TORTal Eclipse?

Millions of people across the country and parts of northern Europe today observed spectacular scenes as the Moon passed between the Earth and the Sun; the first such almost total solar eclipse seen in Dundee since 1999.

At approximately 9:30am on 20th March 2015 staff and students in the Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery at the TORT Centre were granted an early coffee break by Professor Abboud in order to watch this amazing celestial happening. In fact a large gathering of staff from other departments congregated at the TORT Centre where Dr Tim Drew had rigged up a set of binoculars to project the eclipse so there was no danger of unwanted trips to the Eye Clinic! Other ingenious individuals tried the pin-hole method of projecting the eclipse onto paper and another brought in their welding helmet.

Left: Dr Tim Drew projecting the eclipse; Middle: Pin-hole method of projection; Right: An artistic view of the eclipse beginning

Once the event had finished, and normal light and temperature were restored it was off to attend oral presentations for three postgraduate students who had their Viva examinations this morning. Hopefully the heavenly event was a good omen for them all passing their MSc in Sports & Biomechanical Medicine degrees.