Solar Eclipse - 22nd July 2009

[Mikey0368]

Apologies if there's already a discussion about this. I've done a search but couldn't find anything!

China seems to be the easy option. Shanghai or Hangzhou look reasonable. I wonder if going further west would be a good idea though to try and get away from the city smog?

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009iau/TSE2009-fig03.GIF

From what I can see though, if you want another 45 seconds, Kitaio Jima is the place to be (or on a boat in the Pacific!).

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009iau/TSE2009-fig04.GIF

I've no idea how easy it would be to get there and whether it's much more than a bit of rock sticking out of the water. I've just sent an e-mail to someone I know who's in Japan just now so if he doesn't know he should be able to find out easily enough.

Have any of you done any groundwork on this? When the wife and I went to Side in Turkey for the 2006 eclipse we booked it 14 months in advance!

[NickH]

Southern Japanese islands are not easy to get to, but would be very rewarding. The diving there along with the fact that Japan is one of the most amazingly diverse countries on Earth, would make that my location choice.

I am going to China in 2009, this one is too short for me.

[Mikey0368]

I'll be giving this year's a miss too. We'll get a partial here for that one at least........

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2008Aug01T.GIF

I've already got the airmiles tucked away that would get me and the Mrs to Shanghai or Tokyo. Once I find out a bit more about the Japanese islands I'll stick it up here.

One slight fly in the ointment............ she aint keen on it at all :shock:

[Mikey0368]

Well that's that off the list of places to visit ........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Iwo_Jima

And Iwo Jima looks no better.........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwo_jima

Both have no civilian populations!

[NickH]

I'll be giving this year's a miss too. We'll get a partial here for that one at least........

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEplot/SEplot2001/SE2008Aug01T.GIF

I've already got the airmiles tucked away that would get me and the Mrs to Shanghai or Tokyo. Once I find out a bit more about the Japanese islands I'll stick it up here.

One slight fly in the ointment............ she aint keen on it at all :shock:

Exactly how I am doing it...Virgin Miles...i have enough for both of us...and like you, my missus is not "overly keen", but does fancy seeing the Great Wall and the Terracotta Army (e.g. more than 6 of em!)

[Mikey0368]

Average cloud cover..........

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009iau/TSE2009-fig08.GIF

[Mikey0368]

Ryukyu Islands.........

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009fig/TSE2009-fig15.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryukyu

[Johnny Jupiter]

Can I get my pennies in here cos I fancy going to China and my wife is up for it too. We went to Bulgaria in '99 and Kumluca in Turkey in 06 (that's about 15miles south of Antalya) so we are going for the hat trick. I fancy Hangsou because if we do get clouded out then at least we can get a good 2 weeks holiday out of it, which is what we try to do anyway. Food for thought for you.John.

[Mikey0368]

54% chance of sunshine in Shanghai on that date. And that's one of the better options!

Hotel rates look reasonable for Hilton standard hotels. Mrs Mikey07 has agreed to buy a book about Shanghai and see what she thinks!

It'll be a major coup if I can pull this off

[NickH]

Hilton Shanghai is where I am staying..so if anyone else is there (and there are a few from Wiltshire Astro going), then we may have transport to a less smoggy location as well

[Mikey0368]

Are you fully booked up then? I suspect we'll be there for 10-14 nights as it's an awfully long way to go for a 3 or 4 day trip. I've already been warned off because of the pollution though. I'll be wheezing like a 95 year old :?

Picked up a book about Shanghai today and the wife hasn't said no yet

Having transportation available is a worthwhile plan B. I'm nosing around to see if the trains go to the likes of Jiaxing.......

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009fig/TSE2009-fig14.pdf

[Mikey0368]

Shanghai to Jiaxing looks easy. Take's about 1.5hrs. US$2 for a hard seat or US$3 for a soft seat.

Decisions, decisions

[Solar B]

Saros 136 is well worth chasing as its mature in its cycle.

Brian

[NickH]

Are you fully booked up then? I suspect we'll be there for 10-14 nights as it's an awfully long way to go for a 3 or 4 day trip. I've already been warned off because of the pollution though. I'll be wheezing like a 95 year old :?

Picked up a book about Shanghai today and the wife hasn't said no yet

Having transportation available is a worthwhile plan B. I'm nosing around to see if the trains go to the likes of Jiaxing.......

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEmono/TSE2009/TSE2009fig/TSE2009-fig14.pdf

Will be booked up v soon...idea for me is a week in China, and then I may go on to Japan