The last time, a hybrid
eclipse occurred was 547 years ago. This year, Uganda will be one of the few
privileged countries to witness another of the eclipses, and we are in the best
position to view it.
“….The scenery is different, the vegetation is different, the
climate is different, and, most of all, the people are different from anything
elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa ... I say: ‘Concentrate on
Uganda’. For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of
brilliant life - bird, insect, reptile, beast - for vast scale -- Uganda is
truly the pearl of Africa.”
These were the remarks of Sir Winston Churchill, in 1907, after
traversing the country and being amazed by its distinguished beauty. 106 years
later, that Uganda is the pearl of Africa, is still the best and renowned
compliment that the country has received in acknowledgement of the generosity
that mother nature showered it with. And, God or Mother Nature, depending on
how you look at it, has given us reason to bear it in mind, again. On November
3rd, Uganda will be one of the few countries in Africa where a rare type of
eclipse – the Hybrid eclipse – will be observed. The rest of the countries are
Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Gabon.
Benon Fred Twinamasiko, a lecturer at the physics department of
Makerere University, says that of all the other African countries, Uganda is
where the best view of the eclipse will take place.
“In countries like Gabon and DRC, most of the areas where the
eclipse’s path runs through are covered by rain forests. Such areas are prone
to precipitation, and the cloud cover that comes with it makes it impossible to
observe the eclipse. The eclipse is seen when there is a clear cloud,” explains
the lecturer, further adding, “In Kenya, the eclipse will occur in the Turkana
region which is largely a desert region. In Somalia, the instability in the
country makes it a no go area for an eclipse chaser. But, in Uganda the eclipse
will be viewed, in districts like Gulu, Arua, Pakwach, Lira and Soroti which
are peaceful and have a multitude of other tourism related activities that one
can engage in.”
There are four types of eclipse, namely, annular, eclipse,
hybrid and partial. Twinamasiko says that total eclipse takes place when the
moon is between the sun and the earth. He illustrates that when this phenomenon
occurs, a shadow is cast upon the earth’s surface thus creating a moment of
darkness or special effects can be seen, such as a “a ring of fire” around the
sun. The lecturer states that annular eclipse occurs when the moon is too far
away from the earth to completely cover the face of the sun, leaving a ring of
the sun around the edges of the moon.
“Hybrid eclipse is a rare type of eclipse. It is a fusion of
total and annular eclipse. This is because observers in one part of the earth
observe annular eclipse while other observers in another part of the earth
experience total eclipse,” he says.
The lecturer states that the eclipse will start from the
Atlantic south of Bermuda triangle and end in Somalia. To clarify the hybrid
phenomenon, he says that from the Bermuda triangle to the coast of Gabon, the
eclipse will be an annular one and from the coast of Gabon stretching through
our own Gulu district to Galcaio in Somalia where the eclipse will end, it will
be total eclipse.
He mentions that Gulu lies at the centre of the eclipse’s path
and thus that is where the most exhilarating experience will be. He states that
people who will be in the district will see total darkness. “The darkness will
last a period of 1 minute and 11 seconds, minimally and one minute and 40
seconds maximally,” says the lecturer.
Twinamasiko says that if you have the means, you can go an extra
mile to make the experience memorable by charting a plane to track the eclipse
from Gabon to Somalia. He notes that the eclipse will not literally end, but
rather, it will happen in Somalia during evening hours when it is about to get
dark. So the night will simply set in.
He concludes that the last hybrid eclipse occurred on March
16th, 1466. After the one in November 3, this year, the next one will take
place on June 3rd, 2114.
This is definitely a moment to be proud of and the tourism
sector should create as much awareness and milk the event for all its worth.
By Bruce Amp