where was you on Wed. 11th Aug. ‘99 ?

[RT65CB-SWL]

Today is the 20th anniversary of the last solar eclipse of the 20th century, where was you on Wed. 11th Aug. ‘99 ?

Myself and a small group of members from Reading Astromical Society, (a.k.a. the other RAS), decided to view it from Bulgaria. Half of the group stayed in a hotel in Varna, myself included, and the other half stayed in a hotel at Golden Sands.

On the day of the eclipse we met up and got together and headed north of Varna/Golden Sands in a minibus to a small seaside town/village along on Black Sea coast called Krapets, (or Крапец in Bulgarian cyrillic), which was as close to the centreline as possible that we could get, without the crowds.

I took my TeleVue Ranger, a few Plossl e/p’s, an eyepiece projection unit, full aperture glass solar filter, a Manfrotto tripod & camera head, two Pentax ME Super SLR’s, (plus six rolls of 36exp. slide film), I used about two and half rolls of film on the day and kept only six images.

Edited August 13, 2019 by Philip R

[Knighty2112]

In Cornwall camping with my family to observe the eclipse. Sadly, normal British weather got in the way with grey skies and clouds, so didn’t see the eclipse, just experienced the darkness when it happen. We did see a brief peek of the sun through clouds after the event as the moon rolled off the sun, but again this was quickly swallowed up by more clouds. 

[Craney]

Near Baden-Baden in Germany.   Forecast was mixed and looking very poor for our original site, so we used native tracker instincts and ended up in a small town to witness about 75% coverage.  Looking good......

....then a huge thunder cloud rolled over and obliterated everything.   It got dark  <check ✅ >,  it got cold  <check ✅ >  .... I got soaked through.⛈️..errr that shouldn't happen.

Stood in a kind residents garage doorway,  watching a downpour, imagining what should have been.

[mcrowle]

Wow - 20 years ago today, that's hard to believe.

I was at home in mid Cornwall, under the grey stuff. Like Gus I did get a glimpse of the partial eclipse some time after 3rd contact, but that was it.  Fortunately, inspired by that disappointment, I have been able to travel and see a hand-full of subsequent eclipses. 

Regards, Mike.

[Space Hopper]

Munich, Germany.

The total phase was clouded out......typical ☹️

I'm ready to see another one. (not on the other side of the world)

 

[fireballxl5]

On a hill near Strasbourg in France where is was mainly wet

[dweller25]

Wembury beach, Devon - 100% clouds !

[DaveS]

On a photographic holiday in the Lake District. At the time I'd lost my astronomy mojo and was concentrating on my landscape photography.

We'd walked up from Surprise View and reached Watendlath Beck, just before Lodore falls. Even though we only saw a partial eclipse the light became *very* strange, and I manages to photograph some crescent-shaped shadows through the leaves.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I went to Plymouth and had 100% cloud. Quite an event with a live show from a Hercules aircraft on a large screen. When the live screening showed the total eclipse over the Scilly Isles everyone cheered and then the dark shadow raced towards us which still gives me shivers down my spine.

Seen two Annular and one Total since but thinking of 2026 and 2027.

[Paul M]

We traveled to the Bulgarian Black Sea resort of Golden sands. Made a 2 week holiday of it and on eclipse day got a tour bus to a coastal promontory on the eclipse center line. 

Specifically here: http://xjubier.free.fr/en/site_pages/solar_eclipses/TSE_1999_GoogleMapFull.html?Lat=43.54768&Lng=28.60651&Zoom=8&LC=1

Perfect conditions on the day. We (Myself, MD and our son who was 8 at the time) had only eclipse glasses for viewing and the only record is a photo of us taken pre-totality at the site. That and some fond memories!

I'd planned it years before but could only book it when bookings started being taken about a 9 months before. I wasn't the only one with that idea. Eclipse fever grew in town as the day approached.

[Ibbo!]

