Subject: [IGSMAIL-2417] Solar eclipse on 11 August 1999
From: Dr. Joachim Feltens
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 2:24:56 PDT

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IGS Electronic Mail      Fri Aug 13  2:24:56 PDT 1999      Message Number 2417
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Author: Dr. Joachim Feltens
Subject: Solar eclipse on 11 August 1999

subject: Solar eclipse on 11 August 1999

Dr. Joachim Feltens                               Darmstadt, 13 August 1999
IGS Ionosphere Working Group Chairman
EDS at ESOC-FDD
Robert-Bosch-Strasse 5
D-64293 Darmstadt
GERMANY

Subject: Solar eclipse on 11 August 1999

Dear IGS colleagues, dear colleagues from the ground stations,

I have taken a look into the dedicated directory at CDDIS, and now, 1 and a
1/2 day after the solar eclipse, a considerable amount of data have already
been archived there. I think the first evaluations with these high sampling
rate tracking data will start next week (I suppose it can take several
weeks until the last tracking data has been delivered to CDDIS). All in all
the evaluation and complete analysis of all the data will last several
months or even longer. The ionosphere community may use these data for
scientific researches even during the next years.

On behalf of the ionosphere community and on behalf of the IGS Ionosphere
Working Group I am expressing many thanks to all of you in appreciation of
your personal engagement, efforts and support. Thanks also to Dr. Norbert
Jakowsky from DLR Fernerkundungsdatenzentrum Neustrelitz, Germany, who was
the first one who proposed to initiate such a tracking campaign during the
solar eclipse event.

I am personally went with some friends by car to the Northern Alsace/France
directly into the totaly zone to watch the solar eclipse. Because of a very
cloudy sky we could follow the progress of the eclipse only with inter-
ruptions, but finally we had luck: Just before the Moon started to eclipse
the Sun totally, around 12:30 local, the clouds opened and we could see the
Sun's corona. Also the sudden coming and going of the darkness around us
was an impressive experience. However, driving back to Darmstadt thereafter
was then horrible: All streets and Autobahns in the Alsace and in Southwest
Germany were blocked by endless traffic jams.

However, the solar eclipse is over now, and it seems that the high sampling
rate tracking campaign was well done. I will then make holidays from the
end of next week on and be absent from 23 August to 10 September.

Thanks again to all of you for your kind efforts and support!

Best regards              Joachim

[Mailed From: ESA]