Fort Grey

I was advised on 16 January 2002 by:

Bill Harvey Public Affairs Department of Transport & Regional Services (02) 6274 7860 Bill.Harvey@dotrs.gov.au

Gary Oldman - Information Technology Manager Royal Flying Doctor Service (SE Section) Ph  08 8080 1718 Fax 08 8088 4536 email gary.oldman@rfds.gov.au

that there is an operational Airstrip at Fort Grey with two 900 x 30 runways (heading 8/26 and 3/21).  The somewhat off-centerline airstrip is in the path of totality and located at: Longitude = 141° 10' 24"E, Latitude = 29° 06' 48"S, with the advisory "sand hills in vicinity of strip".  For this location I compute the following local circumstances:

Here, the elevation of the Sun is 1.3 degrees above the horizon at mid-eclipse and might offer a bit more comfortable "breathing room" against any horizontal obstructions than sites further East - though I have not yet seen a topo to see what may lie in the line-of-site in the direction of the Sun.  This probably "acceptably" low for a near sunset eclipse observation.

This site is accessible by a secondary road (of unknown quality, but likely OK for a 4WD) as it appears on an area road map. Note: From centerline, 5' to the north along the road, the duration increases by 3 seconds (to 26.2 seconds prior to limb corrections).

If the local topography is such that the view toward the Sun is unobstructed, and this airstrip is viable, we may wish to use this as our primary site rather than Bottom Narranappa Tank.

Glenn Schneider
16 January 2002