Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 15:51:48 +0100
From: dfischer (Daniel Fischer)
Subject: Re:  MEPCO99 ?

Dear Veselka,


I'm sorry that I cannot give you any more recent information regarding
the *best* date for MEPCO'99 - we haven't had much response to our
questions from previous participants.

However, there are some constraints which I myself consider strong:

- Holding a MEPCO in the fall of 1999 in Varna on a date *not* within
a few days of the eclipse is simply not possible! For all of Western Europe
Varna is very far away, and travelling there is expensive and tedious.
Many have indicated that they are willing come, but to *combine* the meeting
and eclipse viewing - they (including myself) would certainly not be able
(or willing) to come twice for this long distance within a few weeks.

- We (German planet observers, that is) believe that we do not have to
adjust our planning to the rather strange meeting our solar "colleagues"
are arranging in Garching, Germany, in the week of the eclipse. It is
becoming more and more clear that this will be a very expensive and
highly elitist event, clearly not representing our MEPCO idea. The only
danger would be that they manage to invite some important planet and
comet people as "VIPs" for their show who we would rather have at our
event (e.g. David Levy, whom they already use in their advertising without
even a confirmation from his side...). 

To make things even more bizarre, it is well possible that the Garching
group will, on eclipse morning, board a plane to Bulgaria, when skies
turn out to be bad in Central Europe. The whole conference (including
hotels - very expensive in Garching! - and this flight) could well cost on
the order of $ 1000.-. This alone, compared to the expected Varna rate,
should make many people choose MEPCO over the Garching event - *if* our
timing is good.

- We should strictly avoid 'colliding' with the Cambridge, U.K., comet
meeting on the weekend after the eclipse: This is a serious scientific
conference much more along our lines, and quite a number of people might
want to attent both the Cambridge conference and MEPCO. 


From all this it is clearer to me than ever that the best date for MEPCO'99
would be the (extended) weekend before the eclipse. This would offer, in
my opinion, only advantages and not one obvious disadvantage:

* Generally serious amateur eclipse chasers want to return quickly after
the event, in order to process their photographs, write articles etc.
Thus having the meeting before the eclipse and not afterwards would suit
that very well (and also avoid the Cambridge collision).

* With MEPCO'99 shortly before the eclipse anyone interested in more
Bulgarian tourism could arrive in late July, have fun, get MEPCO as the
first and the eclipse as the 2nd highlight - and then head home (or to
Cambridge).

* Many people from Central European countries through which the zone
of totality passes have expressed interest to observe the eclipse "from
home", often regardless of the weather prospects. This, too, speaks
clearly for a MEPCO on the weekend before the eclipse. If the meeting
ens on Monday at noon, e.g., there is the remainder of Monday and all of
Tuesday to get home to Austria, Germany, France or England. Or stay in
Varna when the weather prospects for Central Europe are just too dreadful.
I understand that the weather forecast for the next 2-3 days is highly
reliable, so a sound decision can be made on Sunday or Monday (the eclipse
is on Wednesday).


+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| These are my arguments. Herewith I propose to hold MEPCO'99 in Varna from |
| the evening of Thursday Aug. 5th to the morning of Monday Aug. 9, 1999.   |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  An equally fine alternative would be Wednesday Aug. 4th to Sunday noon,
  Aug. 8th: That would give those people leaving Bulgaria for home as well
  as those staying *and*you* one more day for eclipse preparations. Starting
  a meeting in the middle of a week wouldn't make much of a difference: 
  Everyone from abrood will have to take a vacation for the trip anyway.


The German Planet Observers will meet for their annual planning discussions
this November 14-16 (in Wuerzburg, Bavaria), where I will make the same
points as outlined above. I propose to make a final decision *from*our*side*
at that time - what are your views on the matter? And more specifically:
Would an Aug. 5...9 meeting be possible at all, with respect to the
bookings of the conference center and our accomodations?


Yours sincerely,

Daniel