In a message dated 9/25/2005 1:39:32 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, javiru@able.es writes: >>will the sky darken enough at the peak of the event to allow for naked-eye observations of LEO objects? <-- That is the great question.<< There was a annular eclipse here in San Diego several years ago (1995 or thereabouts). The sun set while still eclipsed as a much-touted "ring of fire" event. Unfortunately, even the small amount of sun showing around the moon was far too dazzling to look at directly and we had to follow the eclipse by projecting the sun's image onto a white sheet of paper through binoculars (one half covered with a lens cap). There was noticeable but slight ambient dimming, though absolutely no darkness, visible stars, etc. It was practically the same as full daylight. The only time you could look at the sun directly was when it was actually setting, and even then only for a few seconds, barely enough time to see the annular effect. To see the annular effect directly you'll need to view the sun through a fairly thick cloud cover, or with darkened filters. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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