August 11 - The day started nice and clear in Gernlinden (a small town outside of Munich where we were staying) but it was not long after we departed for our eclipse site in Altomunster that the questions started to come up as to if we would see the eclipse. Altomunster is a small town to the north east of Augsburg and we had selected a site to the south east of town. This location put us about 500 meters off the centerline at most and would permit the longest possible viewing of the total phase of the eclipse.

The only problem would be the weather. When we first started planning this eclipse trip we knew the weather was a dice-roll anyway. At best we figured we had a 50-50 chance of seeing the eclipse and in the week before the eclipse day the weather predictions were not looking good. In fact, they looked terrible with a probability of seeing the eclipse at about 20% at best. But we had selected Germany for more than just weather; the food was excellent (and the beer), everything was very modern and comfortable, and we visiting many interesting sites including Neuschwanstein castle, Augsburg, Munich, The Deutsches Museum, and the Fraunhofersche Glashutte museum and workshop. All of these places are rich in history and fascinating to visit. 

The local weather reports would always add that with luck one might be able to get a glance at the eclipse. I've always considered my self to be lucky and I thought we had a very good chance. It was simply a matter of sitting tight and letting it work out in our favor. A great deal of faith was needed and with just a few exceptions, I was getting that from our group...

We arrived at our eclipse site, a soccer sports facility with a well groomed soccer field, two practice fields, and a club house. The site had been selected by local German astronomers as one of a dozen choices for groups to set up and our group had made further arrangments with the operators of the sports field to have the club house open so that restrooms would be available as well as food for lunch. I had watched this area (and the other choices) via satellite images and had seen that the local micro climates were chaotic at best. But this one little area seemed to have more sunshine than the other choices when historical weather data was studied. That was just the edge we would need.

We shot partial phase pictures through the light haze and hoped the situation would improve. Afterall, it had been a nice clear day just a few hours ago! I went inside the club house and asked if the television could be turned on and watched a very bad weather report for our area. There were scattered rain showers all over and the cloud deck was getting thicker. 

Shortly after the image of first contact was taken, it started to rain and the situation looked bleak at best. There were two cloud decks above us, a thin one very high up and a thicker one that was low and threatened rain.

We covered our equipment with plastic and headed for shelter. The sky was mostly cloudy with some small blue holes. The weather in Bavaria is always questionable according to the natives - much like Ohio. But it didn't look too good when the equipment was covered over and the rain was falling! The locals seemed to think it would blow over quickly and they were right.

The rain continued for about ten minutes and then stopped but the wind kept blowing nicely. I say nicely because that means that the clouds will be blown away and maybe a clear spot would come along. Not everyone was optomistic and some wanted to try for another location - but I first assured them we would see the eclipse and then asked them what they might suggest. One or two were concerned that we had no backup location but I had informed everyone travelling with me that the only reason to run to a new spot would be if a definite front was moving in. The weather was chaotic and there were not easy to find fronts - so we stayed put.

Soon a small blue hole in the clouds could be seen to the west working it's way towards us. Suddenly things were looking much better! Our group was spread out on one of the practice soccer fields and we quickly finished the preparations of our equipment as the blue hole crept towards us. It was not too big, but it looked like it would be big enough.

For the days proceeding the eclipse everyone was very interested in the weater reports and I tried to keep them informed with as much detail as I could muster. But it seemed that every TV station had a different prognosis and that every radio and newspaper liked to the follow that trend too. It appeared to me as if they were simply guessing. When I asked some locals what weather reporting they listen too I was told that they didn't. Seems they are like horoscopes to most, interesting if you are looking for something silly to read or listen too! The Bavarian weather does what it wants was one comment I heard from several locals.

The blue hole in the clouds seemed to grow slightly as it approached and at first it looked liked it would blow past us just a few minutes too soon - but then the wind stopped and the hole stayed above us during the entire total phases (2nd to 3rd contact). After the total eclipse, the hole moved on and a rain storm was on us in about 20 minutes.

Eclipse 99 Photographs by Bill Kramer - Questar 90mm MAK using prime focus at 1300mm. Fuji 400 film was used.

2nd Contact - the Diamond Ring. (88k JPG)

Chromosphere just after 2nd contact (116k JPG) (27k closeup)

Corona (Inner and mid) (16k JPG)

Inner Corona and Prominences (37k JPG) (115k JPG) (23k JPG) (31k Closeup)

More Eclipse pictures taken in Altomunster by members of our group>>>

Photographs by John Buccini - Questar 90mm field scope at prime focus with Fujichrome 100 ASA slide film. JPG Picture files supplied by Susan Buccini.

Inner corona * Prominences * 3rd contact Diamond ring

Corona * Corona

3rd contact diamond ring 

700mm EFL refractor 2nd contact diamond ring * Corona

28mm wide angle showing Corona, clouds, Venus, and Mercury

Eclipse 99 Photographs by CAS member Ted Saker
Eclipse 99 Photographs by CAS member Vic Stover

Additional images from our tour:

Park Hotel in Gernlinden 8/7/99
Nymphenburg Palace in Munich 8/8/99
Glockenspiel in Munich 8/8/99
Hofbrauhaus Adventurers 8/8/99
After the Hofbrauhaus - a very interesting car
After the Hofbrauhaus, finding our way back to Gernlinden
Walking to Neuschwanstein 8/9/99
View from Castle 8/9/99
Fraunhofersche Glashutte museum and workshop 8/9/99
Ted addresses ESO Meeting about Eclipse photography 8/10/99
Setup for Eclipse 8/11/99
After the eclipse 8/11/99
Bier Party after the eclipse 8/11/99
Fuggerhaus in Augsburg 8/12/99
Freiberg Watch Museum 8/12/99
Denise with Mercedes 8/14/99

(image by Charmaine)
I'm very glad we saw it because it made the celebration all that much better!

All images by Bill and Denise Kramer unless noted otherwise.

(c)1999  Bill Kramer. (return to Eclipse Chasers Page)