Cosmos is always in Motion
Sometimes it is fast like a meteor flash, sometimes it is as slow as a planet's movement. Often we can't see this motion with our eyes. Only a camera and a long image sequence can capture this movement.
But the Earth is in motion too. It rotates around its own axis and around the Sun. So, even if the weather is good it's often impossible to capture an astronomical event from the beginning until the end.
August 1-st, 2008 total solar eclipse animation project
Current animaton version: totality near Novosibirsk, Russia. 46 frames
On the 1-st of August, 2008 inhabitants of the Earth could see one of the most rare beautiful and exciting astronomical phenomenon - the total solar eclipse.
New astronomical animation project is launched and it is focused on the solar eclipse. All astronomers who was lucky to watch and take photographs of the eclipse are invited to contribute to the animation. If you would like to submit your photos of the eclipse please send them to motioncosmos@gmail.com.
All collected data will be processed and will result in an animation that will show the eclipse in motion. This animation will keep unique impressions that can be only achieved during the eclipse totality. As the totality occurs very briefly, animation will help to bring back the few minutes of the total phase and share them with a person who was not in the umbra path.
On this page you can see the current animation version. Animation timescale is not linear: the time follow speed is reduced for the totality. The source photos credit: "Ka-Dar" observatory; "IzhAstro" astronomical club; Meteoweb.ru project.
You can also download high quality animation:
You can see other eclipse animations at the project's gallery page.
QuickTime-player required for animation viewing.
Photos which are necessary for the animation
- any photos made during the total phase of the eclipse
- any photos of the Sun made during the partial phases of the eclipse
- any photos of the Moon made in July/August 2008
- any photos of the Sun made during the eclipse (9:28UT - 11:18UT) out of the eclipse area
The photos of the starry background visible during eclipse are extremely interesting as the Sun was near M44 (Beehive Cluster) - beautiful open cluster in Cancer. The photos made by Fred Bruenjes during a total solar eclipse prove that stars up to ninth magnitude could be captured.