Amazing snaps everyone - Phil, Shah, Wayne, fungussface, Rob et al.
I was experiencing the eclipse from my backyard in Brisbane and was shooting every 10 sec to create a timelapse.
At the same time I was watching it on ustream broadcast from palm cove beach and was really excited to see the clouds clearing up just before totality.
At 7.40am when the sun went higher up and I realised that my tripod doesn't allow me a further tilt to get the sun in the camera's FOV.
I rushed around to get my other tripod but its head wasn't strong enough to hold the camera at the angle.
And I just got frustrated and forgot that I had a HEQ5 Pro which I could have used with tracking off so that I could capture the eclipse with rotation.
I don't even feel like processing my pictures as they are of partial phases obviously but because I couldn't even cover the complete partial phases.
Anyways the wait is on for the Annular eclipse in May 2013.
In reply to Phil: at the beginning I was roughly at the same spot than you, but I finally decided to head north, after the reliefs, on the same Highway. I was in the "opposite" side of the central line, about 40km north from you.
Here is a picture I have taken from this spot. I attached the same image with what I consider as your cloud which obscured your view. Considering the geometry of the scene and the shape of the cloud, this seems very likely this is "your" cloud.
From my spot, the sun was ideally placed between two layers of cirrus (yours and another one on the left), we had a lot of chance. Maybe they could be seen on satellite images.
I've attached a map of our approximate positions (as far as I understood yours).
To all the people who were able to see it first hand , some really great images posted here. I was laid out in bed with the flu but was able to see it streamed on TV, but Sydney was clouded out so wouldn't have been able to have seen the partial first hand anyhow.
It's sad to know that the 4th post to this original thread was made by Vincent (cookie8) who passed away earlier this year...http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...01&postcount=4
I'm going through some of the utube videos to find one recorded from palm cove I have been watching this one over and over again is there a way I can put this on a DVD to keep as a keepsake
I have to extend a huge thank you to Marchello for his hospitality of allowing 8 strangers to rock up to his orchard and view the eclipse late at night. thanks Cyclone. Awesome house!
The views from Mareeba were fantastic, missed first contact due to it being in the soup of cloud over Cairns, but got to see all of it including totality.
I however had an epic software failure - all 4 camera were being software driven and were working flawlessly (so i thought) with the partials but during totality the software did something odd - i only got 2 way over exposed shots dispute the continual ramping and clicking of the cameras - they were being actuated but i have no idea what happened. the pitfall of having to redo a script from scratch for an entirely new location. my original script allowed for the 2min but at Mareeba we only had 1min 31.7 seconds. Solar Eclipse Maestro had the timings nailed with the GPS - i could not fault that. but i made the decision that i was going to enjoy the totality rather than fix anything camera wise. glad i did. i am severely disappointed that i didn't get anything but i did get a video of totality and will upload that to utube . I wish to thank Alan Meehan my astro buddy - awesome trip Al - thank you
to all the others who got to image the eclipse you have some awesome shots
...
I however had an epic software failure - all 4 camera were being software driven and were working flawlessly (so i thought) with the partials but during totality the software did something odd ...
I know how you feel - I had similar problem with EO (I should have used SETnC... maybe. But everything seemed to be just fine on the bench in Melbourne just two days earlier).
During eclipse, only one camera (out of of two) was clicking, but exposure times were all the same, starting from 4th one.
In hindsight, I could have activated video mode on failed camera.. but I wasn't thinking clearly during those couple of minutes prior to totality.. and I decided just to let it go...
Maybe this was the best decision that I could've made
Just made it back to an internet connection. We were at Adams Dam but had cloud on Monday and Tuesday mornings and so went further west. [We also had to leave that site for other reasons but I'll say more about that when I have all the facts.] We wound up at King Junction station just north of the King R. (and a big 'thank you' to John and Sandra for permission to camp). An English couple. Phil and Haj (spelling??) were at the station but no other astronomers ventured so far west. Fantastic quiet spot and no clouds at all. Didn't see any shadow effects as we didn't have any elevation but did see all the animals react to the changing light. Totallity was great of course but too too too short. That 1.58 min was over in a flash and we were left wanting more. The corona was smaller than in 2002, apparently due to the different stage of the sunspot cycle, but also perhaps due to dust and maybe some high haze.
