cjb's astrophotography

Total Eclipse - Penzance - August 11 1999
I arrived in Penzance at about 7.15am on the morning of the eclipse.
This after a 12 hour train journey which had started at Crewe the previous evening and which seemed to call at all stations to Penzance via Ealing Broadway!
No matter, the Sun was shining (just) and by 8.00am I was on the beach and I had set up my camera and taken a few practise shots.
That was the last I saw of the Sun that day! Dark clouds drifted in from the west and by 10.00am it had begun to rain.
This continued on and off until a few minutes before totality.
As totality approached it got very dark, the darkness presumably enhanced by the cloud cover.
Street lights came on, flashlights went off and the front at Penzance reminded me of Blackpool illuminations on a cold, wet night.
The seagulls flocked together screeching and to my mind seemed to be heading out to sea. It was like midnight, the only light that remained was a strange eerie yellow glow on the horizon.
People looked about bemused. Then all of a sudden night turned into day. As someone remarked, it was as if a dimmer switch had been turned on. It seemed to me a much more remarkable change in light level than at the beginning of totality, more clearly defined.
And that was that! Another 12 hour train journey to look forward to - but not before popping into a local - to watch the recorded highlights on TV.

19990811 Total Solar Eclipse