This was an annular eclipse of the sun. CLICK HERE to find out what that is and what makes it.
| CLICK ON THE IMAGES BELOW FOR LARGER VERSIONS. |
| I JUST TOOK MY CAMERA, MOUNTED IT ON A TRIPOD, AND ATTACHED THE SOLAR FILTER. THIS FILTER WAS ACTUALLY MADE FOR MY 5-INCH REFRACTOR, BUT IT WORKED FINE HERE. PLEASE USE A PROPER SOLAR FILTER FROM A REPUTABLE DEALER IF YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE SUN IN ORDER TO AVOID LOSING THE VISION IN ONE OR TWO OF YOUR EYES. OR USE A PINHOLE PROJECTOR. TAKING PICTURES OF THE SUN WITHOUT A PROPER SOLAR FILTER WILL HARM YOUR CAMERA, TOO. MORE ABOUT EYE SAFETY HERE. AND HERE. |
| HERE IS THE SUN BEFORE THE START OF THE ECLIPSE WITH THREE GROUPS OF SUNSPOTS. THE SUNSPOTS ARE REAL, BUT THE COLOR IS NOT. I DEEPENED AND ENHANCED THE COLOR IN ORDER TO BRING OUT THE SUNSPOTS. |
| AND THE ECLIPSE BEGINS WITH THE MOON JUST BARELY SLIDING OVER THE LOWER RIGHT PART OF THE SUN! I TOOK THIS VIDEO OF THAT EVENT, CALLED "FIRST CONTACT BY ASTRONOMERS. |
| JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE MOON IS APPROACHING THE FIRST SUNSPOT. THIS IS ALSO NOT THE TRUE COLOR. IT IS ENHANCED TO BRING OUT THE SUNSPOTS, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE LAST PICTURE. |
| IN ANOTHER COLOR ENHANCED PICTURE THE MOON IS ABOUT TO GOBBLE UP THAT FIRST SUNSPOT! |
| THE FIRST SUNSPOT HAS BEEN "EATEN". THE OTHERS ARE ALSO IN DANGER, BUT DON'T WORRY. THEY WILL BE BACK AFTER THE ECLIPSE. ALTHOUGH THE COLORS ARE NOT THE TRUE ONES (THE SUN IS MAINLY WHITE), IT IS TRUE THAT THE EDGE OF THE SUN (THE "LIMB") IS DARKER THAN THE REST OF IT. THAT IS CALLED "LIMB DARKENING". (They call the edge the "limb".) |
| THE ECLIPSE IS NOW GETTING CLOSE TO ITS MAXIMUM> THIS PICTURE IS NOT QUITE IN FOCUS, BUT I MADE NO PARTICULAR ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE COLORS HERE. I DID HAVE TO DARKEN THE PICTURE A LITTLE, |
| IT IS CALLED "SECOND CONTACT" WHEN THE MOON FINALLY MOVES COMPLETELY IN FRONT OF THE SUN AND THE "RING OF FIRE" BEGINS. AT THAT TIME, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE MOTION OF THE MOON -- THE MOTION THAT IS CAUSED BY THE MOON'S MOVEMENT IN ITS ORBIT AROUND THE EARTH. HERE IS A VIDEO OF THAT EVENT THAT I TOOK IN ALBUQUERQUE. |
| EARLY IN THE ANNULAR PHASE, THE MOON (WHICH IS MOVING FROM LOWER RIGHT TO UPPER LEFT) IS STILL HANGING AROUND IN THE LOWER RIGHT. |
| THE MID POINT! THE MOON AND THE SUN ARE LINED UP LIKE A BULL'S EYE. |
| A LITTLE PAST THE MID POINT. THE MOON IS MOVING A LITTLE BIT TOWARD THE UPPER LEFT. |
| YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE MOON'S ORBITAL MOTION WHEN IT SLIDES OUT OF THE ANNULAR PHASE AND BACK INTO THE PARTIAL PHASE. HERE IS MY VIDEO OF THAT EVENT, CALLED THE "THIRD CONTACT" AFTER THAT THE MOON WOULD CONTINUE TO SLIDE PAST THE SUN IN THE FINAL PARTIAL PHASE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE ALL OF THAT BECAUSE THE SUN SET FIRST. THE MOMENT WHEN THE MOON COMPLETELY LEAVES THE SUN IS THE "FOURTH CONTACT". |
| AND THE MOON MOVES AWAY. |
| SUNSET |
| Watch the progress of the sunset behind some people and a fence in this SLIDE SHOW.. |
| The following pictures are frames from the videos (see links above and below). The resolution is fairly low, so I have not made links to larger versions of them. |
| IS THAT A LITTLE BITE OUT OF THE SUN? (LOWER RIGHT) |
| NOW CLOSER TO THE ANNULAR PHASE (RING OF FIRE PART). |
| THOSE HORNS ARE ACTUALLY MOVING TOWARD EACH OTHER. BECAUSE OF THE MOON'S MOTION IN ITS ORBIT. WOW!!! |
| ALMOST THERE. THE MOON JUST DOESN'T QUITE KNOW IF IT WANTS TO LET GO. |
| RING OF FIRE!!!! |
| THE MOON JUST TOUCHES THE EDGE OF THE SUN ON THE WAY OUT. (WELL, OK, NOT REALLY TOUCHING. THE MOON IS A LOT CLOSER.) |