Millions watch annular eclipse

2005-10-03 20:28

Madrid - Millions of people living in Europe, Africa and Asia watched on Monday as the moon passed across the face of the sun, causing an annular eclipse in which only a fiery solar rim could be seen.

The corridor in which this dramatic event could be seen was a narrow one, snaking from the North Atlantic, where it started at 08:41, across the Iberian peninsula and to northern and eastern Africa before petering out in the Indian Ocean at 12:22.

Countries that lie on this path included Portugal and Spain as well as Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, northern Chad, central Sudan, southwestern Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

The inhabitants of Madrid were among the first to see the spectacle during which the sun was obscured for four minutes, the Spanish capital lying in the centre of the strip from which the phenomenon could be seen in its fullest form.

Moon moves across the sun

Weather conditions were perfect with clear skies and local people crowded east-facing pavements and balconies to watch the eclipse.

Applause broke out as the moon moved across the sun, eventually covering 95% of it. The sky took on a greyish hue and the temperature fell, but after a few minutes conditions were back to normal.

But, the eclipse was not like that of 1999 when a total eclipse gave the impression that night was falling.

Some 3 000 people went to the city's planetarium, where free dark glasses were handed out.

Portugal - first to see eclipse

In the far northwestern province of Galicia, thousands of spectators gathered to watch an event that last occurred in 1764, and would not happen again until 2026.

Northern Portugal was the first to see the eclipse and hotel rooms in the city of Braganca and the surrounding area were booked up. Some spectators ignored warnings not to watch with the naked eye.

The Portuguese post office issued special stamps to commemorate the event.

But, not everyone in the path of the eclipse was able to see the celestial show.

Educational establishments closed

In one area in the south of France, education officials told schools to keep their children inside at break time so they did not damage their eyes by gazing at the sun without protection.

In France the degree of coverage of the sun's face varied from 83% in the southwest to 55% in the north.

In Algeria, the authorities went further, closing educational establishments altogether to avoid children risking eye damage by staring at the sun as they went to school.

In Lodwar, a town on Kenya's Lake Turkana, some 600km northwest of Nairobi, which saw the full force of the eclipse shortly after 14:00, most activity came to a standstill as the curious stared at the sun.

In the Kenyan capital, which was just outside the main path of the eclipse, downtown office workers poured into the streets to see the rarity, stealing glimpses of the partially covered sun through dark glasses and bits of film.

- AFP