Deerness field is spot on for eclipse
(Story dated: May 1, 2003)

A field in Deerness would appear to be one of the best places in Orkney to witness next month’s solar eclipse, according to a group of experts who will be descending on the county.

And they say people from all over the world are travelling to Orkney in the hope of catching a glimpse of the three-minute spectacle.

The secretary of the British Association of Planetaria, Gill Russell, said she and 40 other members were due to arrive in Orkney during the week prior to the annular eclipse on May 31.

The last annular eclipse in Britain was on April 8, 1921, and if you miss out this time, there will not be another visible one in Scotland for 90 years.

During the phenomenon, the sun will slip briefly behind the moon. Given favourable weather and a suitable location, the end result is said to be “a growing annulus with a deep circular black hole within it”, according to one expert.

They are also holding their annual AGM in the county, and two lectures in the Deerness Hall during their visit.

“Jim Foubister in Deerness has a field which he is allowing us to use to view the eclipse from there. The sun will rise in the north east at around 4.30am. You need somewhere to get a clear view to the north east. This is a lovely place and we will get a fantastic view.”

She continued: “We have someone coming from Belgium, Hawaii and around the UK. While we are in Orkney we will be taking the mobile planetariums to schools and the lectures are open to anyone.”

Dr Francisco Diego will be presenting “The Magic of Total Solar Eclipses”, while Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest will cover “Mars: The Inside Story of the Red Planet” in the Deerness Hall on Friday, May 30, at 7pm.