Showing posts with label eclipse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eclipse. Show all posts

20 Mar 2015

Solar eclipse non-event here

As there was quite thick cloud here, the partial solar eclipse was a bit of a non-event here, although it was better elsewhere in the UK. I did a walk at the best time. Although the clouds were dark and it looked like it was about to rain, the sun was not visible here sadly. This was a partial eclipse but at 95-98% in the UK still pretty full. I remember the full eclipse in 1999 as we were on holiday in Gloucestershire and got good views. The next chance is in 2026.

I have no idea of the impact of this on propagation, but I imagine the effect is marginal.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-31965456 .

12 Jan 2015

Eclipse in UK in March

 This was posted on the RSGB's LF reflector a few hours ago:

Alan Melia

15:37 (2 hours ago)


To rsgb_lf_group, rsgb_lf_group
Hi all, it may not have registered with many yet as it has not made the National TV news but there is a partial eclipse of the sun due on March 20th 2015.

As part of my involvement with the RSGB Propagation Studies Committee it occurs to me that this is a fine opportunity to roll out the capabilities of Opera, and WSPR and the monitoring network on 136 and 477kHz.

The path of the totality passes due north of the UK with only Shetland seeing a full eclipse. The majority of the UK is rated around 80%. The most interesting paths are those from the opposite side of the path of totality. Unfortunately (or otherwise :-))  ) the only LF-active area on the other side is Iceland, and I know there is a "grabber" operator active there. I suggest some interesting results could be obtained if European stations could be active into the Iceland grabber during the period of the eclipse which is 07:40 to 11:40 UTC (I think we should be on GMT still in the UK at that date :-))  ) I am not fully sure what facilities the Icelandic operator has but maybe someone who knows him better could liaise a suitable set up.

It is obviouly not as big an event as 1999 but could prove interesting.