Bakasa Eclipse Sequence
Credit & Copyright:
Murray Alexander
Starting at the upper left, this sequence of images follows
the progress of the magnificent 21 June,
2001
solar eclipse in the clear skies over Bakasa, Zimbabwe.
These pictures were recorded using a small
reflecting telescope and
digital
camera with the approximate local time given above each frame.
A simple pair of "eclipse spectacles" were mounted
as a filter
in front of the telescope mirror and removed during
totality.
In the early and late phases of this eclipse of
the
active Sun, sunspot groups can be seen lingering on the
solar surface.
During
eclipse totality, pinkish prominences are visible at the
solar limb along with details of the normally
hidden
solar corona.
Seen from this
location, the total eclipse
phase lasted just under 3 1/2 minutes as the
Moon's shadow rushed
across northern Zimbabwe at nearly 5,000 kilometers per hour.