Total Solar Eclipse 29 March 2006 The trip - a short report

A group of 31 eclipse fans from Austria, Germany and Sweden started the common trip on 26 March 2006 noon by an Austrian Airlines flight from Vienna to Tripoli. No European guide accompanied the group - although announced by the travel agency; this situation caused a lot of troubles during the trip - but this is another story. At Tripoli airport a Libyan guide joined us; a very friendly person but unfortunately not a "guide". Note that local time in Libya is identical with summer time in Central Europe (UT + 3).

Landing in Tripoli

A short visit of the historical old city of Tripoli gave a first impression of a country that was rather closed for tourism for a long time. In contrary to other North African countries, Libyan people are very friendly and unobtrusive against tourists. The flight to Sebha was delayed by 5 hours, and finally at 4 am we fell into beds for a 2 - 3 hours sleep.

Accommodation in Sebha (also Sabha, a city with about 150,000 people, ca 700 km south of Tripoli, center of the Fezzan) was in simple round huts on a camping site (N 26° 54.864, E 14° 25.153, 440 m). 27 March 2007. At 10 am we started our "Desert Eclipse Trip"; 3 - 4 people with a local driver per Toyota jeep (about 20 years old, more than 500,000 km), the Libyan guide, a security man, 3 Libyan cooks; all together 11 cars. Definitely a too large group.

< Loading and waiting After 120 km on a good paved road we reached Taraghin, South of Sebha. Further 80 km on paved road near Zawilah we had our first "desert lunch" well prepared by the Libyan cooks.

Extensively renovated tombs in Zawilah are worth for a short visit.

Another 80 km on paved road guides to Tmissah. Here was the last gas station for a long time and the end of paved roads (4 pm, N 26° 23.614', E 15° 46.642', 440 m).

A 20 km flat sand field South of Tmissah was passed by the local drivers with high speed (80 - 100 km/h) - surfing on sand. After further 40 km on a hard desert piste we reached the place for overnight just a few minutes before sunset (which was approximately at 7 pm). The first camp site was a sandy place near a rocky hill (N 25° 58.394', E 16° 13.386', 560 m). The not describable clear night sky was more impressive than the simple meal (this holds for all evenings spent in the desert).

28 March 2006. 7 °C at 7:30 am. Start for a long tour at 9 am. Direction South-East. Hard desert piste. Crossing the Dor El Goussa ridge (550 m). Check point near Waw al Kabir (with a military airport in the neighborhood). 12 - 2 pm lunch break in the shadow of a dry tree; hot in sun but pleasant 23 °C in shadow (N 25° 18.975', E 17° 4.127', 445 m).

Continuing hard piste with a few sandy sections; some hills. At 5 pm arrival near the volcano crater Waw an Namus. Sand is covered by a thin layer of black ash (N 24° 56.788', E 17° 43.261', 470 m). Drivers expect to arrive at the Eclipse Camp soon ... The ash field was crossed in direction East to position N 24° 55.366, E 17° 53.184' (440m) at the end of ash deposit. New direction South-East and later South-West; only with GPS help the drivers finally reached the Eclipse Camp in darkness at 7:30 pm.

Camp 2, the Eclipse Camp (N 24° 28.021', E 17° 57.949', 440 m), consisted of several 100 small tents, some large tents including a post office with Internet and international phone connection. A very noisy generator produced electricity; cars and helicopters caused permanent clouds of dust.

8:30 pm: 18 °C 6:30 am: 7 °C windy

29 March 2006, the day of the Eclipse After breakfast we left the unpleasant Eclipse Camp in direction North-East. After about 7 km we reached a position almost exactly at the central line, and almost exactly at E 18°. The selected observation place - with no people visible within the 360° flat horizon - is an even, stony, and bright area (with some dust and some wind).

Observation site N 24° 31.520' E 18° 0.019' 440 m

Some highlights of the total solar eclipse: m Shortly before totality we observed "flying shadows", that are bright and dark stripes at a distance of 0.3 to 1 m rapidly moving over ground. Surprising, curious and almost frightening. From Wikipedia Encyclopedia: "Another famous observation are the so called flying shadows, which are similar to those on the bottom of a swimming pool. They only occur just prior to and after totality, and are very difficult to observe. Many professional eclipse chasers have never seen them." m Duration: 4 minutes 7 seconds. m Less darkening than expected (planet Venus very bright but planet Mercury not visible), and less temperature drop than expected. m Low sun activity with only a few prominences.

In the afternoon the group moved to the rim of the volcano crater Waw an Namus, one of the highlights in Libya. Approaching from South requires passing of rather deep sand (covered by black volcano ash). One hour was required to reach the South rim of the caldera (N 24° 53.975, E 17° 45.703', 460 m). No mosquito at the rim. Erika and Kurt Varmuza

Camp site 3 was only 8 km from the Northern crater rim. N 24° 58.798' E 17° 41.184' 420 m >> Petrified wood found near the camp site.

30 March 2006 5 °C at 6:45 (11 °C inside the tent). Start at 9 am for a long trip.
Direction North-West, then North. 5 hours for about 180 km. 2 - 4 pm lunch break in poor shadow under a dry tree (26 °C); N 26° 1.770', E 16° 46.295', 520 m.

	Flat and dusty area; hard to see any navigation points. Direction North-West, sand and palm trees. The cars are split into groups without contact. One car reaches Tmissah at 7 pm, and the driver starts a rescue action in darkness at 7:30. Finally all but one car (broken) reaches camp site 4 near Tmissah at 9 pm.
	31 March 2006 270 km on paved road via Taraghin to Sebha in 6 hours (including a 2 hour lunch break near the road). Arrival at camping site South of Sebha at 5 pm, 32 °C.

Showers and a restaurant with terrace ! However, no Libyan guide anymore. Confusion about transfer to airport (how and when). At 9 pm transfer by the jeeps to the airport. Many people, no check-in counter open, no flight to Tripoli, no announcements. Complete confusion.

Finally, after more than 9 hours at the airport: With the kind help of the guide from a Swiss group and their Libyan guide a part of our group received boarding cards for the flight at 6:50 am (1 April !) to Tripoli. The other part of our group "enjoyed" an adventurous 10-hour trip by bus, truck and taxi cars of about 700 km to Tripoli ...

1 April 2006 Visit of Roman ruins in Sabratha, ca 80 km West from Tripoli, short visit of historical city of Tripoli, common dinner at a fish restaurant (medium quality).

2 April 2006 Visit of National Museum, and a mosque in the historic city (both highly recommended). Flight back to Vienna.

(C) K. Varmuza, 2006