ASIAN ECLIPSE '95 |
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A spectacular Voyage to Darkness in the exotic South China Sea aboard the Orient Line M/V Marco Polo October 12 ― October 28, 1995 
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 AN ECLIPSE RENDEZVOUS AT SEA: |
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| On Tuesday October 24, 1995 a total eclipse of the sun was observed at sea from the decks of the luxury liner Marco Polo. At totality, the ship was positioned west of Borneo in the South China Sea, very close to the point of maximum totality--latitude 7° 24.5'N--longitude 115° 15.3'E. Photo by astrophotographer George Keene shot on Kodak Ektachrome Film, ISO 400, 4-inch f/9 lens. 1/30th second: The middle corona shown typical of a sunspot minimum; solar magnetic field causes polar "spikes" in the corona at upper left and lower right. |
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Post Eclipse Flag Raising Ceremony |
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 This eclipse flag has proudly flown from the masts of ships of all previous Pedas-Sigler Voyage to Darkness solar eclipse expeditions. |
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ASIAN ECLIPSE '95 SOLAR ECLIPSE STAFF  From left rear to right front: Dr. Edwin C. Krupp, Ben de Haas, Ted Pedas, Dr. Patrick Moore, Dr. Ronald A. Parise, Captain Roland Andersson, Staff Captain Rajko Zupan. Missing from photo: Dr. Edward M. Brooks, George T. Keene, Robin Rector Krupp, Marcy Pedas Sigler, and Cruise Director David Lawton. |
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Asian Eclipse '95 Meteorology |
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| The Voyage to Darkness Total Solar Eclipse Cruise of October 24, 1995 was on the Marco Polo in the South China Sea. We had the choice of either the W or E side, both of which were subject to showers of convection over the warm sea surface. The advantage of the west side was a short trajectory of air across water if winter monsoon type wind prevailed in Vietnam. The advantage of the east side was less convection in the western N. Pacific HIGH pressure areas outflow because their trade winds have an inversion of stable air about 1 or 2 miles above sea level. In comparison, the E side advantage of less instability was more important than the shorter duration of rapid evaporation on the W side. On the day of an eclipse the area available for last minute adjustment of a ship's location must be as large as possible. We had the choice of staying immediately off the coast of Borneo or sailing further off shore. Due to a reef just offshore and parallel to the coast, we knew that the near shore motion of the ship could only be 1-dimensional, whereas on the outside of the reef it would be 2-dimensional. To get around the reef, it was better to go toward the SSW, where the water was deeper than it was to the NNE. At the first contact, the ship was heading steadily toward the S. Cumulonimbus clouds were boiling upward just to the west, but there was time enough to get out of their way before totality. Just before totality, a small cloud suddenly covered the sun. Many observers thought that 2nd contact (totality) had occurred too soon, but were relieved when the sun made a quick comeback just before the real 2nd contact. Complete success followed with clouds blotting out the sun again only after 3rd contact when the totality was over. --Edward Brooks |
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