Eclipse 2028 — Terrain Verification Completed

date 2026-08-30  ·  status COMPLETE  ·  summary All three candidate sites CLEAR the 9.5° sun elevation at eclipse maximum. Terrain profiles extracted from LINZ Topo50 contours.  ·  results {"alexandra_clock": {"assessment": "Highest elevation. Excellent weather protection. Secondary composition merit vs Clyde Lookout.", "elevation_m": 380, "min_clearance_deg": 5.68, "position": "-45.1660°S, 169.2680°E", "status": "BACKUP", "terrain_critical_point": "Ridge 820m at 8km (azimuth 310°)"}, "clyde_dam_upper": {"assessment": "Sun clears terrain by 5.2° minimum. Valley location = high fog risk. Use only if weather perfect + other sites inaccessible.", "elevation_m": 197, "min_clearance_deg": 5.17, "position": "-45.1800°S, 169.3100°E", "status": "FALLBACK", "terrain_critical_point": "Ridge 650m at 6km (azimuth 305°), but tightest at 315° (670m, 3.4° altitude)"}, "clyde_lookout": {"assessment": "Excellent clearance margin. Elevated above fog inversion. Best photographic composition.", "elevation_m": 340, "min_clearance_deg": 5.87, "position": "-45.1770°S, 169.2960°E", "status": "PRIMARY", "terrain_critical_point": "Ridge 720m at 6km (azimuth 305°)"}}  ·  eclipse_geometry {"centreline_offset_km": 0.3, "date": "2028-07-22", "expected_duration_min": 6, "maximum_time": "16:16 NZST (04:16 UT)", "sun_azimuth_deg": 311.5, "sun_direction": "NW", "sun_elevation_deg": 9.5}  ·  terrain_profiles_summary {"alexandra_clock_azimuths": {"305": "780m @ 6km → 3.8° altitude", "310": "820m @ 8km → 3.2° altitude", "315": "820m @ 10km → 2.5° altitude", "320": "750m @ 10km → 2.1° altitude"}, "clyde_dam_azimuths": {"305": "650m @ 6km → 4.3° altitude", "310": "740m @ 8km → 3.9° altitude", "315": "670m @ 8km → 3.4° altitude (tightest)", "320": "620m @ 8km → 3.0° altitude"}, "clyde_lookout_azimuths": {"305": "720m @ 6km → 3.6° altitude", "310": "650m @ 6km → 3.0° altitude", "315": "680m @ 8km → 2.4° altitude", "320": "700m @ 10km → 2.1° altitude"}}  ·  calculation_method Apparent altitude = atan2(terrain_elev - obs_elev - earth_drop, distance) + refraction, where earth_drop = dist²/(2×R) and refraction ≈ 0.9×√(dist_km)/60°  ·  field_verification_needed Clyde Lookout: Walk track, confirm road/track conditions (mud risk), Compass bearing verification at all sites (azimuth 310-315°) to confirm no local obstructions, Clyde Dam Upper CRITICAL: Verify gorge/dam edge at 2-3 km doesn't block sun at 315-320° azimuths  ·  files_generated ~/ECLIPSE_2028_TERRAIN_FINDINGS.md (detailed 5000-word report), ~/eclipse_terrain_results.json (all clearance data), Horizon profile visualizations (ASCII plots of terrain vs sun)  ·  next_phase Field reconnaissance (June 2028) to confirm findings and finalize site selection