The 22 July 2009 total eclipse was Phill’s sixth and Steve’s third. We were booked on a Pacific cruise on the Costa Classica on another trip organised by Roy Mayhugh.
Roy had chartered the Costa Classica for this eclipse. It was the longest eclipse this century. He worked with the captain to sail the eclipse centre line to extend totality by a number of seconds.
This was the 37th eclipse of Saros 136. Saros 136 has produced the longest eclipses of the 20th and 21st centuries. Totality lasted 6 minutes 42 seconds from our viewpoint. At third contact the ship was at 25°14.565’N 142°05.751’E.
