The eclipse was absolutely perfect!!! We were blown away - absolutely clear skies from about a quarter partial on, and totality was unreal - as a clear totality always is - but this one had incredible prominences, many so big you could see them with the naked eye, and a gorgeous big corona. And the story of how pieces all fell into place for us to be at the right - read that 'best' - viewing location (from what we've seen of other sites so far at least) waHi from Libreville. We went to the center line site yesterday with a thick cloud cover. Had met the group from the San Jose company and went to the place they selected.
Bonnie
First contact was in clouds, but after that the sky opened up and it was clear all thru the minute of totality! I am sure you have seen the pictures so you know about the wonderful pink display that we had: The President and other Government high ups came for it: Flew in by helicopter and then President Bongo drove himself and his wife (with their dog) away: So unlike the USA. Very little security and people could walk up and touch him. Obviously well liked: I am on a French keyboard and it is hard to write since the letters are in different places; so I won't go into details here. It's just too hard to write!
Mari
Hi from stormy Libreville.
We went to the center line site yesterday with a thick cloud cover. Had met the group from the San Jose company and went to the place they selected. Been raining hard for many hours now. How lucky we were to have had clear skies yesterday!
I looked at Sky and Telescope site and they haven't had any contact with anyone from our viewing site yet. Strange because it was a relatively easy place to get to and the President of Gabon came for the show! Sky and Telescope reported on chasers from really remote places that had much less view and time than we did. I don't know if you can, but maybe you can pass the word to Sky and Telescope that Chris Cannon, a first timer, took some fabulous pictures yesterday. His email is chris@empowerplaygrounds.org He is from Utah, but works in Ghana.
The picture from Uganda was good, but what we saw was so much better. There were many well set up photographers there. A Japanese group, some Euros, and the group from the San Jose company MTW Associates, www.melitatrips.com, Daniel was their leader and he lives in Truckee!
I think the National Geographic group in Lope got similar shots being not far from where we were on the N1 road. It will be interesting to see them. Our British friend Kryss saw 22 seconds in Uganda and it probably looked like the one Sky and Telescope has on their site. Our pink prominences were taller and they shifted from top to bottom as the moon moved across.
Oh! I forgot to mention the director of Brisbane, Australia, planetarium was also there! It was such fun talking with him and other umbraphiles while we sat on pins and needles hoping the sky would clear and then to share the thrill of when it did! All for now. We get our Congo visas tomorrow and plan to head for the town where Albert Schweitzer set up his hospital.
Mari
Haiku by Mari:
Equator beckons
Gabon President joins us
Joy comes with shaddow
I have never seen this in my life!! At around exactly 10.00 am, we left our lodge just to go and see the Total Eclipse just about 30 kms away and just imagine, all this was expected to happen at 17.20 hours. The excitement could not let me go to bed last night. Early as we went, the Pakwero was already too full. It has aroused my love for appreciation for nature and how things work. Driving through the giraffes,harte beasts, elephants among others to see the eclipse. I better start saving for USA in 2017 and or Egypt in 2027
What a day! The photos will never do it justice...
And thank you so much for giving us a short lesson on eclipses, was a great help! And Venus was beautiful that night ;)
Attached some photos:)
