Private expedition to Tikahana Motu, Tatakoto Atoll, French Polynesia
July 3rd-July 18th, 2010
Bill Speare on Tikahana Motu
While this was the 27th time I have stood in the Moon's
shadow, the total experience has to rank as one of the top three.
The pure solitude and exquisite beauty of this isolated lagoon and Motu
is forever etched in my mind. I only shot around 7-8 photos and
spent the majority of the 4.5 minutes viewing through my 10x42 Nikon
binoculars.
The
delicate coronal streamers seen at 4 and 7 o'clock with respect to the
horizon (1 o'clock and 5 o'clock in the background picture by Joe Cali)
along with the emerging
third contact diamond ring preceded by all the beautiful prominences
will forever be etched in my mind and none of the fabulous photos I've
seen can begin to compete with my visual experience. Eclipse viewing is
more addictive than being on drugs and so much healthier for ones
spirit and best of all it puts one in the company of others who share
their passion. I am counting the days until Beatties Bunch can once
again stand in the umbra under the clear skies of Northern
Australia.
God speed until we meet again.
Bill Speare
Bill with his solar mask. He has every one of his 27 eclipses printed on the front
surface of the mask and lists whether he was successful or not.
Satisfied grins from Geoff, Bill and Bengt taken just after third contact.
................
Left : The neighbouring atoll of Reao from the air gives a good impression of the typical
marine environment. Coconut stand, a short beach then a long shallow (knee deep) sand
bottomed shelf. The water becomes several meters deep where the reef grows yet remains
clear but azure blue due to the depth.
Links to individual observer's reports and photographs
TSE2010 Home Page
Group report as sent to SEML on July 14th.
Joe Cali
- Images from 70mm f6.2 APO refractor;
- full frame fisheye totality flash slide show;
- wide field time-lapse video;
- written account
of observations on
Tikahana Motu;
- pictures of shadow bands projected on clouds;
- flash gallery of pictures from the eclipse and Tatakoto
Bengt Alfredsson - Images from 200mm f2.8 APO telephoto;
- flash gallery of pictures from a great week on Tatakoto.
Larry Stevens - Images from 90mm f11 Maksutov.
& Michelle Bales (still under construction)
Matthew Poulton - Flash gallery of pictures from a fantastic week on Tatakoto
Geoff Sims - Wide field and close up stills;
- two really well-edited movies : -
-
one of the eclipse;
- one covering the eclipse and our whole week on Tatakoto.
Emily Love
- First timer's impressions of the eclipse.
Bill Speare - Written report.
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Bob Pine
- Bob's account of the eclipse from an almost deserted Tumukuru (
the town on Tatakoto).
