This story must start from yesterday...
07.21, the day before the solar eclipse. When I woke up in the morning, the sun was already shining through the window. Although the weather forecast for today and tomorrow predicted cloudy skies, seeing this scene filled me with hope.
By nightfall, I was lying on the rooftop under the starry sky, counting the stars and looking forward to good weather tomorrow. Suddenly, a classmate called, and I invited him over to observe together (in a radius of several miles, mine was the only relatively advanced equipment). Feeling quite excited, I set up my telescope and aimed it at Jupiter...
07.22, the day finally arrived. The alarm clock woke me up at 5:00 AM. I originally wanted to see Venus and Mars at this time, but still feeling sleepy and lazy, I went back to bed, ZZZ...
After sleeping for more than two more hours, I had just gotten up when my classmate arrived (He rode his bicycle from 5 kilometers away at just 7 o’clock, impressive!). However, seeing the sky full of thick clouds, our excitement seemed to vanish completely. We had no choice but to turn on the TV and follow the reports from various stations. Our equipment on the rooftop was still waiting for us, so we quickly ate breakfast and rushed upstairs. Next, we familiarized ourselves with the equipment.
I prepared a 60/900 telescope, filters, solar filter films, and several pairs of sunglasses (enough for two or three people).
Another classmate called to ask about the situation. But here, it was still covered in thick clouds, and I was at a loss. However, my classmate reported that the sun was shining very hot there, which made me both annoyed and envious... I even thought about moving our observation site.
Standing on the rooftop, looking at the clouds obscuring the sun, I felt an indescribable gloom. I even thought: If I can’t see it today, I’ll have to wait until next January. But I still waited with hope, expecting a miracle to happen. At 8:30, the solar eclipse had already begun, but we still couldn’t see the sun or the moon here. Suddenly, a ray of sunlight broke through. I quickly looked up and found that a piece of the sun was indeed missing, but before I could aim my telescope at it, the clouds covered the sun again. My companion and I both complained, but in our hearts, we knew that that single ray of sunlight had undoubtedly given us the greatest hope.
Around 8:50, the clouds finally began to disperse slowly, and we could clearly see a sun that looked like the moon. By this time, my 60/900 was already aimed at it, and its image could be seen clearly. My goodness! This was the first solar eclipse I have seen in my life! Taking off the filter film, I found it impossible to notice the missing piece of the sun with the naked eye. No wonder only the two of us were observing in solitude in this area! There were no sounds of surprise or cheering. I observed the sun while wearing two pairs of black sunglasses at the same time (not very standard, but it worked).
Looking down from the rooftop, I suddenly discovered that the water used for irrigation in front of the door actually reflected the sun clearly, and it wasn’t that piercing to the eyes. I quickly called my mother to put on sunglasses and look at the water. Although she is over 40 years old, I believe this was the first time my mother saw a solar eclipse. Look how excited she was; she even called her colleagues to come and see!
This was our busiest time. We were running between the rooftop to watch with our own eyes and downstairs to watch the live broadcast; it was exhausting. We were covered in sweat, but it was from running, not from the sun. By 9:30, thin clouds blocked a lot of sunlight, and at this time, the moon-like sun could be seen even with the naked eye. Finally, a loading worker by the road shouted to his companion: “Look at that sun, it looks just like the moon!” They also started to pay attention to us.
Time passed slowly. Around 10:20, we took a final satisfying look at the sun. Then we moved the equipment back, went downstairs, and continued to follow the live internet broadcasts...
It is now afternoon. A quick Google search reveals countless reports, pictures, and videos. During this total solar eclipse, many websites conducted exclusive live broadcasts, such as Sina, Google, the National Astronomical Observatories, and so on. We sincerely thank them for their contributions. I am also looking forward to the detailed report in the next issue of Amateur Astronomer.
Let’s look forward to the next solar eclipse like this. On January 15, 2010, at 17:00, we will see a partial solar eclipse (some areas may see an annular solar eclipse).
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