The March 29 Solar Eclipse
from Jalu, Libya

Latitude: 28° 14.007' North
Longitude: 21° 30.26' East
Altitude: 120m

Timings (UT+2)
First penumbra contact: 11h 08' 27"; First umbra contact: 12h 26' 36"
Last umbra contact: 12h 30' 40"; Last penumbra contact: 13h 50' 01"
Totality duration: 4mn3s

Eclipse Characteristics
Magnitude: 1.025
Saros#: 139
Ratio Moon/Sun: 1.051

The Algerian Caravan
for Science and Brotherhood
Pictures taken mostly by Chamseddine MOUATSI

Measured Temperature Drop Chart
Check here
Timing for the main Algerian cities

The Trip to Jalu

Briefing sessions took place several weeks before the departure at La Maison de Jeunes Les Terraces at Filali Constantine where the Association is holding its weekly meetings.	Working teams were designated
The departure took place from the Ben Abdelmalek stadium in downtown Constantine on Sunday 26 March.	Leaving the beloved ones for an adventure in the middle of the desert's wilderness. Is Mom's smile a genuine or an affected one?
The National TV covered the departure and interviewed the participants. It was broadcasted the next day at the midday and evening news on both the ENTV and Canal Algérie.	Departure at last !
The trip started with a hitch with an extenuous border crossing - a mere 200 meters in 6 hours... which enabled us to cross Southern Tunisia during day time! Here is Gafsa's central place.
We reached Tripoli past mid day and we paid a courtesy visit to our embassador there who was so helpful in securing from the Libyan government our tax free passage to Libya.	A buffet was prepared for our delegation
We presented a small gift to his Excellence, a copper engraved plate with the effigy of the Sirius association.	The special map of the October 3rd 2005 annular eclipse that was made by our association was also presented to the embassador, while a dozen copies of it were given as a gift.
We continued our trip through Libya and reached the next day at sunset the outskirts of Ajdabiya in Cyrenaica, close from the Jalu town.	This glorious sunset was the last one before the eclipse. It remained now a small distance from Ajdabiya to Jalu, then from there some 80 Km more straight South to reach the central line of totality
After some serious problems with the hosting company that we solved in an Algerian way, we could finally insert ourselves into the celebrating mood of the international camp.	A multimedia center where Internet connection was available right at the camp, in the middle of a sea of sand.
All the real action was outside as a festival was set up by the Libyan authorities.	Our members mingled with the various folkloric groups.

D-day at Jalu

The sunrise of a new day, the day when the Sun will be eclipsed.	Some camp dwellers walking away to an unknown destination
Venus is shining high above the Eastern horizon	Some members of our group trying to catch up with the Fajr prayer before dawn break A glorious day has risen...
Organizing ourselves and setting up our material	Taking aim at the Sun
Nourredine from the Souha Association at Sétif, working with Mustafa our former president of the Sirius Association getting ready the CCD camera for capturing on the laptop the eclipse sequence.	Badreddine from the Celestial Cupola Association (at El Oued ) setting up his apparatus so as to record the full sequence of the eclipse on video.
A feverish activity was noticeable in the midst of the forest of tents where thousands of astronomers had their last night before the eclipse.
	Never had before the Libyan desert witnessed such a display of sophisticated optical material.
Our girls went into visiting the camp	Taking some poses with some well know astronomers.
	Learning new techniques...
Listening to vivid explanations	Setting up telescopes on a moon like landscape.
From the Far East to Jalu	Yoga in the desert, waiting for the totality. There is no law against it!
We were honored by the visit of Hubert Reeves the famous French astrophysicist and media superstar	A group picture with H.Reeves and part of our delegation
	An Arizona eclipse hunter dropping by.
Members of various press agencies stopping at our site. Here the Director of the Sabratha Radio broadcast	Here with the head of the Syrian's SANA press agency

The Partial Eclipse from Constantine

Members of the Association which couldn't go to Libya were able to organize a public event at the Emir AbdelKader mosque esplanade.

Optical camera and and telescope were set up for a 60% partiality

The Totality from Jalu

The partial eclipse is progressing towards totality. Notice the three sunspots near the limb. In the past few days the Sun's surface has been sunspot free. The main sunspot (Sunspot 865) has continued to grow to become in the next few days the biggest sunspot of 2006 so far.	Many onlookers were standing by our site . We had to organize ad-hoc a visiting system wereby we allowed in the public by groups of ten so as not to perturbate our scientific program. We also provided continuous information on the ongoing progress of the eclipse to the libyan public throughout the morning.
Lakhdar using the Sun projection technique on a screen	Mustapha setting up the ETX90 for picture taking
	Kousouf prayers were held by various groups within the camp throughout the eclipse
As the eclipse is progressing and moving towards totality, a perceptible darkening of the surroundings become noticeable.	When the eclipse phase reached some 90%, the darkness has strongly deepened and the drop in temperature has become noticeable.
Then came the totality as a flash of darkness	The corona appeared in all its glory
Few minutes before totality. The eclipse glasses have still to be kept on. The whole scene became unreal. Darkness has fallen on Earth in midday!	Here we are, the Sun has stopped shinning!
We could sight Venus and Mercury and very few of the brightest stars	Four minutes and 3s of darkness, close to the absolute maximum of 4mn7s at the Tchado-libyan frontier.The eerie sunset encircled the horizon.
Chams our dedicated photographer pictured in action.	Return to normal state. Although the eclipse is still in progress, the luminosity is back to its usual level. Check here the measured temperature drop chart
The Sun went through the same sequences but backwards. Here the moment before the end of the eclipse, the last penumbral contact.	Four minutes of totality, four minutes of immortality fixed in our memories. The momentary dwellers of this desert camp are now packing to go back North to their cosy hostels before leaving to their countries. Tomorrow the desert will reclaim back this tract of land that witnessed so momentous instants.

Return from Jalu

Back on the bus	Stop over at a coffee house on the way
	Stopping at Tajourah at the seacoast before reaching Tripoli
Sirius banderole deployed
A view of the Tripoli planetarium that we snatched while on the highway. Our plan was to visit it, but unfortuantely the staff operating it was still at Jalu!	Back to the embassy building to brief the embassador on the mission
	Showing his Excellency in exclusivity the pictures of our trip
Picture taking at the Embassy's entrance.	Visiting the Green Central Place in downtown Tripoli.
Deambulating in the old city	We had a stopover at a Youth Hostel at Sabratah where after a much needed shower, we had few hours of rest before hitting the road again towards home.
	A life time experience for the participants!