Hello all,

I hope you all got a glimpse of the eclipse, 31st May 2003???

I arose about 4.30am and it was a beautiful morning although just where the Sun was due to rise there was a thick grey bank of cloud and haze. With the houses near it soon became evident that I wouldn't see it from home, so of I went to a vantage point nearby, and waited. I could see where the sun was rising but I couldn't see any sun! I was beginning to get frustrated at about 5.10am when I saw this little break in the cloud moving in the preferred direction, and by 5.14am I could see a lovely big red sun above the cloud bank with a big bite of about 30% out of the left side. It lasted long enough for me to run off about half a dozen slides with the 200m/m lens, and as trial and error was in effect with regards to exposures, I will just have to hope for the best.

Already I have had a nice digital image sent through from Andy McCrea who unfortunately due to a family illness, did not get to Iceland, but it shows what was visible from Bangor. His report and image will be posted on our site later. From John O'Neill in Dublin through a Telvue Pronto Telescope the following image: