Gallery XXXX-  3/29/06

"The 2006 Solar Eclipse"

- the total solar eclipse of 2006 from the Libyan desert -

- The Sky & Telescope / Travelquest "voyage to totality" -

Part I - Tobruk - 3/28/06

          What a time. We pulled into the natural deep water port of Tobruk in the late afternoon. They had emptied out the harbor (sent the boats elsewhere and cleanned the shorline). The sun show over the town. Buildings are 2 to 7 stories. There are scattered mosque towers. A large military delegation met the ship at the docks, but unlike in Egypt, they appeared to be unarmed. About 20 came aboard to process the ship in (usually this job takes 2-3 people). The military stayed on board while we were docked. They came proceeded by a bouquet of flowers. Later a group of children came to the dock and sang to us. We couls see people at the fence surrounding the port area. Not much happens in Tobruk. The arrival of a cruise ship was for them a big event.

              Confusion reigned. I don't think that either cruise line knew what to expect - no one had sent a cruise ship into Tobruk since ... ?before WW II? MSC Cruises had shipped about 35 buses from Egypt to Tobruk (not enough tourist buses in Lybia). Some had arrived by the early evening. Unexpectedly the Lybians encouraged us to come ashore. A free shuttle service to downtown was set up using the tourist buses and members of the local bank came aboard to set up a currency exchange. As you know, it is illegal to buy Dinar on the black market.

               That night PM, a stack of crisp Dinars in our pockets, Justin and I boarded a bus to tour downtown Tobruk. On our bus there was an English speaking guide who told us that we were welcome in Tobruk. He pointed out the local sites - the oil company pier, the water treatment plant - etc. This was a surprise as many of us had been afraid to take out our cameras for fear of the Lybians and hear they were showing us the sights - all of them,! Our guide was so happy to see tourists (foreign tourist business has been bleak since the embargo of the 90's) that he forgot to hang on while the bus was moving. We nearly lost him when our Egyptian driver (who'd never been in Tobruk) stopped suddenly. We saw the one hotel, the former kings palace, and the former king's private mosque as we drove to the square.

                Around the central square, the streets were crowded. The square was crowded with a mass of people who had come to see the tourists. Many men were seen gathered in circles around water pipes, smoking.  They all seem happy to see tourists here. (Or were well coached by gov't to say same). All of the kids spoke a little English (even if it was just "hi, hello, how are you, I am fine, I like Americans, etc."). They mobbed my (teenage) Justin like a rock star. As soon as we got off of the bus, a group of kids descended on us wanted to get their picture take with him. They put their arms around his shoulders, dragged him and me over to the center of the square and took turns getting photographed with their arms around him. Teenage kids with camera cell phones,  its just like back home. I felt safe though he was taken aback by all this. The square was surrounded by police/military. Either alone, in pairs or in groups of 6-7.

                This over with, and still a tad uneasy (my God we were in Libya - it was dark) we set off to explore. (Though now I wish that we'd stayed and try to talk more.) The streets are lined with one room shops. Each has a sign in Arabic and with a picture. jewelry, school bags and pencils, clothes, etc. As we moved furter from the square, there were more people just going about their business and fewer who had come to gawk at the tourists. Lacking and Arabic phrase book, speaking no arabic, and having lost our guide, shopping was problematic. Silver seems to be big, but apparently some of that is only for special occasions like weddings. About 8:30 the shops began to close. We stopped in pastry shop ("Dad look, that's a baskery") and ate baklava - excellent and cheap. About 0.25 dinar each (On the ship we got about 1.5 dinar to the dollar, another tourist had gotten 1.2 dinar to the dollar, moral - be nice to the Libyan who is exchanging the money - either that or ask him so many questions about how much things cost that he forgets what he is doing - worked for me). Sodas in cans were about 0.5 Dinar. We picked up some hot Lybian music in Arabic, I bought 2 CDs at a dinar each.

                All in all the people are very friendly. I said Hi, Hello, or Salam to about everyone I saw at first, but the further you got from the square it was more like being a tourist any where. I would have been in the shops more if I had at least some Arabic. In the bakery I looked at the myriad of unfamiliar cakes and settled on baklava as I like it and knew what it was. My shopping technique was this - first establish that no one in the shop as able to speak to one another. Point at baklava, say "baklava" - which is not what they called it - hold up 2 finders. Indicate that I wanted to eat it by making motions of putting something in my mouth. Try to pay by handing 5 dinar, this was refused. I kept showing him money in various denominations until he pointed at a half dinar note. A good Moslem is honest. You have to respect that.

                 Our tour guide found us, but we lost him again. We wandered back to the square and boarded a bus bound for the harbor. We had to go to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a log day.

                 Afterthought. No one knew what to expect. The ship had handed out a list of do's and don'ts: all women to wear head scarves, all shirts must reach the elbow (foolishly I'd left all my baseball shirts at home), no shorts, etc. So when we left the ship all of the women wore head scarves. When we arrived the women were told that they did not need to wear them. Some took them off, most kept them on. You never saw so many pretty scarves, these women had prepared for this - to coordinate head covering with excursion outfit. Women. You saw none in the central square. I saw 2 in a small dry goods type of "grocery store", one in another shop. They were in full length dark robe like outfits. Their head scarves were of lighter color then their robes. Their faces were uncovered, but they turned away as soon as they saw you looking at them. The streets were crowded all right. But only with men and boys. Apparently over there it is normal for male friends (men or boys) to walk holding hands or with their arms around on another. I took this to be local custom (?Arab custom). I think that men can go out, but women do not. I did see a few young girls out with their fathers, who had brought them to see the tourists. Unlike the boys, they did not run up to throw their arms around you and have their picture taken.

Part II - eclipse day - 3/29/06

 

                The trip began with anxiety. We were on and Italian cruise ship which had never traveled with large groups of Americans. When we were in the port of Alexandria, we had to pick up our passport prior to entering Egypt. This led to chaos as Americans crowded the halls and stairwells at the front of the ship, all desperate to be first in line to get theirs and get off the ship. That's what I like about America. We are predictable. If there is something to do, we all want to do it, and all at the same time. I feared similar chaos. Days before, there had been an announcement that those with equipment (I had a moderate amount), would get off the ship first so as to arrive early and set up. These plans came to nothing. I had spoken to Paulo - our suave cruise director about this. He assured me not to worry. Just show up at the time printed in the bulletin.

                As it turned out we were to caravan and all would arrive together. So my family ate a nice leisurely breakfast in the nearly empty dining room (all the other Americans were crowded upstairs in the buffet, each questing to eat and get off the bus first). Table service and freshly prepared food. Cappuccino - made by Italians, mmm.

                 Breakfast over, it was back to the cabin. We collected our gear: hats, veils for the women, H alpha scope (Solarvue 50mm - made by the old production manager for Coranado who left them to "make it on his own" (The Isle of Mann -  queue Sinatra: "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere") - sold by Jim Kendrick out of Canada, Solar view solar scopes), Corando Binomites I and II(10x25s and 12x60s), Nikon 7x35mm binos, sunscreen, water, wind breakers, first aid kit ("be prepared"), wire ties, spare Baader film, twist ties, rubber bands, tape, white light filters for camera and video cam, camera and video camera ... what have we forgotten - the quick release plate for the large tripod (it is back in West Virginia) - thanks to Robert for the wire ties - I used those to lash the video camera to the tripod once we reached the site. But I am getting ahead of myself.

                  I loaded the gear on to my Sherpas (I knew those kids would come in handy for something, good thing we brought them) and we set out down the hall. We entered a gap in the line at the stairs ("he who hesitates is lost") and were off the ship in no time. We boarded our bus (one of the last to load) and our driver took off passing almost all the other busses to take a position at the head of the column ("those who are last shall be first" - the word of the Lord). The "road" leading from the pier to the town that I thought was concrete last night turned out to be packed earth (are we back in West Virginia?). We stopped and waited.

                  The sky was clear blue and cloudless. Spirits were high. The sun was bright. The column began to move behind our escort of white Japanese pick ups. Unlike those in Iraq, these were guarding us. We set off for the Tobruk - Al Jaghbub  road. It runs a little south of southeast as one leaves Tobruk. As you know Al Jaghbub is a famous oasis surrounded by a sandy desert. Thanks be to God, the centerline of the eclipse bisected this road, which is a nice fairly straight two lane paved road (speed limit 80 Kmph). This provided easy bus access to the desert and made the whole trip possible. As we headed out of town we entered a cloud of dense fog. I mean visibility maybe 100'. You could not see the sun. We drove on. Fortunately, at every turn and cross roads where were Libyan police or security forces to stop opposing traffic and to guide our Egyptian drivers (many who hadn't been to Libyan before and were now driving caravan style through a foreign land in dense fog at low highway speeds) along the route. The Pick ups at the head and tail of the column kept the sheep (busses) on the proper road. No mean feat in the fog.

