flash spectrum ...photography by Robert B Slobins |
General
Galleries
Solar Corona, Kamilonga Farm - Zambia 21 June 2001
Previous |
|
Next |
This next eclipse was at the winter solstice. Skies were severe clear and dry, our altitude was at 1000 meters. Our only problem was that neighboring farmers were burning their fields. However, the images show no evidence of smoke. Visibility of celestial plasmas like the solar corona and comets depends as much on conditions in the high atmosphere as it does on local situations.
Solar cycle 23 had peaked, but the corona still shows the round, spiky shape typical of this part of the solar cycle. Later that year and through 2005, the sun produced some major flares and coronal mass ejections triggering major geomagnetic storms and polar light displays.