I did hear though that there would be "viewing equipment" available up on Armour Hill, here in Peterborough. Alex happened to be here for a short visit, so I dragged him along with me.
A moderate-sized crowd had already gathered when we arrived to view the eclipse and quite a few more kept coming, the closer we got to complete eclipse - which here, was only 68%.
The equipment was in the form of numerous telescopes set up by The Peterborough Astronomical Association (PAA) for public viewing. They had also been handing out a few hundred pairs of glasses but had run out before we got there.
We each took peeks through the telescopes and through glasses which so many people kindly offered to share.
At least one of the telescopes had a camera mounted on it which was showing images in real time. You can see the camera right near the man with his arms folded.
I decided to snap a photo of what that camera was seeing.
One of the PAA's devices was a handheld circular protective lens which we could not only peer through but also snap photos through it.
Kids took their turns at the telescopes. It wasn't always easy to focus on it right away - you needed to move around a bit to find it which made it a bit tough for the kidlets whose natural tendency was to grab the viewfinder and move it.
By the time we were much of the way through it, we could see the changes in the colour of the surrounding landscape. Everything was a little more saturated like it gets a couple of hours before sunset - but in the early afternoon. In that lovely light, scenes like this were everywhere. Parents and grandparents helping little ones to see the eclipse safely.
Here again, is that homemade, handheld lens which allows you to look and take photos through it. Had I known that, I'd have brought a more suitable camera lens.
I gave it a try anyway and had less-than-stellar but good-enough results. Here are a few shots Photoshopped into one image. Pictures were taken at the half-hour mark, one hour (with clouds passing by), about ten minutes from totality, a couple of minutes from and right at totality (68% here).
It was great fun to witness it and to record it. Thanks, Peterborough Astronomical Association!
How was it in your part of the continent?