                      After an hour of driving in fog, my head filled with thoughts like - why didn't I stay on the ship to see the partial eclipse? Then the bus engine quit and the bus slowed and pulled off of the road. Our driver said, "there is something wrong with the bus". So here we are, sitting on a broken down bus, in dense fog, an hour out into the desert. 'nuff said.

                  The column stopped. Men gathered outside the bus. Time passed. After about 10-15 minutes (it seemed much longer, but the mind plays tricks - "eclipse access denied", our driver got on the bus and it started. This led to spontaneous cheering. You've got to love traveling in the third worls. And we were traveling in style - first class with lavatory equipped motor coaches.

                  We went back into our position in the formation and the column began to move (Well, you would not let your camel stray from its position in the caravan would you? of course not). On into the fog rode the 1400. It was like the charge of light brigade only: no one was shooting and most of us were sleeping in comfortable seats because it was foggy and we'd all gotten up way too early. The journey was reportedly 95 Km and so far it had mostly been through pea soup fog. Another hour passed.

                       The thick fog that did not burn off until 13 Km from eclipse site  - jubilation. It did not so much fade as just stop abruptly. It just stopped. Like passing through a wall. The sky was clear and cloudless and the sun bright to our dark adapted eyes. Again spontaneous cheers erupted on the bus.

                  We arrived at what we though was the site - many tents and toilets by the side of the road. Then something surprising happened. before we got to that encampment, we - 'turned off the paved road' (my God am I back in WV again?) - and went 4 wheeling (ok the busses have more then 4 wheels but you know what I mean).  So we headed out across the desert sands in large 50 man busses to the East, to the observing site (centerline of the eclipse). The buses rocked up and down. Our pace was slow. We passed Libyans camped out with their cars. Some were in groups, others were solo families. We saw military style tents, Bedouin tents, and tarps stretched off of cars or trucks to make shade. Most everyone in these camps (which were scattered all over the desert) waved to us. On we drove. I think about 2-3 Km, but it was hard to tell. Finally we could see the site. Who could forget the sign that we passed on our way in, "Well come to Tobruk".

                   We did not know it at the time but the encampment we passed where we left the road was where those who had left the ship was where those who had signed up to sleep in the desert had spent the night. They thought that it would be a "star party in the desert" but were suprised by the street lights that the Lybians had put up. They were fed and entertained. In addition to singing and dancing, they were treated to a rousing speech by one of Qathafi's sons (spelling taken from the cover of "The Little Green Book". This is Muammar's version of Mao's "Little Red Book"). No observing, a speech, only blankets to protect one from the chill of the desert - does it get any better (this was a $720 US add on BTW)? Yes it does. No one told them that this was not the eclipse site, so several of them set up and polar aligned either in the evening or early on the morning of eclipse day - lol! ("I love this place.")

                    Ah, I digress, It was surprisingly cool in the desert - about 50 Fahrenheit when we arrived at 9 ish in the AM - local time. Exiting the bus, walked out into the desert. The Libyans had set up a long tent in an L shape open long one of its sides for shade. There was a large Military tent as a hospital and 3 doctors were there. There were men selling chips and candy out of a green van. There was a shop with eclipse day T-shits and other souvenirs. Choosing to get away from the hubbub, I headed south towards the edge of the group. We picked a site - 'this piece of desert covered with sand and small rocks looks - well just like that piece of desert over there'. Some people looked for a firmer piece of ground. But it all looked the same to me, (flat, maybe 20% rocks 0.5-4 cm in size and the rest sand).

                 They provided chairs to sit on as well. At first it seemed that there would not be enough. Then another truck arrived with more. They brought in tables too. You just had to walk over, pick one up and carry it to your site. They thought of everything.

