Astronomer travels to Greenland for solar eclipse
Astronomer Mike Frost, from Coventry, will see the eclipse from Scoresby Sund in Greenland.
An astronomer from the Coventry and Warwickshire Astronomical Society, Mike Frost, has journeyed to Scoresby Sund in Greenland to witness a solar eclipse.
Frost, who describes himself as an "eclipse-chaser," will observe the celestial event from what he calls one of Earth's "coolest" locations. As a former chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Astronomical Society (CWAS), he is positioned in a fjord system in Greenland for the eclipse. This marks the first significant eclipse visible from the Northern Hemisphere since 1999.
"I can see icebergs in the distance, but the prospects aren't fantastic, but we hold hope we can find a hole in the clouds," Frost commented.
In the UK, the eclipse will be visible between 18:20 and 20:10 BST. However, Frost noted that he is unlikely to see the moon completely obscure the sun from his current vantage point. The Met Office forecasts cloudy conditions in Scoresby Sund, with a maximum temperature of 8C.
Frost explained, "It's total over the eastern side of Greenland, total over Reykjavik and total over Spain, but it's not total from anywhere in the UK. But almost everywhere sees a deep, partial eclipse."
Members of the CWAS will set up telescopes in Broadgate, Coventry city centre, for their observations. This eclipse will feature the most extensive coverage of the sun by the moon since 1999, when parts of Devon and Cornwall experienced it, though cloud cover hindered observations for millions across the rest of the UK.
According to the Natural History Museum, there are typically two to five eclipses globally each year, with a total eclipse occurring approximately every 18 months. Visibility depends on the moon's orbital path around Earth; being within this path increases the likelihood of greater solar coverage.
In addition to the CWAS presence in Broadgate, Coventry, where astronomers will be available to explain the phenomenon to the public, another gathering is planned at Wolfords Village Hall in Shipston-on-Stour, organized by the Chipping Norton Amateur Astronomy Group.