19 years ago

[Ibbo!]

Just sat outside getting a few vids of mars and trying to see a few meteors and it struck me that 19 years ago I was in a bar on a ferry in the English channel nervously waiting for the following morning hoping it would be clear and I would get to see my first total eclipse of the sun.

 

A visit to the loft to dig out some photos and scan them in, maybe not for this year but next years anniversary.

[ShrewView]

I remember watching it through some thin Cornish cloud. Was atmospheric. Literally.?

[Craney]

I was in Germany, chasing one of the few clear cloud free spots........   alas,  a thunderstorm brewed up and eclipsed the eclipse !!!...... it went dark. it got cold..... and errr... I got wet as well.

( 2017 made up for it ).

[LightBucket]

Me and my family went north as everyone else went south, took the caravan to the Lake District and watched from the middle of lake coniston in our family boat, was awesome....

[dweller25]

Drove the family all the way from Lancashire to Devon and back again to see total cloud cover ?

[John]

We were on Marazion Beach right in the path of totality watching Phillipa Forrester presenting coverage in front of us. Mostly cloudy but a great atmoshere which the kids still remember. I've got a video of the event somewhere but I guess there are loads of those around

Had a nice weeks holiday with plenty of sunshine the days before and after the 11/08 !

 

[kerrylewis]

We went to Strasbourg on a coach trip. I have a photo of people queueing for free eclipse glasses in the rain! But the clouds miraculously cleared for about 90 seconds and we got a tantalising view of our first total eclipse. However, it whetted my appetite and we caught the whole thing next time in Libya ?

[Gina]

Here in Devon it was only partial and mainly cloudy but it darkened quite a bit and I caught just a glimpse as the cloud thinned for a minute or two.  I'd love to see a total eclipse.  I've seen a few partials in my time.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I was on Plymouth Hoe with 1000s of people and a giant screen showing live pictures from the Hercules aircraft. It was totally cloudy but I will never forget the shadow racing across the sea towards us - then total darkness.

Went to Turkey for the 2006 Total Eclipse but spent too much time checking my camera rather than sitting back and enjoying the event.

[Hawksmoor]

In France on the Cherbourg Peninsular. Saw everything in between clouds up until 'Totality' including the 'diamond ring', birds roosting, temperature falling and darkness rushing towards us across the fields. Then clouds put an end to it. Never saw the corona. We were so disappointed! Never really got over it sufficient to spend a lot of dosh chasing a Total Eclipse on the off chance that the weather would behave. Currently, not in Lowestoft and experiencing pouring rain but hoping that tomorrow night will be dry and clear and I will be able to 'snap' Perseid Meteors 'left right and centre'.

George

[Guest]

Family camping expedition to Falmouth. I will never forget the shadow of the moon speeding down from the cliffs and seeing the cattle lay down. Our dog growled. The temperature instantly dropped a few degrees. We could see a thin sliver of daylight beyond the shadow out to sea. I waited since the 1970's for that total eclipse as it was listed in astronomy books. Like the dopler effect, the time of it's arrival over the years seemed to speed up. It then sped away after the eclipse and now it is nineteen years ago. Back in the 1970's I had no idea about actually seeing it with my family, aunt and dog. Who knows what the future would hold. 

My nan was alive to see the previous UK total eclipse in the 1920's.I believe that it was visable from Wales. She told us that they were taken to see it on a school trip. So she was alive for two UK total eclipse's

[mcrowle]

I was in my garden in Cornwall, about a mile from where I live now. Saw nothing but cloud, though it inspired me to travel and see (successfully) 3 total eclipses since .

Regards, Mike.

[RT65CB-SWL]

On 11/08/2018 at 03:33, Ibbo! said:

A visit to the loft to dig out some photos and scan them in, maybe not for this year but next years anniversary.

I will have to have a look for mine too.

I remember I got a t-shirt with one of photos printed on it and one of the members at the astro society members muttered... "Jammy b****r!" - I may get another done for the 20th anniversary when I find the 35mm photo/slide.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Watched on TV. It did get noticeably darker and the birds went silent. Very eerie. Same with the last eclipse. It went pretty dark and the temp dropped a good bit. I only caught the last 40 mins though with my eclipse glasses. 

[DirkSteele]

A fellow astrophysics undergrad and myself jumped on an overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Le Harve, and watched totally there. Morning was cloudy but completely cleared before totality. Amazing experience.

 

I remember on the evening ferry back, the tide was too high and the planks to allow pedestrians on board would not reach the deck and it delayed our departure.

[Peco4321]

19 years ago today (12th August- the glorious 12th) I proposed to my wife!!  Can’t remember what I was doing through the day as I was all a bit nervous in case she said no! Luckily the answer was yes, I was not into astronomy then so had no interest in the eclipse or the Perseids. What a fool.