                  We set up next to the guy with the TV85 that I'd met on the ship. It had a glass thousand  oaks type white light filter on it and put up great views of the sun spots (3-4) and of the mountains of the moon once the eclipse had begun. He also had 60mm Solarmax Coranado scope (which shows better surface detail (more contrast for surface detail) then mine but does not show prominences nearly as well - maybe it has a tighter band pass on H-A filter?). His scopes and my 50 mm scope were there just for visual. This was nice as it seemed that most of the equipment was there just for photography. An eagle scout, he  ran people through his scopes during the entire eclipse. These scopes, combined with my scope and white light binoculars made for a great eclipse viewing experience. Why look at a tiny sun when you can magnify it and look for detail. The HA scopes were a hit as the sun was fairly featureless in white light (especially in the lo power binos), so the HA scopes gave us something to look at (Proms, filaments, surface granularity) prior to the eclipse. I had a Televue 8-24mm zoom on the Solavue (I think it is a f8, 400mm FL, 0.7A filter) so we could dial the power up and down.

                   We also had 12 x60mm and 10x25mm bimomites. We used those  instruments and the H alpha scope. We only rarely resorted to using the eclipse viewing shades. The binos would have done better on tripods (but home much can you schlep to Lybia? I had 3 tripods in use as it was - one for the camera, video camera, and HA scope) but you could pick out the largest of the sunspots in both bino's. I would recline in a chair to steady myself when using the 12x60s and could clearly see the largest sun spot. Free handing the binos, it was a little hard to find the sun, but once you found it the view was worth it. If you ever get a chance to go to an eclipse, I'd recommend white light binos over eclipse shades. The magnification is worth it. I can't say why, but it is appealing. White light filters are easy to make out of Baader film (sold by Jim Kendrick link). The Binomite II's are very nice, very sharp. (I have these for solar viewing with scouts and groups of kids, I like solar instruments that kids can't make "unsafe".) But really deserve a tripod to get the most out of them. The Binomite I's are light but harder to use as they seem to have much less eye relief.

                    Before first contact my son and I made several rounds of the site to peer through others scopes - but sadly, most had come to image - and you know how imagers are when they are setting up - lol. Saw several nice imaging rigs from manual, to home made exposure control boxes to computer driven camera operation. Wow.

                   There was a circle of people over by the tents and loud speakers blared Arabic music. Apparently a group of Libyan boy scouts had come and along with the soldiers were performing local dances and songs. Driven by a desire to look at other peoples equipment, I bypassed this. perhaps I should not have.

                    For the time prior to the eclipse, of what I saw, the views in the TV 85 and the Solarvue put up some of the best views (IMHO - no I never found the three folks with the Sky 90's or the guy with the Herchel wedge -  my site survey was incomplete) . After visiting friends made on the ship or on trips (Got to love Green Bay and Steelers fans) - Justin and I returned to our site.

                   Having crowd watched and stared into the desert for a while, we became bored; so Justin and I started inviting over anyone who would walk by (regardless of our ability to communicate verbally) and began offering up the views in the scope and the binos. I don't know how many times I dropped to the sand to try to draw a picture of solar prominence in order to explain the view in the h alpha scope - my French, German, Arabic, Slovenian, and Italian leave a lot to be desired. have you ever tried to explain how to find the sun with white light binoculars on verbally. Many tried to give up, but I persisted. "A'int no body leav'n until de sees the sun." You could always tell when they saw it. The verbal - ahhh - is fairly universal. They would usually get excited and then explain in their own language to their comrades how to find the sun. And they became as diligent as me in forcing their friends to persist until they'd seen the sun. Ihe image of the moon partially covering the sun in the binos is striking. Ahhh.

                    The excitement became palpable when first contact occurred. Ann was on the camera, and I on the video. We and the kids rotated the other instruments among each other.

                   At our site, I though it would be just us 4 viewing ( my family) once the partial eclipse began, but then our fiends stopped by, then other people too - those who spoke our language and those who did not (many British on this trip). My family members rotated snapping pictures, videoing, white bino viewing, HA viewing, running over to look through the TV85 and instructing others in doing the same. "You gotta see this in:" - the binos, the HA scope, the TV85. As everything that was mounted was "Alt, AZ", I  spent a fair amount of time re-centering the sun in various devices.

                  Then the Libyan Boy Scouts showed up, then their scout masters, then the Libyan university group. The Italians. The French. The British. It was like a UN star party. I'd show them what to look for in HA or the binos and then steer them over to the guy with the TV85 and the 60mm Solarmax scope to see the sunspots and the lunar mountains. You could see the irregularity of the lunar surface best in the scopes (more magnification), probably best in white light. Time passed, we watched the sun assume a crescent shape. The crescent shrank. Sunspots vanished, hidden by the moon.

