Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

    It was thirteen years ago today that many people went to the Big Island of Hawaii to catch the solar eclipse of the sun. This was the first total solar eclipse to occur in Hawaii since the 1850s (or was it 1860s)... I planned a long time for this and went to the so called "clear zone" in Waikoloa that morning.

    Clear zone my foot....

    Right at totality a big cloud rolled in and covered the entire moment of totality for me and thousands of others who waited the night out in Waikoloa to see this cosmic event. Needless to say I was disappointed. I did get some pictures but none during totality.

    People in other parts of the Big Island fared a little better. I later found out that the entire Hamakua Coast and Hilo were rained out. People in North Kohala, Kona and parts of Waimea got to see totality after the clouds broke just in time for them.

    Where were you on the day of totality?

    Planning to see the next total solar eclipse in Hawaii? You have to set your grandkids up for this one... it won't happen until May 3, 2106!
    I'm still here. Are you?

  • #2
    Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

    Walking out the front door on Oahu to take my folks to the airport on their way to Maui. Cloudy as the devil and we didn't see a thing.
    http://www.linkmeister.com/wordpress/

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

      I was at my apartment in Honolulu at the time. Took a couple of hours vacation from work. Had the TV on tuned to KHON, the VCR was recording the event and I was laying in my bed. For some bizzare reason I doozed off and when I awoke the newscasters said it was over.

      I never bothered to play that tape.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

        I was getting married on July 6th, 1991, a few days before the eclipse, and I knew it would happen during our honeymoon. Unfortunately I was late on scrambling for Big Island reservations, so I disappointedly settled for a couple of days on Maui. The day before, we drove out to Hana and spent a few hours sleeping in a small hotel there. At 4:00 in the morning, we woke up, ready to drive down the coast to get to that tiny little slice of the zone of totality at the southeast end of the island. It was raining HARD, but I put on my happy face and tried to hope for the best. We drove slowly through the wet predawn dark, but only got a few miles further before a park ranger in a rain slicker motioned us into a roadside campground. There were maybe a dozen cars there. We all sat in our cars, dozing and listening to a Big Island radio station.

        The sun came up - or at least, the black outside turned to gray. The rain slowed down - a hopeful sign! Then on the radio, the Big Island folks started reporting that they could see some action, and I craned my head up at the overcast sky. The radio voices started cheering, and I got out of the car (it was still drizzling) to see what I could see. Then... the sky got dark again! Just for a minute, or maybe even less, but it got dark! The birds, who had started cheeping, stopped for a bit! Then it lightened back up and it was all over. In spite of the lousy weather, I was actually excited. Yay! I'd been in an eclipse! I stood there for another minute, exhilarated and disappointed all at once, then got back into the car. My beautiful, sleepy bride looked at me with amused toleration (a look I was to get to know all too well) and said, "Are we done now? Let's get going."

        And that was it.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

          You know, I have a videotape that's labeled "1991 Eclipse," but I don't really remember what's on it, or what we saw.

          I know we tried to watch it from our backyard in Mililani, but apart from the sudden dimming of the sunlight and some odd reactions by neighborhood animals, I'm pretty sure that it was overcast and we couldn't see the sun.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

            It's good to know that I wasn't the only one that did not actually see the eclipse. However I along with many others spent a lot of money just to be there (had to fly over from HNL to the Big Island to see this, but luckily my parents live on the Big Island).... still to see the sky roll black and off in the distance you could still see a sliver of sunlight surrounding us was simply awesome.

            What I ended up doing was also recording the KHON TV News coverage of the eclipse on the VCR (remote timer activated). I shot video of our time in Waikoloa, and then edited that footage along with excerpts of the TV video to make my own little memento of the event. I still have my tape and now that I think of it, I should make an effort to transfer the tape to DVD or something.

            Keep your stories coming. It is interesting to read where everyone was and what they did that morning.
            I'm still here. Are you?

