Nov 14: Solar Eclipse Debacle
My first solar eclipse was on 30th June 1954, which I observed from my school playground in North London and was one of the catalysts for my life-long interest in astronomy. It was almost an 80% coverage.
We were due to get a 68% eclipse of the Sun soon after sunrise this morning but as is so often the case these days when there is observing to be done, it was cloudy. I had my solar telescope prepared the day before but did not use it. Instead, I just used my camera on a tripod and snapped away hopefully at the clouds. This was the best I got - a dreadful, slightly over-exposed sun peeking through a small gap in the cloud canopy.
It is not one of my most memorable astro-images. The disc of the sun is visible at top right of the cloud gap. The moon shadow is barely visible because it was only fifteen minutes into the eclipse.
So 1954 is still my last solar eclipse.
:(
