(1st contact is in about an hour). Enough time to find a spot next to the river, with a bridge in the foreground. A welder is working on the bridge. Most of us set up camp in a grassy circle. Much setting up of equipment. Several of us less technical people visit the mosque. After removing our shoes at the exit we admire the intricate paterns in purple and blue of the tiles and carpets.
12.38 1st contact viewed through Donald’s reflector telescope – 7 o clock position, 5 o clock through the protective glasses. Four sunspots visible near right limb. Donald is typical of the party, willing to help and share knowledge with the less knowledgable of us.
13.00 An Italian from our hotel shows us the pinhole camera effect of the sun projected on to a sheet of paper. A Swede shows us protective glasses dated June 1954 which he had used for that eclipse. I remembered that eclipse as a large partial in Suffolk. I wandered off to get some champagne from a local restaurant. After much haggling over price I found that they had only red wine. Left empty handed. Crescent shaped leaf shadows are visible on the path.
At 13.15 it is noticeably cooler and wispy clouds have formed. I will need a pullover on soon. Call to prayer from the mosque. Local people have joined us, showing interest in observing the eclipse. At about 13.40, Maurice points out that shadows have become very sharp as the the sun is becoming more of a point source of light.
Stopped taking notes. It is getting darker. The sun is becoming a thinner and thinner crescent, then suddenly there is a diamond ring which seems to last for seconds but quickly disappears. The corona bursts out around the dark moon. Wow ! There are gasps and applause. It is magnificent. We look upwards. Someone points out Venus, Mars and Saturn are now visible. I can only spot Venus low in the west. The sky is quite dark. The street lights have switched on. Through all this the welder is still working on the bridge. The light from his blowlamp is clearly visible. He seems to be unaware of the eclipse. During totality I could not see any prominences with the naked eye but I am told some were visible through binoculars.
The sky is getting brighter in the west. The almost four minutes of totality will soon be over. The diamond ring appears. Totality is over and daylight reappears. Within 10 minutes most people have dispersed. Theresa, Edward and I go to a café for a drink. We are too emotionally exhausted to eat.
Thanks to the Cardiff Astronomical Society for enabling me to experience this magnificent event.
David Smith, Bury St Edmunds 7.4.06