Eclipse Gallery

All of the images and video on this page relate to the total solar eclipse of August 11th 1999.

For details of the eclipse itself see the TAS eclipse page.

Totality during the 1999 August 11th solar eclipse! (.. as seen from somewhere with a clear sky!!)

A dramatic photo of the totality through fast moving broken cloud by Gary Gordon from a cliff at St. Martin Plage in France - about 10Km East of Dieppe. Gary used a 1/60th second exposure at prime focus of an 84mm aperture, 1000mm f/l telescope working at F12 onto Kodak Gold print 200 A.S.A print film. Note the detached prominence just off the right hand limb. (click on this thumbnail for the full image)

Two images of totality as seen from Torquay by Chris Palin (TAS). Chris and family were fortunate enough to see some coronal effects and prominences during totality. (click on either thumbnail for the full image)

The Torquay Boys' Grammar School field was being camped upon by astronomers from around the UK, Germany and Australia!

A sequence of images captured during the live web-cast from the TBGS observatory! Over 208,000 of these images were actually downloaded by over 10,000 different locations in at least 70 countries on eclipse day (mostly between 10:00 and 12:00 BST)!!! This is a 1.04Mb animated .GIF file, so will take a while to download fully. (compiled by Dave Norman)

The set of 8 images below were all taken by Chris Proctor from a viewing site on a hilltop at Cockington, just outside Torquay. These were all taken using a 28mm wide angle lens on Elite 200. (click on each image to see the full-size version).
	View of the eclipse viewing site
	First view of the moon's shadow, 1 minute before totality.
	Totality - a wide angle view looking east over Torquay.
	The same view over Torquay, showing the receding shadow 1 minute after totality ended.

A sequence of photos showing progress of the partial eclipse leading up to totality. The cloud cover became solid just after the right-hand picture was taken, a few minutes before the total eclipse was due to start. (Photos taken using a 580mm telephoto lens at f8 on Elite 200).

Michael Morley's projection telescope pointing hopefully at the cloudy sky ...

The set of 9 images below were all taken by Steve Pope and are reproduced here by kind permission of the "Herald Express". (click on each image to see the full-size version).
	William Gater and Michael Morley (both TAS and TBGS) using projection to view the partial phase prior to totality.
	Ian Walsh checking out the 19" reflector and piggy-backed 3" refractor used for the web-cast.
	Dave Norman setting up the web-cast computer equipment
	Paul Money (Boston AS), left, setting up.
	Howard Donaldson (Exeter AS) setting up his equipment prior to the eclipse.
	Two images of totality
	Two group views of those gathered at the TBGS

Eclipse Videos

Please note: all of these MPEG1 videos are present on the CD version of this site. Due to space limitations, only those videos indicating a download size are available (until further notice) on the internet.

	Launch of a rocket from the TBGS field (3.6Mb MPEG1) Performed during the barbeque held the evening before the eclipse (video by Hannah Veale)
	Early activity down at Torquay Marina The excitement builds down on the marina, which would normally be very quiet at this time of the morning! (This is at around 7:00 am) (video by Ian Walsh)
	Setting up Preparations for the big event on the morning of the eclipse at the TBGS observatory. (video by Grahame Veale)
	A tour of the TBGS field Ian Walsh calls in on some of the astronomers on the field as they set up their equipment. (video by Ian Walsh)
	A pan around the field at the Torquay Boys Grammar School prior to the eclipse (4.4Mb MPEG1) Astronomers and media representatives set up their equipment near to the observatory. (video by Dave Norman)
	First Contact The early moments of the partial phase of the eclipse. (video by Grahame Veale)
	Partiality (2.3Mb MPEG1) Extracts from the partial phase of the eclipse. (video by Grahame Veale)
	The eclipse as seen through the 3" refractor mounted on the 19" telescope within the TBGS observatory A sequence of extracts from the web-cast stream covering the pre-totality partial phase, totality and the first part of the post-totality partial phase. Due to the generally cloudy conditions the solar filter was removed from the 3" refractor through which the images were captured. This allowed sufficient light capture for the sky to look blue. Cloud prevented any view of the total eclipse itself, but the extreme darkening of the sky during the totality period is clearly evident. (compiled by Dave Norman)
	The climax of the eclipse as seen through the 3" refractor This is an extract from the image stream that was broadcast live to the world via the internet (and, possibly, the only such source of images from the ground within the mainland UK totality zone). (compiled by Dave Norman)
	A view toward the East including totality at the TBGS observatory This video, taken by a colour camera on the roof of the observatory, shows the view towards the Eastern horizon as the umbral shadow of the Moon passed overhead. Particularly noticeable are the salmon pink sky colours just before and after totality, and the edges of the shadow moving towards the East. (video by Dave Norman)
	"It's all over down there!" The totality period as seen by Grahame Veale's camcorder at the TBGS observatory (the title comment refers to the fact that the eclipse was some three minutes earlier for viewers down on the centreline in Cornwall). This video includes a pan around the field during totality - the audio track conveys some of the excitement surrounding the event! (video by Grahame Veale)
	The moments prior to and following totality as seen by a fixed camcorder at the TBGS observatory A wider angle view and audio record of the totality period. (video by Dave Norman)
	"Marks out of ten?" Some final thoughts from astronomers at the TBGS observatory. Includes a look inside the observatory showing the telescope and equipment used for the live web-cast. (video by Grahame Veale)

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