Stan Honda

11:11 am, MARCH 20, 2015, LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARD

Totality   (SV-01)

Progression: the sun and moon every five minutes  (SV-09)

Truly a memorable experience being in Longyearbyen, Svalbard at 78 degrees, 15 minutes north latitude, where the moons’ shadow as it obscured the sun crossed our path during the total solar eclipse of March 20, 2015. It seemed to happen in a flash: the moon almost covering the solar disk, the light on the snowy plain dimming, then suddenly it became dark and there was a black disk in the sky where the sun had been, surrounded by the shimmering corona. The whole scene seemed to be in black and white. White snow and a stark landscape provided no distractions as we viewed the spectacle in front of us. It almost seemed to take forever- when was the sun going to return?

The setting could not have been better- standing on snow covered ice, looking through a gap in the snow covered mountains of Spitsbergen Island. Many thanks to the people at Travel Quest for organizing this complicated trip and finding the perfect eclipse viewing location.

“Second contact” just before the moon covers the solar face   (SV-02)

“Third contact” as the moon starts to move away from the sun. This image was Astronomy Picture of the Day on March 21, 2015.   (SV-03)

A wide view of our spectacular site.  (SV-04)

Mid-totality   (SV-05)

Red solar prominences during totality, including a small one being flung off into space   (SV-06)

“Third contact’, the moon moves off the face of the sun   (SV-07)

A crescent appears as the moon returns the sun to us  (SV-08)