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Category: Misc.
At sunrise in the North Atlantic, the last total solar eclipse of the second millenium begins south of Nova Scotia at 09:30:57 Universal Time (UT). UT is the term astronomers use for our earthly GMT.
The path of totality (where the entire sun is blocked by the moon, and it looks as if it is night) is only 49 kilometers wide along the sunrise terminator, with a maximum duration of 47 seconds. Two Concordes will be ready to chase the eclipse towards Britain.
It takes forty minutes for the moon's shadow to move across the North Atlantic; reaching the Isles of Scilly, off the southwestern coast of England, at 10:10 UT -- 11:10 British Summer Time. The width of totality is now 103 kilometers and lasts for a full 2 minutes.
United Kingdom:
At eleven minutes past eleven on the eleventh of August, Cornwall goes into an eerie mid-day darkness. The South West will be the best place to view the event in the UK, and the peninsular is likely to be crowded. Traffic in the region can be slow at the best of times in August, so plan your trip in advance and reserve your hotels soon to avoid disappointment.
Go early, stay a while, and leave late, is the advice from the Devon and Cornwall Police.
Extra trains from London are planned to help take the strain off the roads. You are advised you to use them and leave the car with a leaky radiator behind.
There will also be special eclipse flights and plenty of boats on the water. The QE2 will even be in Falmouth for the event.
In the last three years, the three days around the 11th of August have almost all been cloud-free in Cornwall -- essential to see a total solar eclipse.
At the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of August 1999 the shadow of the Moon will sweep across the Isles of Scilly.
Eclipse Weather Prospects for the UK:
As August's total solar eclipse draws nearer, the answer to the most important question of all will remain unknown until the very last moment. Will the sky stay clear, or will the cloud roll in and spoil this once in a lifetime event?
As you move away from the centre line the length of totality gradually decreases, but vast areas of south Devon, including Torbay and Plymouth, and much of Cornwall will enjoy a substantial totality experience.
The rest of the UK will still experience a partial eclipse of the sun, with dusk settling over most of the country less than an hour before noon.
The next solar eclipse in the UK will not be until 2090 -- only those around in 1927 saw the last one.
The Moon last cast its daytime shadow upon central Europe in 1961.
France:
The 1999 Normandy landing occurs around 10:16 UT -- 12:16 Central European Time.
The center line arrives in northern France around 10:20 UT. Like London, Paris will only see a partial eclipse as the southern limit of the total shadow passes to the north of the capital.
Observatoire du Saros:
At Reims, slightly south of the centre line, the second contact (phase of totality) starts at 12h 24mn 50s (local time) and lasts for 2mins 7.4s.
The Dom Perrignon vineyards, near Reims, will also be cast into darkness, as will Metz and the Alsace.
Belgium:
A total solar eclipse will be visible in the extreme south-east of Belgium.
Luxembourg:
For the first time since June 16th, 1406, a total solar eclipse will again be visible over the territory of today's Luxembourg. The next one will only take place here in the evening hours of June 14th, 2151.
Totality will occur in the south of the country, including the capital Luxembourg-Ville and the Moselle -- south of Grevenmacher.
The eclipse will begin at 11:09 and end at 13:51 local time, with totality occurring between 12:28 and 12:30.
Beginning at 12:28 local time, the people of Dudelange will see their sun being totally darkened by the moon for a duration of 1 minute and 55 seconds.
Germany:
At 10:33 UT, the entire umbra crosses into southern Germany and the Rhine Valley.
This will be the first solar eclipse to be seen in the northern part of Germany for 136 years, and 152 years in Stuttgart.
Schwabenland will be cast into darkness for 2 minutes 17 seconds.
Stuttgart is bang on the centre line, where totality occurs between 12:32:55 CET and 12:35:12 CET.
Although Munich is 20 kilometers south of the centre line, Bavarians will still have more than two minutes of totality; if they're sitting in a cloudless beer-garden.
Austria:
The first total solar eclipse to hit the country since 1842, and next one will be in 2081.
The major cities of Salzburg, Linz and Graz, as well as the eastern Alps, are located within the zone of totality. Only a deep partial eclipse will be visible from the capital, Vienna. The duration of totality on the central line across Austria is around 2 minutes 21 seconds.
Slovenia:
The northeastern corner of Slovenia lies within the southern limits of the total eclipse.
Hungary:
Lake Balaton lies wholly within the path of totality, where the central duration lasts for 2 minutes 22 seconds.
This is also where Travel Notes will bring you our August 11th livecast -- all going well. (10:50 UT).
As with Vienna, Budapest also lies about 40 kilometers north of the path and will still witness a partial eclipse.
Hungarian Events:
Szombathely, Siofok and SzÈkesfehÈrvýr will all be staging special events. Szeged also lies near the centre line.
Yugoslavia:
Northern Yugoslavia lies within the southern third of totality.
Romania:
The instant of greatest eclipse occurs at 11:03:04 UT when the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to the centre of Earth. The shadow's epicenter at this moment is located in south-central Romania, close to RÓmnicu-VÓlcea.
The length of totality reaches its maximum duration of 2 minutes 23 seconds here, with the path's width stretching to 112 kilometers.
Bucharest is Europe's only capital to be on the 1999 centre line.
In Bucharest, the second contact will be at 11:05 U.T and totality will last for 2 minutes 22seconds.
Ramnicu Valcea:
The NASA Space Agency calculations estimate that the eclipse absolute maximum will be at Ramnicu Valcea.
Romania's last eclipse was in February 1961 and the next one will be in 2236.
Bulgaria:
The Black Sea resort of Varna lies just south of totality, although the border with Romania will be cast in darkness.
Turkey:
The Black Sea will be a popular spot for people wishing to experience totality at sea.
Landfall occurs along the Black Sea coast of northern Turkey at 11:21 UT.
Black Sea Coast:
The shadow of the moon will first be seen from the Black Sea coast around 14:20 local time. It then passes through central Anatolia and leaves Turkey from the south-east at 14:42 local time.
Kurdistan:
11:45 UT -- The centre line duration begins a gradual but steady decrease as it briefly enters northwestern Syria, near Cizre, and crosses into Iraq. Maximum totality now experienced is about 2 minutes 5 seconds.
Iran:
Although meteorologists predict that weather conditions will probably be at their best in the deserts of Iran, the difficulty will be to get there.
The Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, in Isphahan -- seven hours from Tehran, is one of the most authoritative in Iran and the best place to watch the last eclipse of 20th century. Totality times are now under two minutes though.
Northeast of the Strait of Hormuz, the width of the moon's shadow is shrinking and totality dips to around 11/2 minutes.
Pakistan:
The umbra enters Pakistan at 12:22 UT, and moves on to black out part of the Arabian Sea and the port of Karachi for 1 minute 13 seconds.
The Sun is dipping now and the path width has shrunk to 85 kilometers.
India:
At 12:28 UT India becomes the last nation to get a total solar eclipse this millennium.
The speed of the shadow increases rapidly and the centre line duration is now down to one minute.
The eclipse leaves India north of Vishakhapatnam at 12:36 UT and leave its journey across the earth at the Bay of Bengal.
During a total of 3 hours 7 minutes the Moon's shadow, cloudless skies permitting, will have travelled along a path 14,000 kilometers long, covering 0.2% of Earth's surface area.
Safety
Please use caution, and avoid looking into the Sun directly. This can cause permanant damage to your eye.
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