ANTARCTICA 2003

To see the eclipse of November 23, we must break both rules.

There's nowhere to park a 747 on the path of totality. And one limerick is not enough for any eclipse trip, so we need several on the day.

Our Qantas charter out of Melbourne is the longest domestic flight in the history of aviation (13 hours 58 minutes) although when we take off (2 am) the screen says "distance to destination 0 km".

Lack of sleep is a problem. "I'll catch a few hours on the way down". Ha ha ha. Too much happening—talks by astronomers and Antarctic scientists, setting up equipment, listening to traveller's tales of past shadow-chasing.

Several thousands of kilometres later, a marvellous eclipse. Lots of solar activity, so the corona is extensive. Those who have dark-adapted their eyes see streamers out to three or four diameters. Venus and Mercury are clearly visible until well after third contact. We are above most of the atmosphere and the inner corona seems brighter than usual.

Near the points of second and third contact, there are deep valleys on the moon. Perhaps for this reason, we see brilliant diamond rings for several seconds at both points.

Of course it's a marvellous eclipse. They all are. How to compare them? Do the diamond rings make this one the best?

Three solar system bodies moving inexorably into line, all moving at high speed, all appearing to move slowly because of the distance—the sun, the moon, and our aircraft, in what feels like low earth orbit at 70 degrees south and 40,000 feet.

I really couldn't be wearier,
But I also couldn't be cheerier.
Yea verily I knowest
That we were the lowest,
But our conjunction was no way inferior.

Some people fly to Antarctica again and again, and it's easy to see why. The scenery is as awesome as they will tell you. Even the icebergs are interesting. They seem to have individual personalities, with their square-cut faces and crocodile backs. Groups of icebergs, stuck in a smooth field of ice, might be manoeuvering for position in some long, slow sporting event, frozen in place for the moment by the referee's whistle of winter.

But I'll go to the next eclipse instead of back to the bergs.

Antarctica's great in the summer,
And the scenery's far from a bummer.
Plenty of ice,
All very nice,
But I'll stick to chasing the umbra.

A few hours after our return to Melbourne, a party at a Greek restaurant with eclipse chasers from the Astronomical Society of Victoria, the Canberra Astronomical Society, and visitors from the USA. Time for a final reflection on what sort of a day it's been, and where things come from.

On a US-made 747,
Champagne from France—ten or eleven
Greek food from here,
Victorian beer,
And the eclipse came straight out of heaven.

Go to next eclipse--South Pacific Ocean 2005

Back to previous eclipse--Ceduna 2002

Links to other accounts of this eclipse