Moon shadow, Moon shadow
I mentioned this on the Linklog already, but it's worthy of a post on the main blog: a group of eclipse-chasers up in Nunavut, Canada, got some absolutely incredible photos and video -- taken from their airborne perch inside a small twin-engine plane at 27,000 feet -- of the initial "touchdown" by the Moon's shadow during last week's total solar eclipse.
Not only could they see the Sun disappearing behind the Moon's disc, but they could clearly see the umbra itself as an elongated shadow, with sunlight on either side. Here's their video (with some excited expletives) of the experience:
Here are their photos. (Hat tip: SpaceWeather.) And here are some more eclipse photos, by other folks in various places around the world.
I have to wait another nine years before I get to see a total solar eclipse. But early tomorrow morning, I'm planning a little sky-watching of my own, as a pair of very bright Iridium flares -- one of them a -9, which is the brightest I've ever heard of, and the other a -8 -- are supposed to happen about 2 1/2 minutes apart over East Knoxville. I'm planning to wake up early (very early) and, if the sky is clear enough to make the trip seem worth it, drive out to the vicinity of Johnson Bible College to watch and take pictures of 'em.
I know, I'm a huge dork. :) But a magnitude -9, followed immediately by a -8! That doesn't happen every day. And hey, I can get to work early, come home early, and spend more time with Loyette. Everybody wins!
(For those needing a refresher, here's an explanation of Iridium flares. My previous posts about them are here, here, here, here and here.)
UPDATE: When I woke up, it was cloudy, but it looked like the clouds would clear in time for the flares. So I drove out to the spot. But it was still cloudy. The sky cleared about 30 minutes too late. :( No Iridium flares for me!
Not only could they see the Sun disappearing behind the Moon's disc, but they could clearly see the umbra itself as an elongated shadow, with sunlight on either side. Here's their video (with some excited expletives) of the experience:
Here are their photos. (Hat tip: SpaceWeather.) And here are some more eclipse photos, by other folks in various places around the world.
I have to wait another nine years before I get to see a total solar eclipse. But early tomorrow morning, I'm planning a little sky-watching of my own, as a pair of very bright Iridium flares -- one of them a -9, which is the brightest I've ever heard of, and the other a -8 -- are supposed to happen about 2 1/2 minutes apart over East Knoxville. I'm planning to wake up early (very early) and, if the sky is clear enough to make the trip seem worth it, drive out to the vicinity of Johnson Bible College to watch and take pictures of 'em.
I know, I'm a huge dork. :) But a magnitude -9, followed immediately by a -8! That doesn't happen every day. And hey, I can get to work early, come home early, and spend more time with Loyette. Everybody wins!
(For those needing a refresher, here's an explanation of Iridium flares. My previous posts about them are here, here, here, here and here.)
UPDATE: When I woke up, it was cloudy, but it looked like the clouds would clear in time for the flares. So I drove out to the spot. But it was still cloudy. The sky cleared about 30 minutes too late. :( No Iridium flares for me!
posted by Brendan Loy at
8/06/2008 08:14:00 PM
