#303. Preparing for 3 Days of Darkness

By pascaljappy | How-To

Dec 19

This morning, on the school run, my daughter baffled me with the most astonishing news. It was hard for me – a veteran amateur astronomer and student of physics – to accept that a 15 year-old had learned (via Facebook, ugh) what I had failed to unearth in spite of subscriptions to numerous scientific magazines. The fact is that the young have more efficient and reliable information-sharing technology than us old farts.

So there we have it : 3, or 6?, days of total darkness due to a solar storm of unprecedented magnitude, confirmed by NASA, no less!

Copie de Eclipse_Web

What the news sites aren’t telling you, however, is what an extraordinary opportunity this is for photographers throughout the world.

So I took it as my responsibility to share my experience of similar events, such as the 2006 total solar eclipse in Turkey, above, to help everyone prepare to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Lightning in thunderstorm clouds in the shape of an eye

 

3 days or 6 ?

There seemed to be uncertainty about the actual duration of the darkness period. Happily, the answer is definitely 3.

Clay statue of faces sining in unison

This morning, I gutted 6 pigeons and one chicken (couldn’t get my hands on the 7th pigeon for the proper ritual but the McGraw-Hill Diviner’s Manual is formal that this change of species doesn’t affect the accuracy for timing of celestial objects). And their livers are unequivocal : 3 days it is. Starting, apparently, this evening. And ending at 7:22 PM EST on Dec 22nd.

 

Photo Opportunities

During a total solar eclipse, the gradual dimming of the light casts a straw-coloured veil on everything like a sepia filter on steroids. Contrasts become weird because the gradually smaller portion of the sun is creating a point-like light source that makes shadows much more delineated, though weaker. The arrival of the moon’s shadow at an incredible 1100 mph is also a sight to behold, preferably from a vantage point overlooking a valley. Then, there’s that eery silence, only broken here and there by the chanting of new-age chorusses … Oh, and sunset colours on a 360° horizon. The ambiance is absolutely magical and this will be nothing like that.

 

erie plant shadows against an orange wall

 

The information handed out states :

The world will remain, during these three days, without sunlight due to a solar storm, which will cause dust and space debris to become plentiful and thus, block 90% sunlight.

Dust and space debris. More like a volcano eruption, then.

 

Menacing clouds over a cliff in Provence

Dark skies, electric storms and most likely: UFOs.

But also aurora. These light shows from Valhalla are caused by solar wind interacting with particles high-up in our atmosphere. Usually, only a small semi-polar area of the globe located under a vulnerable belt of the Earth’s magnetic shield get exposed to the bombardment, but the ferocity of the storm announced today is such that this will occur much closer to the Equator. Red and purple auroras in Miami in mid-afternoon, anyone ?

 

Aurora over Lapland

 

Preparing

Preparation is key to success, here.

 

DSC09706-2

 

Bring a tripod. Sony’s 5-axis stabilization is a revolution second only to baked beans but you’ll definitely want to take the opportunity to try out long-exposure techniques. Just imagine: night-time conditions during the day-time. Headlight trails, skyline reflections on a flowing river, fast moving clouds of debris, all that without having to get up at night! It will be chilly, though. Pack a jumper.

 

Dead stems on a plant give it a ghostly appearance

 

Sudden arrival and sudden disappearance of said debris should also generate wind-movement on a scale ranging from bloody-windy to where’s my head?, locally pushing to where’s that building flying to ? Chain yourself comfortably to something really heavy or shoot from a perspex-roofed basement.

 

A storm brewing in the hills

 

Charging your batteries : Strong solar storms have been know to cause havoc in electrical installations. There is a way around that, if you own 2 batteries. Face East with your arms in a Y position with a battery in each hand, electric contacts facing front. The solar wind will take care of recharging the batteries in a few seconds.

 

Alectric storm simulation

 

Do not worry when the skin begins to peel off your face, that is only the natural side effect of that solar wind charging your batteries for free. Others are experiencing it too and not enjoying the free charge. DS Top Tip : wearing a few layers of tinfoil around your buttocks will provide protection to this tender supply of skin graft. For after.

 

Irridescent clouds in winter

 

And, just in case, you may want to make a few calls. You know … Dark times after all. Nothing like it since Voldemort lost it again.

 

DSC_8726

 

Slight delays to be expected

About that. We might actually lose the internet for a few days if satellites get overcooked like a Christmas turkey at a Texan Brai convention, so we might not be able to share our photos of the event any time soon.

Come to think of it, we’re most likely to cop it ourselves. And if Hollywood reportage of past global catastrophes of recent past is to be believed, the evil French will be the first to cop it. Serves them right. Then New York and the Golden Gate Bridge will be destroyed in a blast of colourful explosions as herds patriotic heroes – of eye-wateringly different social, ethnic and economic conditions –  gather to fend off the enemy. I suggest collectively huffing and puffing until we all blow the debris away. The first world-scale crowdpuffing event.  Think about it.

 

DSC06755

 

If we do survive, please share your photos. Now if you’ll excuse me I have a pastilla to prepare.

If you want to subscribe to this blog, inspite of what you just read (1) you’re nuts, (2) the form’s just below 😉

 


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  • SteveG says:

    Interesting, but…….The US space agency deviated from its usual policy of refusing to comment on hoaxes to clarify that the assertion that the Earth will suffer a six-day blackout is “absolutely false”.

    Nasa’s update read: “Since we have been receiving quite a bit of Facebook mail about this, I will answer you all here. Contrary to what you may have read or heard, Nasa has in no way issued any statement regarding three (or six) days of darkness in December due to a solar storm. All these rumours are absolutely false.”

    MH370 conspiracy theories: the best – and strangest Nasa added that it had decided to post the clarification due to the quantity of enquiries it had received. The agency advised readers to enjoy the remaining days of 2014, “all of which will include both a night- and a day-time period”.

    Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/health-science/61598/six-days-of-darkness-nasa-intervenes-but-no-sign-of-blackout#ixzz3MLpPj7KY

  • SteveG says:

    Which isn’t to say that it was a good excuse to show some quite superb photos which wouldn’t fit into a normal “Travel” subject!

  • Gina Marie says:

    Huzlers.com is a combination of urban news and satirical entertainment to keep its visitors in a state of disbelief.

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