Imagine an observer on a mountain top overlooking vast relatively smooth landscapes, perhaps a desert on one side and an ocean on the other. Imagine further that the observer is in the path of totality for a solar eclipse. It seems to me that he should be able to see a wide shadow approaching him from the East (?) and then running away from him to the West. It is my guess that the shadow would approach and recede at 100-1000 miles per hour (160-1600 KM/hour) due to the Earth’s rotation. The higher figure would be for an observer near the equator. Perhaps the motion of the moon might also have some effect. Would such a moving shadow be seen? Is my speed estimate correct? Has anyone ever reported such an observation?
If I remember correctly, there were movies on the internet that illustrated how the shadow cone of the moon moved over the earth during the solar eclipse of 1999 over western europe. Perhaps a google search reveals something ? A search on the BBC website might also give you some nice anims. Bye! Crisp
Yep, I went down to Cornwall, England for the 1999 eclipse. Unfortunately, it was cloudy (typical Britain). We were standing on a cliff overlooking the sea, and yeah, at the time, you could see the shadow approaching at totality. It came from across the sea, like a wall of black, and then it was almost pitch dark. After a couple of minutes, you sall the wall of light coming over the sea, then, whoosh, it hits you, and all is normal. Despite being cloudy, it was still amazing. Something everyone should experience.