On a boat in the English channel

[mike chadwick]

 I was at mevagisy in Cornwall and saw all but first contact , as the eclipse started we had wall to wall  cloud which 

Parted after first contact allowing us to observe the full eclipse  very lucky really as 10 miles either way they had  wall cloud and rain

Mike

 

 

[upahill]

I was somewhere in Cornwall, wondering what all the fuss was about, seemed just about everyone in the UK had headed down and every field/layby/car park was rammed. 

I seem to recall getting to see the eclipse through some paper style glasses though, and feeling how eire(sp?) it felt. 

I was in my early teens though so most of the memories are missing./ muddled 

 

[Erling G-P]

In the Ardennes with an old school buddy, specifically to see the eclipse.  Regrettably clouds covered the sun during the crucial minutes of totality, so we never got to see the corona 😢

Still a remarkable experience though, feeling the temperature drop long before you noticed the light being diminished, and then the way the darkness came rolling across the landscape.

Remarkably (unbelievably really), we got rear-ended TWICE on that day; once in France, and once in Germany on the way home.

 

Regards,

Erling G-P

[cloudsweeper]

I only know because back then I kept a sort of diary - "In garden, watched eclipse through specs - started just after 10am.   The Sun was about 88% obscured, crescent remaining at the top.  Amazing!  At maximum darkening, saw dancing crescents on a bench as the light came through leaves.  Lovely.  Watched until the end, about 2.5 hours."

Except for these notes I would have completely forgotten the fine details of the event!

Doug.

[John]

I was in Marazion, Cornwall on the beach with my family and a few thousand other people right next to the live broadcast that Peter Snow and Phillipa Forrester were doing. While it was mostly cloudy, the effect of the shadow rushing across Mounts Bay and watching the lights come on around the bay and on St Michaels Mount was wonderful as was a crowds reaction as the eclipse happened. My children still go on about that day so I'm so glad we made the effort

[Gina]

I was here in East Devon, just outside the totality zone.  It grew dark and cool but not total and we caught a brief glimpse of the crescent sun in a lighter patch of cloud it was quite spectacular even though not total.  I'd love to see a total eclipse.

[JamesF]

I was on the seventh floor of an office block in central London, just around the corner from St. Paul's (St. Martin's Le Grand, I think).  It was almost completely cloudy, but we could still make out the Sun and watched the entire thing through the cloud.

James

[Paz]

I was at the top of Rosewall Hill near St Ives. As it went dark, looking to the east and north east I saw the sparkling of many camera flashes across the land.

[geoflewis]

Falmouth Cornwall at a golf and country club for 'eclipse week'. We had to book and stay the same week the prior year to book the 1999 'eclipse week'. We had 6 days out of 7 fabulous weather, guess which day was 100% cloud 😧 - we didn't even get a glimpse at any stage, just experienced the increased darkness under cloud. I had to wait 18 years and travel to the USA to see my first total eclipse, but it was worth it 😎

[bish]

I was working in Swindon. I didn"t even bother to go outside to look at the clouds.

[Nigella Bryant]

I was in western France, cloud's rolled in but cleared for totality then clouded over again so we saw the total phase, thankfully. 

[maw lod qan]

The interest a solar eclipse brings even now is amazing.

I can remember us making pinhole projectors in elementary school in the 60's, but exactly what year I don't recall.

I started planning for the one  in '17 a year in advance. My first total. And I'm already planning for '24.

I try to imagine what it had to feel like witnessing the Sun disappearing several thousands of years ago.

It must have been quite frightening for the average person.

 

[Gina]

I remember several times seeing tiny crescent images of the sun in sheds, under trees etc. during various partial eclipses.

[Swoop1]

I was on duty but at the police station next to where I lived in Marlow, Bucks. I managed to sneak out and brought my two sons round to the car park where I set up a pinhole projection for then to see the partial.

They loved it. Watching the sky darken and feel the temperature drop intensified the experience. Also seeing the partial being 'reflected' in the shape of the shadpw of leaves etc was quite stunning.