Our Experience of the Total Eclipse of The Sun
TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN
1999 11.13.41AM - 11.14.32AM PLYMOUTH U.K.
Diary entry by Neil Mawdsley at 12 noon on this same day.
The word to describe it is 'WEIRD.' - that time when the sun goes completely - the light drops like a dimmer switch - all of a sudden. Looking at the sky we saw the light visibly going down and down - within, say 10 seconds, it went to night, but an eerie light - eerie grey light - we could still see the sunlight on the horizon over Bodmin to the east, but it went colder and colder too.
The cloud formations were strange curling and ragged shapes, dark grey on light grey , like curls of smoke, going darker and darker. It came like a blanket of darkness, and the birds suddenly appeared. Flocks of birds moving west. During this totality we knew it was something special that was happening, something special in our lifetime, never to be experienced again in Britain for 90 years.
even though the grey cloud covered everything, it was still special.
Before totality, the cats started running around scared. This was about half an hour into the eclipse. They just wanted to get away, get outside, escape or something. We had to forcibly shut them in a bedroom. Did they sense or fear something?
Well, as a family, we stayed in our garden to experience the effects . away from the media hype that went on hour after hour, day after day building up to the final event itself.
Patrick Moore in Falmouth and transmissions from here there and everywhere. All in vain. It even started raining in Penzance. There were no clear pictures at all from SW England. Just cloud. The Channel Islands had some success, as had France. I caught a glimpse of the sun about 11.45am when the sun was partial again.
Afterthought: 1.45pm.
There was also a tinge of sadness.
That 'we who watched' will probably have seen our last total solar eclipse together.
It was a 'togetherness' emotional experience, never to be repeated.
Surprisingly never to be forgotten!
My digital Painting: 'Birth of the Eclipse' by Neil Mawdsley Aug.99
