Starship Asterisk*

A Total Eclipse at the End of the World

Explanation: Would you go to the end of the world to see a total eclipse of the Sun? If you did, would you be surprised to find someone else there already? In 2003, the Sun, the Moon, Antarctica, and two photographers all lined up in Antarctica during an unusual total solar eclipse. Even given the extreme location, a group of enthusiastic eclipse chasers ventured near the bottom of the world to experience the surreal momentary disappearance of the Sun behind the Moon. One of the treasures collected was the featured picture -- a composite of four separate images digitally combined to realistically simulate how the adaptive human eye saw the eclipse. As the image was taken, both the Moon and the Sun peeked together over an Antarctic ridge. In the sudden darkness, the magnificent corona of the Sun became visible around the Moon. Quite by accident, another photographer was caught in one of the images checking his video camera. Visible to his left are an equipment bag and a collapsible chair. A more easily visible solar eclipse will occur in just under four weeks and be visible from a long, thin swath of North America.

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A friend of mine, Tora Greve, who is now pushing eighty, was one of the persons who saw the solar eclipse in Antarctica of 2003. She flew there on a Russian freight plane, because no other transportation was available.

Tora has seen 23 solar eclipses all over the world. Naturally she went back to Antarctica for the 2021 eclipse.



It goes without saying that she is going to see the upcoming eclipse as well. Not sure if she will be seeing it in Europe (Spain or Iceland) or if she will be seeing it in the United States.

Ann

What a laughably bad example of photo manipulation! It is completely unrealistic.

aljo wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:56 am What a laughably bad example of photo manipulation! It is completely unrealistic.

I was present when my friend Tora Greve showed us pictures that she had taken during her 2003 visit to Antarctica to see the solar eclipse. She showed us other people's pictures too, and she showed us the picture that is today's APOD. She gave us details on her visit, explained to us what Antarctica had been like and what the solar eclipse was like.

So I'm afraid you're wrong. Today's APOD is most certainly not a fake. And if you find the picture unrealistic, maybe that's because you haven't been to Antarctica during a solar eclipse.

Ann

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 8:34 am So I'm afraid you're wrong. Today's APOD is most certainly not a fake. And if you find the picture unrealistic, maybe that's because you haven't been to Antarctica during a solar eclipse.

Ann

I suggest that you look here for the unmanipulated image:

http://www.moonglow.net/eclipse/2003nov23/updates.html

You will see that the moon's disk has been blackened in the APOD so that it looks very wrong (and I have seen two total eclipses). The sky in front of the moon is actually no darker than the rest of the sky, as the unmodified photos illustrate.

aljo wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 9:04 am

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 8:34 am So I'm afraid you're wrong. Today's APOD is most certainly not a fake. And if you find the picture unrealistic, maybe that's because you haven't been to Antarctica during a solar eclipse.

Ann

I suggest that you look here for the unmanipulated image:

http://www.moonglow.net/eclipse/2003nov23/updates.html

You will see that the moon's disk has been blackened in the APOD so that it looks very wrong (and I have seen two total eclipses). The sky in front of the moon is actually no darker than the rest of the sky, as the unmodified photos illustrate.

Okay. It's good that you explained what you don't like about the APOD.

You talked about "the sky in front of the moon". I don't know what you mean by that, but it is clear that the unlit lunar disk in front of the Sun looks darker than anything else in the picture. I agree that this is strange, although it is perhaps possible that the solar corona lights up the ground just enough to make the snowy and highly reflective landscape a tad brighter than the dark face of the Moon (which would not be lit up by the corona).

Ann

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:25 am

A Total Eclipse at the End of the World. Image Credit & Copyright: Fred Bruenjes (moonglow.net)

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Tora Greve, originally from Norway but living in Malmö and a friend of mine, was one of the people who watched the solar eclipse of 2003 in Antarctica.

---

A friend of mine, Tora Greve, who is now pushing eighty, was one of the persons who saw the solar eclipse in Antarctica of 2003. She flew there on a Russian freight plane, because no other transportation was available.

Tora has seen 23 solar eclipses all over the world. Naturally she went back to Antarctica for the 2021 eclipse.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

It goes without saying that she is going to see the upcoming eclipse as well. Not sure if she will be seeing it in Europe (Spain or Iceland) or if she will be seeing it in the United States.

Ann

Really? Going all that way to UK or Iceland just for a partial solar eclipse at her age? And I'm sure she has seen partial solar eclipses many, many times! That's some real passion there. A trip to North America is definitely worth it though.

Rauf wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 10:14 am

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:25 am

A Total Eclipse at the End of the World. Image Credit & Copyright: Fred Bruenjes (moonglow.net)

---

Tora Greve, originally from Norway but living in Malmö and a friend of mine, was one of the people who watched the solar eclipse of 2003 in Antarctica.

---

A friend of mine, Tora Greve, who is now pushing eighty, was one of the persons who saw the solar eclipse in Antarctica of 2003. She flew there on a Russian freight plane, because no other transportation was available.

Tora has seen 23 solar eclipses all over the world. Naturally she went back to Antarctica for the 2021 eclipse.

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

It goes without saying that she is going to see the upcoming eclipse as well. Not sure if she will be seeing it in Europe (Spain or Iceland) or if she will be seeing it in the United States.

Ann

Really? Going all that way to UK or Iceland just for a partial solar eclipse at her age? And I'm sure she has seen partial solar eclipses many, many times! That's some real passion there. A trip to North America is definitely worth it though.

Oh no, she won't go abroad for a partial solar eclipse. The United States it is, then!

Ann

The eclipse will also be visible in eastern Canada, Ann, which might make for shorter flights for your friend.

Rob

Ann wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 8:34 am

aljo wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:56 am What a laughably bad example of photo manipulation! It is completely unrealistic.

I was present when my friend Tora Greve showed us pictures that she had taken during her 2003 visit to Antarctica to see the solar eclipse. She showed us other people's pictures too, and she showed us the picture that is today's APOD. She gave us details on her visit, explained to us what Antarctica had been like and what the solar eclipse was like.

So I'm afraid you're wrong. Today's APOD is most certainly not a fake. And if you find the picture unrealistic, maybe that's because you haven't been to Antarctica during a solar eclipse.

Ann

There is no reason to classify it as fake. But it is badly processed. The eclipsed Sun should be about the same intensity as the sky away from the corona. Not black.