Annular Eclipse at Black Horse

Bristlecone Field Office BLM

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Eclipse Day! I was up with the sun. Being on a good road a short way from an east-west highway, I could get moving either direction if the clouds seemed to suggest it.

00: yellow and red light up the underside of clouds before the sun rises — Here comes the sun.

They sort of did suggest moving west. However, since the report had said they'd clear quickly this morning, I persevered. Rather silly when the report I was using was already 2 days old and cloud predictions are particularly changeable. Still, they did clear as that old prediction suggested.

01: some cloud cover just where the sun is — The sun got higher and the sky cleared. Well, except where it was most strategic to hide the big event.

I decided to head upward on foot because there were some thin clouds sticking right to where the sun would be. The eclipse itself was already starting with a little partial coverage of the sun by the moon. A couple more viewers were arriving from who knows where, but weren't collecting into any particular space. It was not quite so communal as Strawberry Peak. No one would pop by with the telescope setup he typically uses for viewing solar flares on this one.

02: band of clouds — Another band of clouds threatening to block the sun as the current one moves on and thins.

03: hilltop — There might be some people grouping on this hill. I talked to one guy laying claim to it as I finished my hike on it the day before and another two cars were going up the better road on the other side as I came down.

04: light with a cutout — A pair of pinholes in a notebook cover to keep track of the progress of the moon.

I was on a little peak and with a fine rock for projecting light from a pinhole, but decided that I must be a little more west. It probably wouldn't make much difference, but I dropped down to the road and climbed the next hill anyway. It didn't take long, either.

05: second image through the camera — The pinhole in the camera shows the progress of the moon across the sun as well. The sun is getting enough coverage to no longer be a completely circular bright spot, too.

Nothing more to do but wait and hope.

06: waste piles — Got a good look over the hill area with the old hopper and the slash of a dig at the top.

07: clouded over sun — Those thin clouds didn't really make much difference for observing the sun and moon convergence.

In the dry desert air, there actually was a noticable drop of temperature as the sun's intensity got reduced to less than 10% of normal. At maximum, less than 4% of the sun would be showing. Hum. And the moon is 4% reflective. That doesn't make this sun something one can look at directly.

10: sun with a hole in it, but not quite — Almost there!

Once it went annular, I was so focused on the sun that I never even noticed the last of the clouds only stuck around for the first minute. After that, clear viewing all the way.

11: annular — And the moon begins its traverse.

12: pair of rings — The pinholes in the paperboard report similarly.

13: moon to the left — The moon is a little off center as it goes, but I'm not quite on the centerline.

And in about 4.5 minutes, it was all over again.

15: broken or nearly so ring — Almost, or perhaps passed.

16: no more circle of sun — And the circle is broken.

I hung out a little longer at the top of my hill. I only saw one group pack it in within 5 minutes of the finish of annularity. You've got to appreciate the partial eclipse if you'll come out for one with no totality.