Iran Eclipse Site near Najafabad

Najafabad is about 20 km west, and down a bit, from Esfahan in Central Iran. The actual site chosen was a small village called Haji Abad on the outskirts of Najafabad. (GPS coordinates believed to be: N 32° 39' 37" / E 51° 14' 23" - marked on Map 2. Not far off the centre-line of the shadow.)

The group deployed themselves in various patches of shade around a large empty field. We were joined by a large number of locals who seemed to think that these crazy foreigners must know something about this particular field to make it preferable to their own front door. It was good to have them around.

The area is flat with mountain ranges in the distance. It may be possible to add an active panorama to this page soon - watch this space! All photographs on this page at the moment were take by Gordon Gilmore with an Agfa 1280 digital camera with autofocus, exposure etc.

Map 1: Large scale showing Iran in context. (Red blobs mark some of the places visited by the group.)
Map 2: Showing Najafabad and Esfahan.
Panorama of Site(Warning: you may need a plug-in.)
Both maps, and data below, taken from 'Total Solar Eclipse of 1999 August 11', Fred Espenak and Jay Anderson, NASA Reference Publication 1398, March 1997

General view of a group of 'Explorers'.

Elipse Timings
Length of totality: 1m 37s

Najafadbad: N 32° 17' / E 51° 21'

UT Local T

First contact: 10:44:22 14:14:22

Second contact: 12:02:22 15:32:22

Maximum eclipse: 12:03:16 15:35:16

Third contact: 12:04:09 14:34:09

Fourth contact: 13:13:05 16:43:05

Distant hills during totality.
Can anyone improve on this?)

General view of a group of 'Explorers'.
Local Iranian family taking advice from Peter.
Crescent shadows beneath the trees.

These photographs remain the property of the individuals concerned who also retain the copyright, and all associated intellectual property rights. Copying, other than that necessary to view the photographs in a web browser, or publication in any form whatsoever is forbidded without the written consent of the copyright holder.

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