On the run again,
to observe the 1999 eclipse (and from the earthquake)
After taking everything, like weather prospects, totality duration and accessibility, into account we decided to observe the 99 eclipse in Turkey.
With a rental car we drove from Istanbul to Amasya. We ended up in some sort of resort hotel (hot springs) in Terziköy. Nobody spoke anything else but Turkish and the swimming pool was only to be used by the men, but the room was clean and the surroundings were okay. Strangely enough there was no sign of the usual eclipse gadget and T-shirt sales. Apart from only a handful of foreigners nobody seemed to know that there was going to be an eclipse. It made us wonder weather we were on the right spot.
The weather looked fine but the day before the eclipse there were a (very) few clouds that worried me a bit. We drove back to Amasya and found an internet cafe (yes, there was one!). We checked and checked and all we could find out was that the sky was supposed to stay clear. We also came into contact with and American astronomer who spoke the language and she re-assured us that the sky will stay clear. So we stayed in Terziköy.
The next day I woke up early and ... fully clouded. We got up, jumped in the car and drove towards Turhal and Tokat. Hurrah, the sky cleared but we wanted to be sure the clouds stayed away so we intended to drive further on. A stop for ekmek (bread) revealed however that we had a flat tire. But the car was equipped with the proper tools and we changed the tire and drove on.
On the top of the Murat Hani in Çamlibel (the mountain ridge between Sivas and Tokat) were more people to view the eclipse so we installed ourselves on top of the opposite mountain.
The sky was clear and we could observe the eclipse under good conditions. Just before totality 5 Turks popped up at our observation site and watched the eclipse with us. I tried to video the event, but at the time of writing I don’t know what came out of that. The sound was recorded as well and we merely observed through binoculars (9 x 63).
Venus was clearly visible and the Turks were as wondered as we were. I couldn’t find Mercury because the sky was slightly covered with cirrus. Sirius and other bright stars were spotted and bright prominences were visible at the south west edge of the eclipsed sun.
As usual the eclipse was over and done before you knew it. And we went back to Terziköy to start our holiday.
We didn’t anticipate to experience an other great nature event within a week but unfortunately we were in the wrong place (near Bolu) at the wrong time during that night, the night Turkey was literally shaken awake. We woke up in the middle of the night by the earthquake. The shaking was that bad that it was impossible to keep standing up. In fact it was impossible to get out because the door entrance kept moving from left to right and back again. After this terrifying experience we heard crying and shouting and we rushed outside. It felt frightening because we didn’t understand the locals, and the after shocks were less shaky but more terrifying. Nevertheless after a few days we managed to get out of the country via Ankara, Istanbul and Munich. And now we’re home we realize how lucky we were.
Getting out alive from that earthquake and being able to observe the eclipse.
Let’s make plans for the next eclipse. We have plenty of time to recover, cause we’ll have to wait till June 2001.
LN & ...
To me it was my first eclipse. After having heard a lot about eclipses and trying to filter out some of the subjectivity of the true eclipse-aholics I dare say they actually are right; it’s an event well worth traveling around the globe for. It’s been the shortest, breathtaking 2 minutes I can recall and it takes more than just one eclipse to experience all that’s going on, so up to the next one (preferably without earthquakes or the like).
... P.