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Duncan
Lunan Duncan Lunan, Flat 65, Dalriada
House, 56 Blythswood Court, Anderston, Glasgow, G2 7PE
(0141-221-7658). Sailing for Le Havre at 7.45 a.m., we
were far from sure what if anything we would see. There were
blue patches above us, but broken cloud covered more than
nine- tenths of the sky. The P & O ferry was at capacity
and by the time I reached the top deck every chair was
taken. I latched on to a place at a corner of the rail and
resolved to hang on to it despite a stiff cold breeze and an
ever-growing number of people pressing for space. I had been waiting for this eclipse
for over forty years and was determined to try and see it,
at least. By First Contact just after 10 a.m. we were under
a clear sky and with protective glasses the advance of the
Moon on to the Sun's disc was easily followed. The Captain
of the Pride of Portsmouth told us we'd be on the centre
line of totality at 11.18 a.m., and tension mounted rapidly
after eleven as it became obvious we were approaching a
thick bank of cloud. Even at 11.10, as temperatures dropped
and the sky drew dark astern, it looked as if we wouldn't
make it. At 11.15 it was touch and go, but the
Captain was aiming for a patch of clear sky just ahead. The
Sun was now a very small crescent shrinking fast, and
through brilliant seamanship it came clear of cloud, to loud
cheers, just as we caught the 'Diamond Ring' effect through
a last valley on the lunar rim. Within two seconds the
eclipse was total and the corona, filled with streamers,
blossomed around the dark disc. Pink prominences could be
seen around the rim and there was barely time to focus
binoculars before having to put them down for safety. A
friend spotted Venus through surrounding clouds but I missed
it - to be honest I had eyes only for the Sun. Just moments
to look at the extraordinary blues and yellows of the
horizon around us, then the Diamond Ring again and we were
left shaking with cold, buffeted by the wind and very, very
happy to have seen it. Return to September 1999
Spacereport
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