Eclipse Of The Century
www.eclipseofthecentury.com
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Eclipse Of The Century
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The Solar EclipseEclipse Of The Century asked two experts, Sir Patrick Moore and Dr Chris Lintott (who will be joining us) the question “Why see an eclipse?” Here’s what they said: Sir Patrick Moore“This is a question I have often been asked, and I always give a very definite answer. A total eclipse is the grandest sight in the whole of Nature. No illustration, no written description can do justice to it. Moreover, no two totalities are alike; there is always something unexpected, some new marvel to see. It begins very modestly, with a tiny ‘bite’ out of the Sun. Slowly it spreads; the Moon advances, and there is a definite drop in temperature. A few minutes before totality, and the light fades as though Nature is preparing for the great moment. Shadow bands may appear, dancing across the landscape. Then, suddenly, the Moon’s shadow races toward you; the sky darkens, planets and bright stars flash into view, and there is the corona, the ‘pearly mist’ extending outward from the hidden Sun. The wind drops, and there is an uncanny silence as though you have been miraculously transported to another world. Everything seems to stop, and there, far above you, is the Sun in eclipse. There may be prominences, once called Red Flames, rising from the solar surface. At this eclipse the outlook in this respect may be favourable, because the Sun is starting to climb toward the peak of its eleven-year cycle, and activity there is increasing, but until the actual moment of totality we do not know how many prominences will be seen; there may be none, there may be several. But prominences or no prominences, the glory of the corona is matchless. At a normal eclipse, you have less than three minutes to take in all this. Then comes the ‘diamond ring’ as the first segment of the Sun starts to emerge from behind its lunar screen; the corona fades to invisibility, the sky brightens, planets and stars are lost, and light floods back over the world as the Moon’s shadow races away. Nature wakes up, and in a few seconds it almost seems as though the eclipse has never been. Your magnificent experience is over – until the next time. Let me make one plea. Photograph the eclipse by all means, but do not spend all your time at your camera. Resolve to take ‘time off’ to gaze up and enjoy the spectacle; you will not regret it. And remember, too, that it is safe to use binoculars only when the Sun is completely hidden. As soon as even the tiniest segment of the photosphere peeps out from behind the Moon, the danger returns. I envy you the opportunity to see this eclipse; I only wish I were fit enough to be with you. Enjoy it – and as soon as it is over, I will be prepared to bet that many of you will lose no time in starting to make plans for your journey to the next totality!” Dr Chris Lintott (Presenter of the BBC’s “The Sky At Night”)On July 22nd, 2009, the Moon’s shadow will once again touch the Earth’s surface for a brief moment. The path begins in India with the eclipse visible at sunrise, and crosses Asia before passing through China and curving south across the Pacific Ocean. At its peak, totality will last for more than 6 and half minutes, only a minute or so short of the theoretical maximum. To beat this, you have to wait until well into the next century; the 2009 event is truly the eclipse of the century. Why does this matter? The truth is that during a total solar eclipse every single second counts. If you sit at your computer and do nothing for a minute it may seem like quite a long time, but with so much to see under totality’s spell minutes seem like seconds. A total eclipse is also an emotional experience; falling under the Moon’s shadow is an experience unlike any other, and I’m looking forward to having time to wallow a little in July next year. From my own experience, I know how important those extra minutes are; commentating on an eclipse in Turkey for the BBC’s Sky at Night programme panic set in when the sky began to brighten; there was so much to see, and that was without the distraction of a camera to operate in order to get the ultimate souvenir – your own eclipse picture. Because our trip will be based on a ship, rather than on land, we can provide you with a longer eclipse than a ground based tour could. Totality for us will be 30 seconds longer than those in Shanghai and we have one other huge advantage; mobility. The track of totality is narrow, and can easily become crowded on land on eclipse day, making travel nearly impossible. On the sea, however, we can take advantage of the captain’s knowledge and state of the art weather forecasts to ensure you have the best possible chance of seeing totality from start to finish. There really is nothing to match the splendour of a total solar eclipse, and there isn’t a solar eclipse as good as this one for more than a hundred years. Do join us on board the Superstar Libra for a voyage to the eclipse of the century” Eclipse Links
You can reserve your space here or call us on 020 766 5237 now!
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