Article: On cloud nine at Ground Zero

Thursday July 23, 2009

By TAN CHENG LI

PETALING JAYA: Among the millions of stargazers who gathered in China yesterday to watch 'the eclipse of the 21st century' was a group of 20 avid Malaysian astrophotographers.

Members of the Astrophotography Group of Malaysia had flown all the way to Hangzhou to capture the total eclipse. which cloaked swaths of eastern China in darkness.

"Hangzhou is Ground Zero to witness this natural phenomenon," says group president Gradient Lok.

The best view: The Malaysian group joining other stargazers at the Hangzhou High School in China to capture the best images of the eclipse of the century. After four years of planning, their effort paid off.

The group had based themselves near Hangzhou High School at West Lake, which offered a good platform for photography.

"Our vantage location there meant that we had prime seats to view the rare occurrence.

"Beginning at 8.20am, the sun began to disappear, as if swallowed by a ravenous serpent, bit by bit.

"Some 80 minutes later, the city of Hangzhou was plunged into darkness. We stared directly at the sun and saw a diamond ring before the sun was totally swallowed by the moon," said Lok via an e-mail.

"Once the dark shadow of the moon began to creep across the burning ball of fire, our cameras clicked away.

"To get the best possible shots, we tried different filters and lens, making sure that the perfect degree of exposure was achieved."

Lok said the group was delighted with the outcome of their photography efforts, adding that it had been planning this trip for four years. "To finally realise it – and with successful results – gave us much contentment and something we can all take home," he wrote.

During the trip, the group also held discussions on astronomy with students of the school.

Formed five years ago, the group has been capturing striking images of astronomical objects.

This article was taken from: The Star Online: Nation 23 July 2009