I haven't even had a chance to have a look at my photos but, like so many others, things that worked perfectly at home decided to go wrong during the eclipse. I know I have fewer shots than there were in the script. My consulation is that I have a strong mental image that will last - I can still form a mental image of '02 and even 1983 in New Guinea.
Friends that stayed at the dam had good skies. Some saw it over the dam while other found a high spot about 10km away. One friend there certainly got good shots. At the dam some pillock decided to let off fireworks during totallity but it didn't affect them. They also played Dark Side of the Moon during the event . Other friends were at Bustard Downs near Mt Carbine. I haven't spoken to them but all reports suggest they should also have had a good view.
I'll be home next weekend and do a more thorough post mortum then. One down side has been that I haven't meet up with anyone, though some friends were talking to supernova's mum.
I have to extend a huge thank you to Marchello for his hospitality of allowing 8 strangers to rock up to his orchard and view the eclipse late at night. thanks Cyclone. Awesome house!
The views from Mareeba were fantastic, missed first contact due to it being in the soup of cloud over Cairns, but got to see all of it including totality.
I however had an epic software failure - all 4 camera were being software driven and were working flawlessly (so i thought) with the partials but during totality the software did something odd - i only got 2 way over exposed shots dispute the continual ramping and clicking of the cameras - they were being actuated but i have no idea what happened. the pitfall of having to redo a script from scratch for an entirely new location. my original script allowed for the 2min but at Mareeba we only had 1min 31.7 seconds. Solar Eclipse Maestro had the timings nailed with the GPS - i could not fault that. but i made the decision that i was going to enjoy the totality rather than fix anything camera wise. glad i did. i am severely disappointed that i didn't get anything but i did get a video of totality and will upload that to utube . I wish to thank Alan Meehan my astro buddy - awesome trip Al - thank you
to all the others who got to image the eclipse you have some awesome shots
No problems, it was my first allnighter since Cyclone Larry !!!
Likewise in '76, it was easy to find a spot because it was a decent way from Sydney (we chartered a Cessna out of Bankstown) but also in '76 the world was a different place ... You had to be keen to go out of your way to come to an eclipse.
Gary, would be interested to know if in '76 you saw the eclipse from aboard the chartered Cessna or just flew somewhere to watch it? (I was at Pambula looking over the ocean.)
Gary, would be interested to know if in '76 you saw the eclipse from aboard the chartered Cessna or just flew somewhere to watch it? (I was at Pambula looking over the ocean.)
Hi Charlie,
You were right next door!
We flew Bankstown to Merimbula, landed and watched it from there at
the northern end of the airport. The airport is literally across the road
from the beach.
From memory it had been raining earlier but when we arrived
we had clear skies. We would have got airborne again if need be.
One distinct memory of that eclipse was the significant number of stars that
became observable at totality. By comparison, I glanced around quickly
last week and saw Venus and at least one or two other bright stars,
but in '76 I observed many more.
Lots of birds were also observed in '76 flying home to roost.
I shot off an entire roll of Kodachrome 25 which back then you would
ship to Kodak in those little yellow pre-paid envelopes. To my
disappointment, the processed transparencies never came back,
the only transparenices I ever shot that were never returned.
One distinct memory of that eclipse was the significant number of stars that
became observable at totality. By comparison, I glanced around quickly
last week and saw Venus and at least one or two other bright stars,
but in '76 I observed many more.
I wondered that too Gary .... memories of the '76 eclipse are hazy for me, but remember that it went quite dark, whereas 14/11 it went to ... twilight. Definitely Venus and a couple of stars, but skies still lightish???
Not sure why this is ....? distance of the Moon from us on the 2 occasions.
wow wow wow i still cant wipe the grin off my face hahaha bring on the next one here is a couple of happy snaps that i took and check out the one of me and Mike Salway BIG GRINS hehehe
wow wow wow i still cant wipe the grin off my face hahaha bring on the next one here is a couple of happy snaps that i took and check out the one of me and Mike Salway BIG GRINS hehehe
That 2nd photo is really cool
Good to see you wearing your IIS t-shirt too, I had mine on and got stopped a few times "where can I get one of those?" of course I happily told them