Total Solar Eclipse 2008 - Russia

well lads,
my bag weighed 39.5kgs! at Cork airport, back then you were able to pool luggage around people you knew, so I shared it with Conn and his wife, otherwise I was looking at a very hefty fee.
As for Russia, my bag will be kept strictly below 20kgs, same scope setup but alot less clothes as were not staying a week there.

BTW Anthony, that must be a record for consequential posts by one person. :lol:

BTW Anthony, that must be a record for consequential posts by one person. :lol:

I apologize ... too many afterthoughts and mostly due to my frustration.

I apologize ... too many afterthoughts and mostly due to my frustration.

You're ok Anthony. Good detail in there. I find it very useful for trying to estimate exposure times.

Well I'm almost finished my equipments' list:
1) Binoculars Vixen 9X63 and Baader filters.
2) Special solar eclipse glasses.
3) My NASA hat (an alternative with Red Cross for special cases)
4) Simple tourist digital camera for people faces and reactions!

I don't worry about the corona!
Master Anthony will do a great job for once more! :shock:

I apologize ... too many afterthoughts and mostly due to my frustration.

You're ok Anthony. Good detail in there. I find it very useful for trying to estimate exposure times.

Michael,

Do yourself a big favour and get a perfect baseline exposure right now for the full disk. For example, in my case such a value is ISO 100 and 1/500th sec as per www.perseus.gr/Astro-Solar-Sunspots-2007-06-03.htm and which will need a slight adjustment due to the fact I will be using a slightly faster scope (FSQ at f5) and where I will have a new baseline estimate tomorrow during testing.

Once you have your baseline estimate, invoke exposure compensation on your camera using +/- 1/3 stop so that you will be taking all of your exposures in triplicate and you will always have a perfect exposure from one of these three exposures. At the same time, invoke the histogram option so that you will be able to study the histogram for each photograph taken with your ultimate goal being a histogram which covers approximately 3/4 of the horizontal axis and thus yielding good dynamic range and certainly no clipping on the far right (ie. burning).

As the phases progress, you will be okay since the exposure compensation will cover you. However, once the phase is between full disk and half-disk, adjust downward by 1/3 or 2/3 stops so as to now also be okay for the next set of exposures. Once you reach half-disk, another downward change by 1/3 or 2/3 stops. Ditto for between half disk and no disk ... once we approach totality, make sure you are shooting around 1/60th since we will now be close to the diamond-ring effect and whose proper exposure is 1/60th plus or minus 1/3 stop (thanks to EC, we are covered).

As for totality, this is were all the action is .... start low (ex. 3.2 seconds) with EC still activated and move upwards and towards 1/1000th so that you will also catch prominences. When changing the exposure settings here, we have the advantage of the EC having captured additional intermediate exposures for us and, as such, we change the setting by three clicks. In other words, if we start at 3.2 seconds, EC will capture for us 2.5, 3.2 and 4.0 seconds ... therefore, our next setting will NOT be from 3.2 to 2.5 but from 3.2 to 1.5 since with a baseline of 1.5 secs, EC will now get us 1.2, 1.5 and 2.0 ... and similarly for the balance where we click three settings.

When done with totality, immediately get back to 1/60th sec (again with EC in effect) so that you will be ready for the next diamond-ring ... and the rest with the phases is as per the above.

If you are with me when we are shooting, I can work with you by letting you know my exposure settings and whenever I proceed with a change in settings.

As for processing, here is some info which may be of interest: www.perseus.gr/Astro-Tips-Solar-Process.htm .

Anthony et all,
(and that guy, Effremidis)

the pricelist for renting or buying TAL telescopes has been announced by the Novosibirsk Instrument-Making Plant .
They have also said that the main sales/renting site in Novosibirsk city, is going to be the local team's football stadium!