Old Totality shot

[ErwinvdVelden]

Hi everyone,

If everything goes as planned I'll be in Egypt during the total solar eclips, and hopefully it's going to be my third view of the corona. I tried to capture the awesome sight that I saw during totality through my binoculars, and the final result of the Zambian 2001 eclips is getting pretty close to what I can remember:

http://www.erwinvandervelden.id.au/TotaalG+GUS6-100Small.jpg

12 exposures ranging from a 1/1000s upto 2s through a C90 @ f/10 and Kodak Ektachrome 100 ISO slide film. The mount was pretty wobbly and caused unsharpness in the prominences and the edge of the moon. Note the lunar maria.

Next year I'm going to use my D70 to capture totality and hopefully get an even better shot. :love:

Cheers,

[iceman]

Incredible shot! I'm so jealous I didn't take advantage of ceduna.. I wasn't much intro astronomy then and it didn't cross my mind to go down and see it.

[rumples riot]

Nice shot, yeah loved totality at Ceduna, the best and weirdest experience of my life. I am planning on going to Egypt also and see totality for 4 minutes this time. Last time was way too short. Once you see this event, you will want to go to more. I am hoping that the coming event will be fine and will be taking my D70 with my 80-400mm zoom lens. I was going to take my Orion, but think that 400mm will be best.

I wonder how many others are going?

[fringe_dweller]

Thanks Erwin, your amazing image really took me by surprise, and i had a flashback to 2002, I was then forced to write this poem..

'to once again stand in the shadow of time
as the great heavenly clock strikes midnight,
and gaze past the grey mist, the essence of time itself
upon the quickening lavender fields
in communion with kings,
the approaching storm, a legion of dawns
and an epoch of dusk,
shadows play serenely in the half-light
as the golden key turns the royal vault of the sun
sublimely unfurling an impossible ether of pearl
woven from the breath of creation by a thousand angels,
Stars and men's hearts startled from their eternal slumber
with the most beautiful music never written
coronation of light, resonating in the clay'

hope i havent plagiarised too many people? it wasnt consciously done if i did!
I like to write a poem (prose?) at least once a year :)
kearn

[ving]

nice picture!
going to have to wittness first hand an eclipse one day... looks very pretty!

[beren]

Wow great image Erwin and great poem/words kearn

[rowena]

i was at ceduna too... and i also want to go over for next years eclispe. i was looking at going to turkey however, and not egypt, only because its near thhe western egyptian border. have u guys booked flights/acomm.. or are you going with a tour group??

how much do u think it will cost you?

[ErwinvdVelden]

:rofl: Good on you Paul, are you also going to Saloum?

An eclips can be a quite emotional event, but the only lyrics I usually produce is a loud "Filters, filters!". You would be surpised how many people forget to take their solar filters off even when they stand right next to me. :rofl:

The reason why I go to Egypt is that the weather prospects are much better, although it never will be guaranteed. I'm going with a group, it costed me 1850 Euro's plus AUD 1800 for the flight. The latter amount would have been spent anyway because of a family visit.

Cheers,

[asimov]

Great shot Erwin. Thank you.

[asimov]

This thread was bumped in honour, & a personal tribute from me. RIP Erwin.