.C. ?
South Carolina USA. Saw the diamond necklace eclipse. The eclipse path was only 5 km wide. Used topo map to find centreline. Shadow bands were spectacular.
Will be in Curacao on Feb. 26, 1998. I would also enjoy meeting you. If you happen to be in Curacao, e-mail and we can meet.
KryssTal Reply: We'll be in Venezuela along the northern coast. I include the rest of our itinerary in case our paths cross.
P.S. I've also written varoius articles on eclipses for my local astronomy club newsletter.
KryssTal Reply: Any copies?
Here is the article that I wrote about the 1990 trip:
Meanwhile - Up in the Air
After witnessing the solar eclipse in Mindanao in March 1988, my wife, Elizabeth, and I could not bear waiting more than three long years to Mexico in July '91. We decided that we had to be in Finland on July 22, 1990 for the next total eclipse. Because of the poor chance of seeing the eclipse from the ground, we joined Virginia Roth's Scientific Expeditions to view totality from the air.
Thus, on July 22 at 4:52 a.m. we were aloft at 35,000 feet above southeastern Finland in one of three Finnair DC 9's that rendezvoused with the moon's shadow. The group of ninety people included such notables as Jay Pasachoff, Fred Espenak, Fr. Ron Royer and Leif Robinson (editor of Sky & Telescope). The morning had dawned clear in Helsinki, but a low
cloudbank obscured the one degree high sun during totality there. From our plane high above the clouds, it also appeared that most of Finland would not see totality due to the clouds.
Shortly before totality from the right side of the plane, we witnessed the unforgettable sight of the moon's shadow descending from space into the earth's atmosphere and first touching the surface at the Gulf of Finland. It had the appearance of an incredible black cone falling from the sky.
Only one minute later the umbra reached our plane, and we rushed to the left side to see the first diamond ring disappear into total eclipse. The eclipsed sun stood only a few degrees above the cloud tops with bright Jupiter close to the upper right. Two enormous prominences were visible during all of totality at nine and ten o'clock. The corona was small but extremely complex with numerous spicules, a large curved streamer at the two o'clock position and a very obvious gap in the corona at three o'clock. All too soon the second diamond ring flashed forth and we saw the shadow rush away into Russia.
It was overwhelming. We were stunned speachless. Now we wait impatiently till July 11, 1991.
Chris Malicki
Here is the article I wrote about the 1992 total eclipse:
TOTALITY JUNE 30, 1992
The path of the total solar eclipse of June 30, 1992 lay almost entirely over the waters of the South Atlantic Ocean. The only landfall was in the extreme south of Brazil and in Uruguay where the eclipsed sun would sit only a few degrees above the horizon just after sunrise. Combine this with probable clouds in the southern winter and observing prospects from the
ground were poor. Airborne observing seemed the best option. Thus, on the early morning of June 30, fifty people including three Canadians (my wife Elizabeth, Bill Jackson from Simcoe Ontario and I) boarded a DC10 in Rio de Janeiro on the great adventure of flying into the lunar shadow. The expedition was organized by Amateur Astronomers Inc. of New Jersey with
Roger Tuthill as leader.
All aspects of the flight were carefully planned to optimize observations. All seats on the left side of the plane were removed and we each had our own window with the sun directly outside. The windows had been meticulously cleaned inside and out as if they were the finest lenses. A strict schedule for take-off was adhered to (at 9:32 UT). Glen Schneider a
self-confessed "eclipse nut" and computer expert navigated the plane, updating the pilot (who in his enthusiasm took his own pictures of the eclipse during totality with the plane on auto-pilot) every ten minutes as to speed and direction of the plane, taking into account the time,
windspeed, altitude etc.
Thanks to Glen's superb navigation, we crossed the centre line at 11h25m UT at lat 250 S. and long 270 40 min W. The result was a wonderful eclipse seen under crystal clear skies at 41,000 ft. with a whopping 6 min 14 sec of totality (compared to 4 min 33 sec on the ocean surface).
There are skeptics who think that experiencing an eclipse from a plane is a poor alternative to ground observing. To them I would say that it sure beats being clouded out. In addition, the edge of the moon's shadow can be seen and photographed dramatically on the surface and clouds far below. Telephoto shots on a tripod and videos are successful. But most important,
the awesome beauty of the sun's intricate corona can be savoured in all its glory. No photo can do the corona justice. Many veteran eclipse chasers don't waste time with photos but spend every possible second looking at the corona.
The June 30 corona was as beautiful as any I've seen. There were two dominant plumes 1 1/20 long at the 10:30 and 4:30 positions (in reference to a clock face) and two shorter ones at 3 and 9 o'clock. A beautiful thin arrow-straight streamer extended 2 1/20 towards Venus (which itself was only 50 from the sun). Polar brushes were very prominent at the north pole of the sun (at 7:30) and less so at the south pole. Near the north pole a brilliant coronal arc curved one solar diameter downwards. An obvious coronal gap divided the two plumes on the left side of the sun. In stark contrast to the large prominences which we enjoyed at our other four total eclipses, this eclipse had only two tiny prominences visible right after the first diamond ring.
