Palauan Solar Eclipse

While out Botanizing with boat captain Udoud Masaharu on December 26, 2019, I was setting up for a shot of Dalbergia oligophylla in the soft afternoon light.  Rather mysteriously, the golden light took on a bluish tinge, ruining my otherwise well composed image.  I looked over my shoulder to check the cloud cover and was surprised to find clear blue skies overhead.

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Udoud excitedly announced "it's a solar eclipse, not the clouds!"  I countered that it was just a misty haze and that it would soon pass.  Rule #1:  Never contradict anyone who tracks social media because they are in my opinion all knowing and all telling.  Of course Udoud was correct.  The new moon was in almost perfect alignment to block the light of the sun.  Fortunately, we were well equipped to capture the moment with a telephoto lens mounted on a Canon 7DMarkII.  I pushed the camera to its light limits with an F40 aperture firing at 1/8000th of a second on a 100ISO.  The results were respectable enough, though not exactly professional images.  Regardless, the camera captured what the naked eye would've missed; the beautiful image of our moon, blocking out the rays of the sun.

​The birds and bats quickly responded to the changes in light, as the normally crepuscular fruit bats took to the wing in apparent celebration of the loss of light.  The bird calls increased noticeably as well.  The show came to an end in less than 30 minutes.  Still reeling from Udoud's prophetic insights, I had to ask how he was so well connected to  celestial events.  I was hoping to hear that our boat captain had been following NASA's website or listening in to a Neil DeGrasse Tyson pod cast.  Instead he simply announced "facebook."  All hail social media and the powers it bestows.  Someday I vow to be social.  Until then, I'll just enjoy the pleasant celestial surprises as they come along.

​By: Ron Leidich