This was our most successful experiment in that it worked as planned and it came up with the most interesting results. During the eclipse, we continuously recorded the light intensity, temperature in the sun and the temperature in the shade. We did this using palm top computers linked up to a data LogIT interface. This, once started ran without our intervention for the duration of the eclipse.

We started the data logger at 12:00 local time on eclipse day with first contact being at 12:40 we then left it ‘logging’ for the next four hours so that on our graph we had all the partial phases each side of the total eclipse and the total phase.

The data that we collected is shown on the graph.

The three lines on the graph show:

Light intensity: This gradually decreases from first contact until about 10 minutes before second contact, it then starts to very rapidly decrease until it is almost pitch black, the total phase. Then just as fast as it darkened it gets light again. The range in the measurements of light intensity was 94% (100% - 6%). The little ‘dents’ in the graph are either clouds or very excited people casting a brief shadow on the sensor.

Temperature in the sun: This gradually decreases from first contact until totality when it demonstrated the fact that the moon casts a shadow by equalling the temperature in the shade. The maximum temperature recorded was 38.4ºC and the difference between this and the temperature during the total phase was 9.6º (28.8ºC). The fluctuations are only one or two degrees and are caused by the way the data logger converts the analogue temperature signal into a digital signal.

Temperature in the shade: This was only slightly affected by the eclipse as it is only a big shadow and this sensor was in the shade from the start. The change of 5ºC degrees Celsius was caused by a reduction of the ambient heat and light.