Changing over plans many times, I settled on a trip to Mo He at the most northern village of the Chinese Arctic. At a latitude of 53 degrees and 26 minutes north and a longitude of 122 degrees and 19 minutes east, totality would be about 2 minutes 42 seconds and with a sun altitude of 22 degrees.
Together with 3 other members of the Eclipse Section, VVS Belgium, Valentin and Rita Kinet and Wasyl Moszowski, we left Brussels for a 4 days trip to the north of China. We were at our observation place for 4 days and had continuous blue skies. Comet Hale-Bopp could be observed during evening and morning skies in all its beauty. Dark and clear skies of which many can only dream about. It was promising for the total solar eclipse of March 9.
We could observe the total solar eclipse in terrific sky conditions. The shadow bands were visible 8 minutes before totality. The contrast of the 15 to 20 centimeter wide bands increased towards totality. The overall white snow and ice coverage at the Siberian-Chinese border (Heilongjiang river) was an advantage. The Baily's beads at second contact were bright and were followed by a diamond ring. The bright corona was asymmetric shaped with a large sharp streamer at the western side and a wider streamer at the eastern side. A loop prominence being at 11 o'clock and a regular prominence at 2 o'clock. I made visual observation with a C90 focal length 1000mm and magnification of 56 times. During totality Mercury, Venus and Jupiter were visible. Wasyl Moszowski saw Hale-Bopp too.
Valentine made pictures with a 400mm tele while Wasyl used a wide angle lens. I did not take pictures with the C90 because the telescope was completely frozen. I could not take the risk of getting the camera properly re-focused during assembly. The heater pads did not work with these low temperatures. They were even frozen to the telescope though they were expected to be heated up to 50 degrees Celsius.
During the eclipse I made measurements of the sky brightness and of the temperature. The temperature dropped from minus 14 degrees Celsius a half an hour before first contact (in the sun) to minus 30 degrees during totality!!! It's a drop of 16 degrees Celsius and men can say extreme temperatures. But the sight was superb. The sky was not as dark as expected. While normally the sky is dark blue and gray tinted, now it was clear blue. The horizon was still lightened and reddish, although the path was 370 kilometers wide on that side. The dictaphone I used had a thick layer of ice due to my condensed breath. I noticed afterwards it did not function from 10 minutes before second contact until 5 minutes after totality when I was warming up again in the jeep.
Totality went fast and the diamond ring at third contact was long and very bright. Just before that, there was a larger prominence. I was expecting a double diamond ring due to the lunar profile, but I could not see it. The shadow bands immediately after third contact were spectacular. They moved very very fast and were like a horizontal rain shower falling in my direction. I could compare them with the picture of the Leonids storm of 1966. Fascinating and a view which I will never forget. The movement slowed down into the regular shadow bands movement and disappeared after all due to the lower contrast. The totality was over...
Valentin's hands were nearly frozen and he barely reached the jeep due to beginning frost bite. I could not open or close anything with my left hand in which I continuously held the dictaphone. The de-freezing process of our hands was very painful. But ... we made it. After all we are all in good health and were glad we witnessed this most spectacular and beautiful total solar eclipse.
The next day we travelled back to Beijing for a two day visit and a well deserved sauna, massage and lots of beer.
Patrick Poitevin
Chairman, Eclipse Section, VVS Belgium
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