- This topic has 10 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 2 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
No, not the race. And not the horse.
There is a solar eclipse on Wednesday 12th August. Britain will not be in the totality zone but something like 90% of the sun will be covered when the eclipse is at its peak at around 6 to 7pm.
I recall the eclipse in 1999. It occurred in the morning. There was no particularly noticeable difference in the light in my neighbourhood, which was a long way from the totality zone. I assume it will be different this time, with the eclipse being in the evening.
I notice that the evening meetings that day are at Ffos Las and Kempton. The Welsh venue gets underway at 3.37pm, with the last race at 6.10pm. A much earlier start and finish than usual.
Kempton doesn’t commence until 6.30pm, by which time the eclipse will be in progress. I assume they are going to have to switch the lights on early.
Good race planning by Ffos Las and the BHA, anyway!
Good point CAS. I went to Hungary to see the 1999 eclipse in totality. It was weird but not completely dark. They’ll probably still need the lights though!
We were in York when the eclipse took place in 1999. We took the chance to go to the Jorvik Centre as it was very quiet as people were all outside experiencing the eclipse…
Don’t see what the problem would be at Ffos Las, it would be no worse than an overcast sky.
The sun will be 91% covered at Kempton and 94% for those hanging around after racing at Ffos Las.
There was a similar nearish-total eclipse in the UK in March 2015 when around 85% was covered. That produced a slight rather eerie dimming, not spectacular but well worth experiencing, so this one should be somewhat darker. Forecast is favourable with high pressure likely to be over the UK (famous last words).
This will be the best eclipse in the UK until the total eclipse in 2090, though there’s a 60% one next August which I doubt will be noticeable, and a couple around 80% mid-century.
Eclipse of the Sun on Wednesday, Eclipse of the Farage on Thursday??
He is 1.01 on Betfair, so I don’t believe he will be eclipsed.
The only slightly unusual feature I remember from 1999 is that the local seagull population became far more agitated than usual. They must have been able to sense something. A change in temperature, perhaps.
I wonder how dark it will go this time? It has caused speculation on the Non League Football Forum. At this time of the year, there are plenty of evening kick offs on grounds without floodlights. Will they need to take a long “hydration break” and wait for sufficient light to return?
I was able to experience totality in 1999. I was a nipper and we lived slightly north of the line so we headed to somewhere on the south Devon coast. A mildly eerie darkness and slight chill descended and that was that. It was quite cloudy as I recall so not the best viewing but a fun experience nonetheless.
I think it happened at around 11am so can’t imagine there was much impact on sporting fixtures and the like.
At this time of the year, there are plenty of evening kick offs on grounds without floodlights. Will they need to take a long “hydration break” and wait for sufficient light to return?
What time do these matches kick-off, 7pm? If so they better not delay for too long as regulation sunset is now quickly retreating, towards 8.30pm. Dim at kick-off, dimmer at full-time.
I assume they kick off around 6pm at this time of year. Likewise, they have to start around 1pm in the winter months.
These are the local county leagues, outside of the formal non league pyramid. Floodlights are an essential requirement for clubs in Step 1 to Step 6 of the non leagues.
I notice there is no evening meeting in Ireland on Wednesday. Gowran Park’s fixture is in the afternoon.
It will be something like 95% coverage in County Kilkenny and as much as 98% in the South West of Ireland.
“It will be something like 95% coverage in County Kilkenny and as much as 98% in the South West of Ireland.”
That’s still better than Vodafone.
Well worth seeing but didn’t get particularly dark here in York, more a ‘silvery’ dimming very distinct from a sunset.
I was out on the Knavesmire with several hundred others and my eclipse glasses obtained for the 1999 eclipse were much in demand, and they revealed a splendid crescent sun.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.