I was checking this morning on Google Earth to learn how the new Hackpen Hill formation might be oriented geographically under its nearby "white horse", when I saw another big crop circle from July 4, 1999 in the same field from its archived set of images:  

That 1999 picture supposedly illustrated zones of totality for the 18-year eclipse cycle of our Sun and Moon, as viewed from above the North Pole (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saros_cycle or www.earthview.com/tutorial/patterns.htm or the insightful comments by
 Andreas Muller on www.greatdreams.com/crop/99whthrs.htm). Their approximate visual similarity to our new crop picture seems obvious:  

There was a solar eclipse on August 11, 1999 (see www.arm.ac.uk/eclipse99.html), just one month after July 4, 1999, where the path of totality intercepted southern England: 

I wonder whether they are trying to draw our attention to an upcoming solar eclipse on August 1, 2008, which will pass partly (45%) over southern England from 8:33 to 10:05 AM (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_2008_August_1)?  

In response to Karen's comments, Milk Hill 2001 showed monthly phases of our Moon as seen at midnight over the six-fold course of any year
(see www.cropcircle.tv/archives/1996/The%20Stonehenge%20code.html
 or www.cropcircle.tv/archives/1996/chis96a.html#Dual). Whether this new picture refers to a six-fold variation of lunar phases within any calendar year, or to a Saros cycle of solar or lunar eclipses across 18 calendar years, it certainly caught our attention!  

In summary, our crop artist friends just used "field location" to provide important symbolic information over a space of nine years 1999-2008 (half of one Saros cycle) about two successive solar eclipses on August 11, 1999 or August 1, 2008. It will be great viewing near the end of a crop season, and I hope that Charles will organize a party for the occasion!

RED COLLIE