The car was packed with two telescopes, two deck chairs, two cameras and a picnic for two astronomers.
The early morning mist had burnt away to reveal a glorious sunny Pembrokeshire morning... NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY!
Helen and I made our way along the Cardigan road, we had the idea of stopping at the ancient burial chamber at Pentre Ifan...
As we neared Maenclochog we decided to forget about Pentre Ifan and take a detour to Mynachlog-ddu to set up camp at Carreg Waldo.
Carreg Waldo is probably one of the best sites in the whole of Pembrokeshire for astronomical observing; there are very few street lights to spoil the night time viewing.
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| Carn Menyn |
To the North you can see Carn Menyn, source of the Bluestones of Stonehenge.
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| Cwm Cerwyn |
North West and to the highest peak in Pembrokeshire, Cwm Cerwyn.
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| Looking East |
Moonrises can be spectacular over those hills, and the Moonlight of a Mynachlog-ddu Autumn is especially magical!
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| Looking South - Carreg Waldo |
It was an amazing event, the sky gods behaved and the whole eclipse was bathed in a backdrop of faded-blue sky.
The surrounding landscape, including the distant low-lying haze, exhibited a brownish tinge (the eclipse of 1999 exhibited a greenish tinge) for roughly half an hour each side of the maximum phase.
This eclipse was also memorable for its drop in temperature, much more pronounced than any other partial eclipse I have witnessed.
08h40m temperature was 9.5 degrees C
09h38m temperature was 4.7 degrees C
09h43m temperature was 4.8 degrees C
09h53m temperature was 5.9 degrees C
10h15m temperature was 9.7 degrees C
Here's a black and white photo taken with the C8 Schmidt Celestron.
Plus a photo montage of several shots.
What a wonderful unforgettable solar morning.
