Caption: Using eclipse glasses, students of public and private schools position themselves at the Penonomé Airport to observe the hybrid solar eclipse in the annular phase. In the province of Coclé, children, teenagers and adults, as many Panamanians as foreigners, lived through a great holiday on the occasion of the hybrid solar eclipse that was seen in Panama. They successfully observed the annular phase.

One of the places very crowded with people was the Centro Regional de la Universidad Tecnológica de Panama (UTP) in Coclé (Central Region of the Technology University of Panama). The experience there was grand, since for the first time the Meade 14-inch LX200GPS SMT was used to see the eclipse. They also transmitted by internet the astronomical event to the rest of the sites of the UTP in Panama and to the University of North Dakota in the United States. Although the public was warned not to not invent new or better methods to observe, photograph or film the eclipse, many amateur astronomers experimented with their cameras or digital video cameras. This is the case of Carlos Zeitun, systems analyst who, together with his wife and children, came to the central region of the UTP in Coclé to film the stellar event.

“It is the first time that I have viewed an eclipse. I brought my digital camera and laptop computer to record the eclipse and afterwards it will be presented to my son’s class,” stated Zeitun of Panama. Zeitun also used lens filters in order to view the eclipse. “We are going to film the eclipse with natural light and also are going to photograph it using the filter. We are not going to look directly at the eclipse without looking through the computer,” said Zeitun. He explained that after editing the video his son would present it to his classmates in the Montessori school. His son Karim said that he arrived to Coclé in order to be with family and said that they were knowledgeable about the type of eclipse that they would not see again for many years.

Karim was also accompanied by his friend, Mathew Afred. Mathew suggested that they present the idea to his physics professor, who authorized them to visit to Coclé in order to film the astronomical event using his digital equipment. “We are going to investigate the photos and view the video, a once in a lifetime chance,” indicated Afred. At the Penonomé Airport after noon, many tourists of Panama and foreigners set up their equipment of protection of all kinds, such as cardboard boxes, welder’s masks, lens filters and others.

This eclipse caught the attention of sophisticated astronomers using telescopes with filters and there were many foreigners in Coclé. The first photograph shows the telescope donated by France to the UTP. In the middle photograph are teenagers Karim Zeitun and Mathew Afred. In the lower photograph, a tourist prepares his telescope with special filters.

Students and scientists who were present at the atmospheric phenomena in Coclé: Blanca Ruiz: I am a student of civil engineering and work with administrators and students of the regional site of the UTP in Panama in Coclé, so that the people can manage to see such a magnificent celestial event. We advised people about precautions to take when viewing the eclipse. This is the second eclipse of the sun that I have observed.

Ernesto Gaona: I am from the school Salomón Ponce Aguilera of the district of Atón and come from the central region of the Technology University in Coclé with my classmates to see the eclipse because it is an unforgettable experience. Now we know that if we don’t watch with the proper protection it is harmful for our vision.

Rodney Delgado: In Coclé, in spite of a thick cloud that covered the sun and did not permit us to see the last contact of the annular eclipse, we were able to observe the first, second and third contacts as well as the diamond ring. The scientists of North Dakota who were established in San Carlos managed to perform their investigations with great success.

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