In 1999 – the year of the last partial-eclipse in the UK – I think it happened about 10am in the morning and got really dark (or at least dusky). Today, the birds became quiet as the sun shrank and the shadows slowly lengthened. This all happened over a 50 minute time period between 18:10hrs-19:00hrs. We even had a cup of tea and ate a cake whilst sat in the garden! Even one of our cats knew something unusual was happening. Of course, we were not sure how dark it would get – as in Central Europe the sky went completely dark.
A Russian friend of mine sent me the following note on Telegram – which sums-up events better than I could:
‘💚 Tonight, we will witness a spectacular event: a solar eclipse, a parade of six planets, and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower.
In the evening, you will be able to observe a solar eclipse – in St. Petersburg, the Moon will cover almost 💚💚**% of the Sun.**
Tonight, the peak of the Perseids will begin – you may be able to see up to 100-120 “shooting stars” per hour. For those who don’t want to leave their homes, NASA will host a multi-hour livestream from an observatory in Alabama.
Before dawn, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will line up in the sky.
Let’s stay awake and enjoy the beauty 🥰.’
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 