Helped by the extreme clarity of the sky, Liz was able to see Sirius high above, and Castor and Pollux near Venus. A very brilliant diamond ring heralded the end of totality. I was able to spot the corona 9 seconds before second contact, and follow it naked eye (being careful to hide the crescent sun with my hand) for 18 seconds after totality. Venus was visible naked eye 1 min 26 sec after totality. We then watched the moon's shadow race away over the Atlantic towards Africa.
What an exhilarating experience to be able to see this great event from the clarity of a high clean plane window, especially the intricate beauty of the outer corona that the clouds ruined last year! Everyone on the plane that I talked to was adamant that they would be in South America on Nov. 3, 1994 for the next totality. And several in our group vowed that they wouldn't miss any more total eclipses for the rest of their lives. I plan to be one of those.
Chris Malicki
KryssTal Reply: Hi Chris
I have just received and read your two articals. What can I say? They made the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge. I think I may have to do one of these high altitude eclipse trips. I must admit to enjoying the ground based versions beacuse of the reaction of local people, especially arriving at a town or village up to a week before and savouring the build up.
As you saw from my itenerary, we'll be travelling south to Argentina after the eclipse so we'll be away for four months. This will not be one of our longer trips for two reasons:
Argentina and Brazil are very expensive places since they pegged their currencies to the doller.
Being football (soccer) fans we want to be in Europe for the 1998 Soccer World Cup being held in France.
If we don't meet in 1998 perhaps we can welcome you the the UK in 1999. It will not be the best place for weather but it will be the only eclipse in our own country during our lives so we plan to stay here for it. We are already beginning our safari plans for 2001!
KryssTal Reply: Hi there
Just back from 4 months in South America. I've begun adding a Venezuela page on my web site. Check it out.
Enjoyed you web page and write up on Venezuela
KryssTal Reply: How did your eclipse trip go?
I observed from Watamulla, in the northern most part of Curacao with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
We had a sprinkle of rain in the morning, then it cleared up and the sky was wonderful during the entire eclipse. Two things went wrong for me :
1) the batteries of my tape recorder fell out and I lost all of my description of the corona;
2) foolishly, I neglected to remove a translucent lens cap from the diagonal of my C8 and didn't know why I had such poor views of the eclipse through the scope. I was wise enough to not spend more than a few seconds with the C8.
The positive things were numerous:
1) saw fabulous shadow bands 1 minute before totality.
2) witnessed both diamond rings naked eye; specifically I witnessed the first naked eye appearance of the corona 45sec. before totality, a sight that I treasure during any total eclipse.
3) spent a lot of time observing and memorizing the shape of the corona - observed with 11x80 binocs on tripod - a great view. I was impressed especially by a straight streamer pointing in the direction of Jupiter; there was also a nice coronal hole at the north pole of the sun.
4) enjoyed seeing the 3 bright planets Venus, Jupiter, Mercury during totality. 5) thought the eclipse was dark compared to other eclipses. 6) measured temperatures during eclipse (drop of 9 deg C.)
Other comments: The corona was very intricate, but quite small and somewhat faint compared to other eclipses I've seen. My friend Randy Attwood who observed from the northern Galapagos had the same impression. Also, the prominences were small and insignificant.
All in all, it was beautiful. All the best.
Found your page on the eclipse in General Santos City (GSC) very entertaining. I was also in GSC in 1988 but missed the Eclipse.
KryssTal Reply: I'm sorry to hear that - they only happen once every 350 years for a location so they won't get another chance.
My wife was in GSC at the time but also missed the Eclipse as she was PREGNANT and was kept 'safe' inside the family home. (we were waiting for a VISA to be approved)
KryssTal Reply: We met an American woman living in Chile (1994) who was kept 'safe' by her husband's family.
I have been back a number of times and you would not know the place now.
- A new operational International Airport.
- Two very large modern standard shopping centres.
- A dozen plus new hotels providing accomadation to International standards.
- Lots of new restaurants.
But guess what!
The level of ignorance would be about the same today as you experienced in 1988.
KryssTal Reply: People asked me which part of the USA England was in and what language we spoke in England. They can't help it - 400 years of the pope followed by 90 years in Disneyland is not a recipe for knowledge!
It goes from bad to worse - they are now embracing the radical evangelical Christianity of the US. My wife on the other hand is now an Atheist and can name the Capital of just about every country in the World.
KryssTal Reply: Thanks for your comments - how did you find my page? Did you look for GSC?
I searched for General Santos City in Altavista.
Hi there Kryss,
My name is Clint and I am also an avid eclipse chaser. I loved your accounts of your trips. Your writing has a wonderful, lyrical quality.
KryssTal Reply: Thank you for your kind words and sentiments.
Will you be on Aruba for the upcoming Feb. event?
