11 August 1999, 5 a.m at 500 km from the area in which the total eclipse will take place.... 6 hours before the beginning of the last eclipse of the millenium....
The weather was still desperately cloudy when we took the car to leave. The Est area of France seems to have the worse weather so we decided to go to the north of Paris.
In the highway one hour before the beginning there was a lot of cars and some people began to use in the cars the special glasses to look at the sun !
We decided to stop on a small road near a wheat field and put the reflex out. The sky was cloudy with big blue holes so the observation will be possible... perhaps
At 11.04 a.m the sun began to be hide by the moon imperceptibly but surely....
We stand in the field waiting for the big moment and the sun began to play with the clouds. But taking photos was still possible. The sun was hidden more and more. At 12.10 pm, 10 minutes left before the totality ! and more and more clouds came. Now luminosity was decreased and we began to get cold in tee-shirt, a strange wind came up.
2 minutes before the totality, clouds were getting closer and..... the sun was hidded, before the moon ! Then the dark come suddenly and it was really impressive, a magic moment. After 2 min, the day came back again and the temperature was raising.
After 10 min, the weather was getting better and we saw the end!
And the word is still going on !
Dedicated to Thierry, Nuria and Franck (sorry that we didn't were at the rendez-vous, Maubeeuuge) and
to Samy the americain guy (but not a redneck one:)) who didn't saw the eclipse at all.
Decrease of light during the eclipse
Digital photos (kodak dc 120, 114 mm, without any filter)
click to enlarge
