ASE 2013

The annular solar eclipse (ASE) in May 2013 presented a unique opportunity for those positioned along the path in Australia where the eclipse started. The opportunity was to see (photograph) the eclipsed Sun rising. Even though an annular eclipse is nothing compared with a total eclipse, capturing a view or image at sunrise spectacular based on the images shared by eclipse chasers. Several traveled a great distance for the event. And that was a gamble. Viewing an eclipse near sunrise or sunset requires clear sky not only above you but also along the horizon. While many encountered some clouds (some will say it added to the drama) the images appearing online are amazing.

Thanks to all that sent in images. They can be viewed at the following URL.
http://www.eclipse-chasers.com/tsePast.php?dir=ase2013

Also, a brilliant video was created through a team effort of Colin Legg and Geoff Sims which can be seen here. http://vimeo.com/66223828

If you have images to share, please send them to www.eclipse-chasers.com

Updates to the pages

You may not notice the changes. I will just say they were plentiful. Google maps API was updated some time ago and the version originally used at www.eclipse-chasers.com was based on an older version. Google informed all webmaster that the older version will soon be unavailable thus the coding the adventure began.

The original coding was a hack of the examples provided for google maps. As new tricks were learned they were applied and the result can be best described as a hack job. This coding run allowed me to look at all that code again and make some adjustments.

At the user interface level there are few changes you will notice - however; if you spot an error or problem in the code - please let me know so I can correct it!

The South Pacific Part 1

We are back from the South Pacific. Anyone reading the sequence of blog entries here should be keenly aware that no new additions were made during our journey. Turned out that the iPad was not a good choice to bring along for doing these things. I should have packed a laptop. Even so, when would I have gotten a chance to report any more details here?

Our journey began easy enough. After preparing in Ohio we flew to Los Angeles and were joined by our daughter and son-in-law (Alexandria and Matt). We then flew overnight to Fiji loosing a day as the plane flew over the International Dateline.

Landing just before dawn in Fiji we quickly cleared customs and proceeded to the First Landings resort. The resort was a quick drive from the airport and is located where the first Fijians are reputed to have landed on the island. Situated near the ports and a beautiful marina the resort has a fine swimming pool plus lush gardens. The villas are exceptionally nice with private pools and yards. It was a great place to revitalize after a long flight from the USA.

Our next stop was the luxury cruise ship Paul Gauguin. With a passenger capacity of 330 or so and a crew numbering almost the same the ship set sail to the west and south towards New Caledonia. On board lectures (even one by me) were well attended with about half the passengers claiming to have never seen a total solar eclipse before. Other passengers reported seeing several in the past. It was the normal for an eclipse cruise - an eclectic collection of people all interested in one thing, seeing an eclipse of the Sun.

Luxury cruising is always fun for those that can do it. It is important to realize that the vessel is moving almost every night (and some days) making those prone to motion illness vulnerable. The Paul Gauguin is one of the nicest ships we have ever had the privilege to be on. The service is above the board, top level, and sincerely friendly. The crew quickly learns your name and forever have a friendly greeting. And the food is excellent. On board we were joined by other daughter Melissa and our long time friend Nancy. Everyone was excited for this once in a lifetime journey until the ship started to move.

Motion sickness coupled with long distance travel is not pleasant. Modern medicine has several solutions and it was not long before everyone was enjoying the beauty of the sea and luxury cruise travel.

On our way to the eclipse site we stopped at an island off the coast of New Caledonia that is known as the Isle de Pines. A rocky coast line with tall pine trees shooting up next to coconut trees. More on that later as I get some pictures ready to share.

Eclipse Cartoons

(c)2012 Bill Kramer

I have been having a lot of fun drawing eclipse cartoons and instead of posting them one at a time here, I have created a library on www.eclipse-chasers.com to host them. Click here to see the entire library of eclipse related cartoons.

Charge your Battery (Eclipse cartoon)

(c)2012 Bill Kramer

Minutes before totality is NOT the time to learn that your battery is almost dead. It pays to have a spare, fully charged battery ready to go at those times.

Before totality, prolonged exposure to the heat of the Sun and use of the camera may chew up a lot of the power quickly. Be prepared, have an extra battery or refrain from using the camera too much. Keep an eye on that power meter!

Solar Eclipse reveals those who sleep in (Eclipse cartoon)(c)

(c)2012 Bill Kramer

Sleeping in and missing the morning sun god prayers has consequences this day as an eclipse falls across some ancient civilization (see the pyramids). Yes, the guys look kind of Roman and kind of Mexican... it is a universal thing.

Packing for the Eclipse (Eclipse Cartoon)

(c)2012 Bill Kramer

Packing for an eclipse trip is a balancing act. You need to take along extra clothing and the airlines impose weight and bag count limits. I recommend carrying on all the optical equipment and cameras. The tripods and mounts can be packed. Just keep in mind that you will want a change of clothes. This is especially true when going to an eclipse by cruise ship where dining is semi formal.

Tip: Use clothes to wrap the equipment in the suitcase instead of bubble wrap or foam. Cases are not needed when the contents are wrapped carefully and placed well in the luggage.

Tip: If you have really advanced equipment, leave the inspector a clear diagram and note informing them what everything is. You might also include your cell phone number should they have any questions. The note can be placed in the luggage near the top.

Tip: Your expensive optics and cameras are NOT safe going through checked luggage. Think of them as jewelry and carry them on.