Press Release (96)83 31 May 1996

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "The Eclipse of the Century" The last total eclipse of the Millennium and certainly the "eclipse of the century" will take place in Romania on 11th August, 1996. The event compares in scientific and cultural significance with the return of Halley's comet in 1986 and will be heralded by a world-wide effort to glean vital data about the functioning of Earth's parent star. In order to orchestrate an international observational programme for this rare event, solar astronomers will convene in Sinaia, Romania, under NATO auspices, from 1-5 June, 1996. The NATO meeting will set the stage for a cooperative effort in coronal physics designed to enhance the scientific study of the eclipse at observatories not only in Romania but throughout the world. The path of totality for this eclipse will traverse Romania with Bucharest being in the middle of the totality zone and Timisoara about half way from the centre of the totality. No other observatories in the world appear to be so favourably located. Since advances in coronal physics depend heavily on measurements that can only be made during solar eclipses our knowledge of the sun itself and related earth- bound phenomena depend greatly on such observational opportunities. Co-directors of the workshop are Dr. M. Stavinschi, Rector of the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy of Sciences and Dr. Z. Mouradian of the Observatory of Paris. For further information please contact Dr. Luis Veiga da Cunha, of Scientific and Environmental Affairs at fax (int'l) : (32 2) 707 4232.