[Bazmundo]

There is a rare Annular Solar Eclipse visible across Pacific countries this Sunday, which some UKww members including myself should hopefully be lucky enough to catch in the USA. The maximum eclipse is at 0130UTC (Mon), or 1930MDT for New Mexico where myself, Chris Riley & co are headed.

Animation courtesy shadowandsubstance.com

Annular Eclipses occur when the Moon is slightly further away than a standard Total Eclipse, and so it doesn't completely obscure the Sun. As a result viewing these eclipses are more troublesome because there is always a portion of direct sunlight, but they are also as spectacular in that the result is a ring surrounding the Moon (hence 'annular' and not total). We'll be using some Baader solar film to cobble together a cardboard lens filter tube or two, some binocular caps and maybe some eclipse glasses if there's enough left over (though we're fairly sure the shops will be full of those). We'll also attempt to catch some projections and shadows (appearing as lots of small rings) and might even suspend Chris by a wire and spring to see if we can pick up the Allais/Saxl/Jeverdan Effect of anomalous gravity.

There's an outside chance that we could stream live if there's sufficient network coverage, which given that we're aiming for a gap between Santa Fe and Albuquerque definitely looks possible. Only problem is both the NAM and GFS are currently modelling some cloud in the area for 00z Mon, which we're hoping is mountain-based making it much easier to get around.

[Bazmundo]

Update 1245z: Just waking up in Denver, going to grab breakfast and supplies and head south. Most models are foreboding some patchy cloud, maybe showers, for our target area of NErn New Mexico. The current RAP is less keen than the NAM and GFS on pushing the cloud cover south out of Colorado. The 00z run of the NSSL WRF simulated GOES satellite output shows this quite well (attached).

Hopefully we can get down there early enough to use what road options there are to get out from under it or at least if it's overhead then we'll see out from under it as the sun drops lower on the horizon. Could make for a good timelapse though.

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[Ian Williams]

 Bazmundo, on 20 May 2012 - 12:46, said:

Update 1245z: Just waking up in Denver, going to grab breakfast and supplies and head south. Most models are foreboding some patchy cloud, maybe showers, for our target area of NErn New Mexico. The current RAP is less keen than the NAM and GFS on pushing the cloud cover south out of Colorado. The 00z run of the NSSL WRF simulated GOES satellite output shows this quite well (attached).

Hopefully we can get down there early enough to use what road options there are to get out from under it or at least if it's overhead then we'll see out from under it as the sun drops lower on the horizon. Could make for a good timelapse though.

Good luck guys and hope you find some clear skies, off to work on nights and its my last shift until 17th June yay! Can`t wait til Wednesday!

[Bazmundo]

Update 2200z: Currently on the I-25 New Mexico heading for Santa Fe. Hoping to reach the gap in the cloud between the mountains and the Valles Caldera (NW of Albuquerque), if not we still have time to push past there to clear air. Eerily beautiful country out here.

[Ian Williams]

 Bazmundo, on 20 May 2012 - 21:59, said:

Update 2200z: Currently on the I-25 New Mexico heading for Santa Fe. Hoping to reach the gap in the cloud between the mountains and the Valles Caldera (NW of Albuquerque), if not we still have time to push past there to clear air. Eerily beautiful country out here.

Love the avatar!

[JOKE_SNOW]

.gif of the Lunar Shadow passing over the Western United States into the Earths Shadow. Courtesy of NHC NOAA

[Bazmundo]

Success! We had to push hard past the Cu field by 6.30pm (local time) but reached the top edge of Albuquerque in time for the start. After we'd set up and started taking shots a few locals pulled up nearby to catch a view, though they were having limited success using eclipse glasses in front of smartphones and a couple of lads taking the initiative using two CDs held together. So, we cobbled together a viewing frame from the remaining Baader film and cardboard and passed it round, on one occasion holding the film tight over an elderly woman's Panasonic Lumix to be able to catch the eclipse during partiality. The filters we made the night before worked really well. I've attached a handful of unprocessed shots from the hundreds we took, as well as a nice one of the setting eclipse.

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[staffsstormspotter]

excellent shots mate, worth all the effort? You deserve a BPB for your Baader frame! What a start to the trip!

Chris

[Ian Williams]

Excellent - great work guys, i`m really glad you managed through determination and grit that you got into a clear slot

[Andy Mayhew]

Excellent work Glyn

Tornadoes are 2 a penny, but you won't see that again!