The Eclipse from Aberystwyth

Morgan’s school gave special dispensation to the children today allowing them to stay out to watch the Eclipse until 10:30am before going to school. Anna and I were working, but we got in early, got on top of things and were then able to meet at the Arts Centre for 10 minutes to see and experience the Eclipse for ourselves. We were lucky that the skies were clear. There were hundreds of people gathered behind the Arts centre where the Physics Department had several solar telescopes set up and were projecting the event live onto a screen in the Arts Centre.

We turned up poorly prepared, but did manage to make a quick pinhole projection so that we could see the eclipse progress. We also managed to look through a few peoples glasses or welding masks to get a proper glimpse as the moon made it’s way across the sun. It didn’t actually go that dark. Yes, it did a bit but considering how much of the sun was eclipsed I don’t think you’d actually have noticed if you didn’t know it was happening. You may have thought it was going to rain and thought that odd without any clouds in the sky, but I don’t think you would really notice. It did get quite chilly though. Taking a photo of it with just a phone was never going to be easy, but thanks to some weird lens flare and the bouncing of light inside the camera lens you do at least get to see a crescent shape in the photos, even if direct photo of the sun itself is still far too bright for the camera to handle. The pinhole or binocular projections were the best way to see what was happening really.

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Alan Cole

Alan is a Freelance Website Designer, Sports & Exercise Science Lab Technician and full time Dad & husband with far too many hobbies: Triathlete, Swimming, Cycling, Running, MTBing, Surfing, Windsurfing, SUPing, Gardening, Photography.... The list goes on.

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