KryssTal Reply: No, we hope to be in Punto Fijo on the northern Venzuelan coast.
I will arrive by cruise ship that morning. I spoke to the president of a cruise line 2 years ago about doing this trip, he scheduled it and it sold out in five weeks -- one year ahead of time. Thus I get a complimentary cabin. Not bad eh?
KryssTal Reply: Very nice!
I am planning to take a group of folks to Hungary in Aug of 1999 to see the eclipse. I imagine that you will try your luck around Cornwall. That eclipse takes place two days after my 39th birthday.
KryssTal Reply: If this eclipse were not the only one in England during our lifetimes, we would probably see it in eastern Turkey. But we want to savour the atmosphere in our own country. I know we are taking a chance with the weather.
I was in Mongolia, in the siberian blizzard white out that cleared a fuzzy hole around the sun 25 mins. before totality. We were so glad that we got to see fuzzzy totality. The corona looked like beads or flower petals around the black lunar disc.
KryssTal Reply: We had planned to go, but the expense of getting visas and the lack of infrastructure and the chance of bad weather made us decide not to go. Some friends from France did go and were snowed out so we have not regreted our decision.
Happy eclipse chasing. Perhaps we will meet in some part of the world. Best wishes for clear skies.
KryssTal Reply: And to you also a clear eclipse. It would be very nice to meet you and discuss our eclipse adventures.
KryssTal Reply: Thank you for your kind comments and a happy new year.
I've just visited your home page. Thank you for providing we with the information I wanted to know about the eclipse in Cornwall later this year.
Please could you tell me: what is the best way to photograph an eclipse. Do you use a conventional camera / SLR and should you take the phohotgraph during totality or when it's just about to happen?
KryssTal Reply: Thank you for your kind comments. A good place to find details information about eclipse photography is Fred Espenak's site.
I use an SLR with a 200 - 400 mm lens. I use fast film (400 - 800 ASA). I cover it with mylar filter during the partial phases and remove this during totality. During totality, I set the camera to 1/1000s. I then take lots of shots at different f stops thus bracketing the exposure.
Then I stop and look!
With a standard lens, you can photograph the scenery / sky as the shadow approaches, say from 10 minutes before totality.
Hope you enjoy the eclipse.
Hi,
Really like the site. Thank you for sending it to us. Will put a description of + link to it from our links page on the BBC Online Eclipse site.
Where will you be for this eclipse? Will you be trying to find a deserted beach in Cornwall? Would you like to write us a report of the eclipse, and possibly a short profile of why you like to "chase eclipses" to go up on the site beforehand?
All the best
KryssTal Reply: I used to watch the stars when I was 10 with a friend of mine. We used to read books by Patrick Moore and found out about the Cornwall 1999 eclipse way back in the 60s.
It all started then.
After college, I decided to travel in South East Asia. While checking out the region, I discovered that a total eclipse of the sun would occur in Java during my travels. I remembered my youthful expectations of seeing an eclipse in England. I changed my route to make sure that I saw it. It was the most breath-taking sight I'd ever seen; much more spectacular than I'd read about. I became addicted to eclipses. Since then I travel to exotic locations, see the eclipse and carry on travelling for several months.
It's fun to arrive early. Total eclipses of the sun occur, on average once every 350 years IN ONE PLACE. Therefore when I arrive in a new town to see an eclipse, the locals have never seen one before and know nothing about it. The expectation rises during the build-up and that is enjoyable.
I look forward to seeing a link to my site.
Regards and clear skies...
Greetings from the August Eclipse '99 Web Site
Dear Kryss,
First of all, thank you for supporting the August Eclipse '99 web site, and thank you for the link! I shall reciprocate with a link to your excellent site on my links page. And yes, you can use one of my images.
KryssTal Reply: Thank you for your kind sentiments and for the use of your image. I shall of course, credit you with a copyright notice.
Reading your site, it looks like you're an adventurous eclipse hunter who sees eclipses spiritually. Personally, I find it quite incredible that people should want to rent out their Cornish homes to complete strangers, so that they can then 'be away from the eclipse'. But then I guess it's true, money does talk the sense out of people!
KryssTal Reply: I'm not particularly spiritual but eclipses are spectacular! If this eclipse was not the only one visible in my own country during my life, I would have gone to Esfahan in Iran (best sky and colourful mosques). Let's hope it's a nice day.
Have we spoken before? I fell into your wonderful web site, and then realized you may be the individual behind the Eclipse web ring, which I joined a few months ago? You have a wonderful site, I must say!
KryssTal Reply: Thank you - yes the eclipse ring is me - I remember a Dan joining.
I would like to show you something new that I have been working on. I have managed to acquaire this inviting sentence:
in 111 languages!!!!!! Shooting for more....
Can Talaat help with any of the Pakistani languages? I have run into a brick wall with some of them (Pashto, Saraiki, and Sindhi), and she could check my Punjabi too. Tell me what you think: