Total eclipse of the Sun
August 11th 1999
Paks, Hungary

Unlike most of the Europe the weather in Hungary was perfect. The total eclipse of the Sun is an "once in a lifetime" experience.
 


The technology:
My father spent two weeks building this stand. It worked very well. It was very stable and precise making tracking the Sun an easy task at all times.

 


 
 The lens is 20 years old Russian mirror lens 1100 mm, f=11.
 The camera is slightly older Practica LTL 3.
 The focusing is fully manual, the exposure too.
 The camera has manual light measurement but I rather used 5 stops bracketing.

 


The umbra is coming. Notice the darkened sky in the distance (the picture is taken looking westward).
The Sun still leaves the shadows on the ground but these pictures were taken using a flash.

 


In the meantime, let us introduce ourselves, from left to right:

  • Juraj Mucko - me
  • Josip Mucko - my father
  • }urđa Košković - my mother


  • The end of the world is very near now.


    Eclipse!
    Makes you believe in God instantly.

     



     



     



     



     


    The end of totality.
    These were the shortest 2:20 in my life.
    The Sun is comming through.

     



     


    It looks like the dawn but it's comming in much faster.

     


    Few seconds later.

     


    The partial phases.
    Taken through the Mylar filter which lets only 0.00001 of the light through.

     



     



     
     
    It's over.
    When is the next one?
    Or shall I say - Where?

    See you there!
     
     
    All pictures © 1999 by Juraj Mucko. You may use them for whatever you want but I want my name stated alongside and you should let me know that you did use them.
    juraj.mucko@gmail.com

    sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov

    www.mucko.com