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

              I didn't get to see it in person...just on TV. I was at work at the time. I worked as a student aide in the airport tower building, so you really couldn't "see" anything out of the windows--just a blank wall in front of us. So I remember the boss calling everyone out into the main area, and he brought out the TV and we had it on the news...must've been KGMB, because I remember it was Bob Jones reporting...and we all sat in the front office and watched as the moon slowly overtook the sun. Ummm...yeah, we were busy that day, *cough*...so we watched the whole thing on TV. I do remember, however, the sky darkening outside...like I said, all we had was a big wall in to stare at, but the lights changed, and it was almost like I was there at night, for a few seconds. Then I watched the wall outside change colors as the moon allowed the sun to extend its rays again, almost like watching sunrise in fast speed. It was cool.

              I also remember Bob Jones being totally speechless at the time. He kept stammering and trying to find the right words to explain the awe he felt, prompting a co-worker of mine to say "See, this'll make him believe there's a God." Not that I think she meant he didn't believe...but...well, actually I don't know what she meant. heh. But I remembered that statement, for some silly reason, to this day. I guess because we were all very quiet at the time, watching this phenomenon...probably feeling like Bob, struggling to find the words to describe the beauty, the chickenskin...when she made that comment, breaking the silence. I know I was a bit annoyed. heh.

              Then after they showed the moon finally pulling away from the sun, and the interviews of everyone who was camping out at Bishop Museum, Maui, and Mauna Kea...our boss finally turned off the TV and we went back to "work."

              Fun! Thanks for letting me reminisce.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

                I went with my family to the Big Island. We left rainy Hilo early in the morning and drove south looking for a good spot to view the Eclipse since we thought it might be drier. Our whole trip down the highway, we just saw clouds and rain. At about 7:00 somewhere in Ka'u, my uncle decided we should stop along the side of the road and hope for the best. There seemed to be a small break in the clouds. The sun moved into the window created by the cloud break just as the moon moved in to cast its shadow on the earth. The chirping birds went silent. We saw the corona. Then the sun broke loose and shined brightly just as the clouds grew darker. Everyone climbed back into the van and we went looking for breakfast. The drama of it all left everyone speechless for most of the rest of the day.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

                  I got to see the eclipse in front of our house in Kona. It was eerie when it happened as it got real dark and the birds started to chirp by our house.
                  It was overcast that morning and we were madly driving around to get
                  a better view. That better view occured in front of our house.
                  Check out my blog on Kona issues :
                  The Kona Blog

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

                    I was lucky enough to have been working at the Bishop Museum back then (I am again too!) So I got paid to 'patrol' on the Great Lawn, with my Eclipse viewer in hand. From what I've heard it was just about the best place to be. The neatest thing I remember was watching the shadow rushing towards and then overtake us. Amazing! And then the birds went back to the trees like they were roosting. They must've thought... What the (you know)? Lots of people were here too. Thanks for bringing back an old memory.
                    Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

                      Hey, old thread resurrected, cool.

                      I didn't see it. Was too dark.

                      HAW HAW HAW <snort>

                      Ahem ... um ...

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

                        I saw this event . At time I was living in Na'alehu at the teacher's cottages. My brother and his family flew in from O'ahu and we drove to Kahuku ranch where it was clear as a bell. When the sun was totally covered, it got cold and quiet( no birds could be heard)...an awesome, once in a lifetime thrill.
                        Listen to KEITH AND THE GIRLsigpic

                        Stupid people come in all flavors-buzz1941
                        Flickr

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Did you see the 1991 Solar Eclipse?

                          I was one of the lucky few that day that had a great eclipse experience. I was at Konawaena High School in Kailua-Kona with my girlfriend at the time (who was from Hilo) and a few of her relatives (who were from Kona). The school is on a hill and has a great view out to the horizon to the west, so I could see the moon's shadow race across the ocean towards us. It seemed to be overcast everywhere on the island except right where we were. It was perfect.

                          I saw the moon's shadow race in to cover us, I saw the Bailey's Beads, I heard the birds go crazy, I felt the temperature drop about 10 degrees in a few seconds, I saw the 360° sunset sky.... I got what I felt was one of the best shows in the State.

                          I'll never forget it.

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          X