Letter: Letters : Cornwall eclipsed

From Jay Pasachoff, Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

The incorrect date given (it should be 11 August 1999) is not the only
problem with Marcus Chown’s concluding statements in his review of Philip
Harrington’s new book Eclipse!. Chown states that he has booked a hotel
in Cornwall to view the eclipse and implies that others should do the same
(Review, 4 October, p 41, and
Letters, 18 October, p 58).

First, the region of Cornwall in totality is too small to accommodate all the
the people who will want to go there, especially given the road capacity. All
roads inward will probably be closed the day before.

Second, the weather forecasts show only about a 10 per cent chance of clear
weather for the event in Cornwall. The British Astronomical Association is going
to a Channel island, and people in general are advised that the weather
forecasts are somewhat better along the track in Germany and much better as far
east as Hungary and Romania.

Baily’s Beads (not Bailey’s, as Chown had it) and the corona shining in the
dark sky should not be missed.