2009 total solar eclipse over Japan marred by weather, observers still awe inspired

July 22, 2009 Total Solar Eclipse (AP Photo/Xinhua, Yang Lei)

It has been 46 years since the last total solar eclipse over Japan and people were waiting intensely. Some told reporters how they had been preparing for over half a year for the event. In the late morning the skies started to darken. Was this the effect of the eclipse? Possibly, however, the more direct cause was obviously the overcast skies.

Bad weather over Japan during the total solar eclipse

Severe weather has been plaguing Japan over the past week or so. On July 16th bad weather was the likely cause of death for ten hikers in northern Japan. On the 19th a small town in central Japan was damaged the possible rare occurrence of a tornado. Yesterday, the 21st, flooding in southern Japan killed at least six. Sadly, the weather did not let up much for the solar eclipse.

Observers still enjoy the total solar eclipse

Despite the cloudy skies, people still went outside to get whatever glimpse they could of the eclipse. Breaks in the clouds in some areas allowed for observers to cheerfully comment among each other from time to time.

Those where the weather was too bad to see the eclipse directly resigned themselves to watching the event on live TV broadcasts. Several channels had special coverage throughout the morning, with reporters in multiple places around the projected path of total eclipse.

In the areas where the eclipse dud reached totality the effects were obvious, regardless of the clouds and rain. In a matter of seconds day turned to night. The observers, many who had spent thousands of dollars, traveled hundreds of miles, and camped out for days, still oohed and aahed at the mysterious effects.

The best views of the eclipse in Japan

The luckiest eclipse observers in were probably the few that had decided to travel out into the Pacific Ocean. Media specialists who had gotten permission to film on famous, but unpopulated, island known as Iwo Jima broadcasted amazing footage to the public.

One of the major Japanese networks had reporters on a ship that traveled well out to sea. The captain of the ship, who admitted having feelings of extreme pressure, diligently maneuvered the craft around the seas under the sparse clouds to get the best view for the passengers.

When eclipse reached totality, some aboard the ship cheered, and other observed silently. At the same time hundreds of shutters began to snap. Many aboard had brought multiple cameras to get as many pictures as possible. Among the strange sights caused by the eclipse that was easily observable aboard the ship during the event was the darkness directly overhead surrounded by a faint yellow glow at the horizon in every direction.

The next total solar eclipse to hit Japan will not be for another 26 years.