Alachua Astronomy Club: 2005 Hybrid Eclipse

	Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc.	Member Astronomical League	Member International Dark-Sky Association
	Club Pictures By Howard L. Cohen	Member Astronomical League	Member International Dark-Sky Association
	29°39' N, 82°21' W Altitude: 50 Meters (more or less)		Updated June 8, 2005
(Click logo for home page)	Founded: September 1987		(Developed with Netscape 4.x)

Astrophotography by Howard L. Cohen

COPYRIGHT NOTICE Pictures are copyright © by the author but may be reproduced for non-commercial usage providing credit is given to the author. (E-Mail cohen@astro.ufl.edu)

« Other Photos by H.L. Cohen »

2005 Hybrid Total Solar Eclipse — A Most Dramatic Eclipse

An Awesome But Tense Eclipse. Duration of totality was about 32 seconds. Bad weather (mostly low cumulus) and rolling seas plagued us during the eclipse. Partial phases were mostly visible but clouds hid the Sun as second contact approached. Dramatically, the clouds parted almost at the instant of second contact producing one of the most stressful but spectacular total eclipses in recent times. Most agreed it was the closest they had ever come to not seeing a total eclipse! Success, everyone agreed, was due to the extraordinary navigation of our captain, Gilles Bossard.

For more information about this eclipse see the Continental Capers Travel Hybrid Eclipse Page.

SUN SETS GREEN.
Click image for largest picture available
(Also see next image for enlarged section) The Green Flash (Full Frame)

A prelude to this stressful eclipse occurred the evening before (April 7). The m/s Paul Gauguin was NE of Pitcairn Island on the way to the eclipse path. (For cruise path, see map.) Some passengers viewing the setting Sun hoped to observe the "green flash," which normally needs clear skies (even then it is not often seen). Clouds dominated the western sky but the Sun shone brightly until moments before sunset when it sank into a cloud bank. Miraculously, as the Sun set, clouds parted and gave many of us a spectacular view of the green flash!

May need to click picture to enlarge in order to see Sun. (An enlarged section also appears below.)

GREEN FLASH.
Click image for largest picture available The Green Flash (Enlarged)

The Sun really did go green at sunset! Picture taken evening before the solar eclipse. The green "flash" actually lasted for a few seconds.

(This image is an enlarged section of the the full frame picture above.)

Date 2005 April 7
Time Sunset
Location South Pacific (French Polynesia) Aboard m/s Paul Gauguin (NE of Pitcairn Isl.)
Camera Canon SLR EOS Elan 7e
Lens Canon 75-300 mm, f/4.5-5.6 at 300 mm at f/5.6
Film Fuji Velvia 100 Color Slide Film
Filter None
Exposure Unrecorded

ECLIPSE ANIMATION.

Notice the spectacular "sun halo" as the clouds parted at second contact! Venus is visible near the right edge during totality. (May need to view enlarged animation to see Venus.)
Click image for largest available Eclipse Animation

This animation consists of 16 frames taken from just before first contact through third contact (diamond ring). A few selected frames shown below. Venus became visible just before second contact, about 2-1/2 degree east of Sun (right edge — see enlarged animation). Image size and resolution were limited due to the short telephoto used (only 300 mm) and the rolling ship (camera was handheld.)

Date 2005 April 8
Time abt. 10:30 a.m. to 11:58 a.m. local time (18:30 to 19:58 UT)
Location South Pacific Aboard m/s Paul Gauguin, approximately 1,400 mi ESE of Papeete, Tahiti
(about 52 mi SW of intended location). See cruise path map.
Latitude 21° 18' 06" S
Longitude 128° 22' 31" W
Camera Canon SLR EOS Elan 7e
Lens Canon 75-300 mm, f/4.5-5.6 at 300 mm
Film Fuji Velvia 100 Color Slide Film
Filter Thousand Oaks, 0.01% Transmission (partial phases)
Exposures About 1/500 sec
Tripod None (camera was handheld)

FIRST CONTACT.
Can you see "first bite"?
(Look at top.) Click image to enlarge
CHROMOSPHERE & PROMINENCES.
Click image for largest picture available
DIAMOND RING.
Click image for largest picture available

Interested in Astronomical Travel Including Total Solar Eclipses?

I work with Continental Capers Travel in Gainesville on astronomically oriented tours!

Return to AAC Home Page

For comments and suggestions send e-mail to webmaster@floridastars.org
© Copyright 2000-2005 Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc.

	Return to AAC Home Page
	For comments and suggestions send e-mail to webmaster@floridastars.org © Copyright 2000-2005 Alachua Astronomy Club, Inc.