                  In the Solarview 50 - there were several prominences seen. There were some good arches and an angular shaped one too. The two largest leading and trailing sun spots were seen. The lunar surface was irregular where its edge was superimposed on the sun.

                   About 75% into the eclipse the Libyans left and we were able to settle down into observing. About 90% it began to get cool. As 99% approached it got much colder and darker. The wind began to gain strength - was it pulled in by the cooler air? In the desert, you could see it get dark all around you as the penumbra gathered. At high % partial eclipse, the solar prominences in HA began to grow in size and show more detail. Venus appeared. Time began to move at an unreal pace. Shadows became sharp. The light was less intense but sharp. It began to appear unreal. It was darker yet clearer. Hard to describe. The tricks of the light had begun.

                  The lunar shadow seemingly moving at what 1300-1400 mph hit like a freight train. The horizon in all directions turned purple and then red. I'd expected a gradual dimming. I was wrong. It all happened so fast. The desert darkened to twilight - a deep blue - and Mercury appeared. I didn't see any shadow bands. We saw large Bailey beads in the HA scope. These were very impressive. I assume that is because the HA scope shows the solar atmosphere rather then at the solar surface as in white light. I also assume that we were seeing bits of the chromosphere which became relatively brighter after the solar surface was covered by the moon.  I was so taken by this view that I turned that over to my daughter Brittany so that she could see.

                   It was all happening so fast. I was afraid to look up. In the excitement forgotten about the eclipse shades in my pocket. I just stared at the horizon and gasped in awe as the sky just above the desert floor became purple and red. The sky above this turned dark. Darker the higher that you were. I did not see the orange that others reported, (but I am always amazed by the difference in colors reported by people observing color in dim light and I believe that low light color vision varies from person to person). Because I was watching the color change in the sky,  I missed the first diamond ring and second contact, but I got a bit of it on the video which was running on auto pilot. It was amazing just to look at the changing light in the desert as the lunar shadow hit.

                 Then the screaming began. I looked up and saw the Corona. A round spiculated glow with prominent equatorial streamers - at least 3 on each side naked eye. Amazing. The moon had covered the sun. There was a black hole where the sun should be. The corona streamers radiated out to the sides with small wisps of glow arising from the solar poles.

                 The video went haywire - I'd set it on "auto" and it lost focus. I could not get manual controls to work so I abandoned the camcorder. What to see - the corona naked eye - cool - grab the 7x35mm normal binos - wow- the view was amazing. the streamers showed more definition and extension. To me the corona looked white - an ethereal glow - "kids look through these binoculars, no not those these - those are for the partial phases - use the regular binoculars" - I stare at the corona - time is racing by - Ann is snapping off stills as fast as she can - click, click, click - quick check the HA scope - I see nothing - don't waste time - must look up the corona - it is amazing - prominences naked eye - bailey beads -  the diamond ring - the light, its too intense, must look away. The sky quickly brightens. It is over.

                 The sky above the desert continues to brighten. People are laughing, crying, and talking. Groups discuss what they have just seen. Amazing. A jumble of hushed voices, reverent.

                 The rest of the eclipse is anticlimactic, but Ann, the kids and I stick it out to the last second to view 4th contact. The desert warms and brightens. It is afternoon. Amongst the dust and the heat, the desert becomes what you expect - we miss the cool of the eclipse.

                A man who had viewed through our scopes brought us lunch - saving a trip to the tent area - an unexpected act of kindness - a lady who had viewed came bussed our lunch away - how kind. More Libyans  arrive, we watch the ebbing of the eclipse in HA and white light with them.

                All here have been friendly. Our Libyan hosts have gone out of their way to make us feel at home. You know the atmosphere - its like a star party with the clearest sky possible, only during the day!

                Amazing. Even more amazing was the fact that everyone policed their own areas. Trash was collected and returned to a central area, chairs and tables were returned and stacked - this by the eclipse viewers. All unprompted. It just happened. And save for foot prints and tire tracks, we left the desert as we found it.

                Still watching for 4th contact, a man from the cruise line came to urge us to tear down and  board the bus. 30 seconds to 4th contact. Some people. We timed the 4th contact with the HA scope and it was on to the second. Now we could tear down and pack up.

                It took 3 hours on the bus through the desert back to the ship.

                "in the desert, you can't remember your name, 'cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain, La La La La La La La La La"

                Back on the boat - a shower - like heaven.

                God indeed is great.
 

Back to gallery Guide or  Back to Astronomy  or Videoastonomy page