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Simon is Eclipsed
Eclipse, St Agnes, August 11th 1999 11:12hrs
With my family living in Cornwall, I just HAD to go and visit them for the Total Eclipse.  I stood on St. Agnes Beacon (623ft) with my sister Biddi, my Mum and 1000 other people for the most thrilling moment of the year.   My mum remembers the last Eclipse (1927) and my dad saw it in Yorkshire that year - but stayed at home to see it safely on the TV this time.

Oh, we didn't see totality - too cloudy - but the EXPERIENCE was sheer magic.  I will never forget that peculiar SILVER light that replaced the sunlight and invaded the blackness that the passing moon was trying cover us with.  On the horizon, the strange orange glow twixt planet and atmosphere, which could be seen in every direction.  The view from St Agnes Beacon extends South West beyond St. Ives, then South to Carn Brea, East towards the Truro River, South East to the Clay heaps inland of St Austell, North East to Bodmin Moor, and North to Padstow  with Newquay and Perranporth completing the circle. 

The event only lasted about one minute, but will NOT be equalled in my lifetime.  I shared the moment when the sun returned and champagne corks popped on St. Agnes Beacon, people cheered.  It was joy.

I will always remember the SILVER light and the ORANGE glow, and I wished that I could capture those.  Recently I found the photographs below that DO capture these lights, and they were photographed within one mile of where I stood.  Thanks Guys.

click pictures for a larger image

Totality approaches Wheal Coates Mine
Wheal Coates Mine, 11:10hrs
Totality
Totality comes
Totality
Totality looking inland
With thanks to:
 Kryss Katsiavriades (© 1999)
Photographs:
Totality scenes by Emma Adamou
Coastal views by John Mears
Partially eclipsed Sun by Bob Snell
Totality plus 5secs
5secs into Totality; virtual night
Last seconds of Totality
30secs before the end of Totality
Both of these pictures taken on Carn Brea by Thomas Smid whose copyright I acknowledge, and whose website may be seen by this link.  Thank you
Eclipse over St Breock Down
Eclipse at St Breock Down
(click to enlarge)
See also the fascinating website of MJ Powell with many fascinating facts and impressions of the Cornish 1999 eclipse.
The path of the 1999 Eclipse over Cornwall
How the eclipse passed over Cornwall
(see St Agnes, centre top, Carn Brea between Camborne Redruth)
This map was stolen from KryssTal website
and I thank  Kryss Katsiavriades and Talaat Qureshi.for their work.
  Albums RedSimon  

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