Libya Eclipse
March 29, 2006. I find myself in the middle of the Sahara Desert looking skyward. It has been a long journey -- exactly 12 time zones and literally halfway around the world -- since Libya lies on the opposite side of the planet from my home in Hawaii. All for four glorious minutes, an all too brief time to watch the blazing Sahara sun suddenly disappear behind the perfect black disk of the moon. The horizon glows with the orange hues of twilight. A chill wind picks up. It's noticeably cooler. And just as suddenly as it began, it's over. One would think the eclipse itself would be the most memorable moment of the day, but what sticks with me most was the peace and tranquility of being entirely enveloped by the desert, of just picking a random point on the horizon and walking towards it. Far enough away from the thousands of people who have come from across the world to this very spot, who are now tiny dots on the horizon behind me. Far enough away from the crowds to feel as if I have the desert to myself. Through my telephoto lens I spy two devout Muslims drop to their knees in prostration and prayer right here, in the middle of nowhere, no one but God and myself as a witness. Complete silence and solitude. And I am quickly reminded of the exotic locale I find myself in. The true fun in eclipse chasing is the randomness of it all. One minute you're home in comfortable routine; the next you're in a land you never thought you'd see. Eclipse shadows scrape the earth at random, and following one to the nether regions of the world is akin to spinning a globe and vowing ahead of time to journey to whatever arbitrary destination it stops on. Truly a unique way to travel, not to mention a most enjoyable and thrilling ride.
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A domestic flight from Tripoli to Benghazi, then a bus ride south through the Sahara Desert to the eclipse centerline just south of Jalu. The drive was pretty monotonous, but it was still interesting to watch the subtle changes in topography as we ventured deeper into the Sahara. Date palms gave way to scrub, which eventually yielded to very occasional patches of greenery. And finally no vegetation at all, not even weeds. Sand as far as the eye can see for literally hundreds of miles in all directions.
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Stocking up on supplies at one of the last outposts of civilization, which also conveniently sold colorful eclipse glasses. Below that, the ever-present image of Colonel Qaddafi oversees the festivities. It became quite an inside joke among us that this wondrous bit of Qaddafi art was known derisively as "Qaddafi Viewing the Eclipse" among the foreign tourists present.
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As the end of the day draws near, a tent city finally appears on the horizon. The Libyan government did a wonderful job of creating an entire community out of nothing in a very short amount of time.
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Our amazement with the facilities only increased when we saw that we had temporary electrical outlets at our disposal, thoughtfully featuring plug configurations from several different countries. Even more surprising was the bank of toilets and showers at the edge of the camp. Who would have thought we'd have flush toilets in the middle of nowhere?!
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The tents themselves were pretty spartan, but the cots were comfortable and the interiors sported lively and colorful Arab motifs. The floor consisted of basic carpet-like mats, and the boundary between desert sand outside and sleeping quarters inside was blurry at best.
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The excitement builds as the sun goes down and everyone waits in anticipation for it to rise again.
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Eclipse Day! People run final tests of equipment and get ready to head away from the tents and out into the open space of the desert. Military helicopters clatter overhead, allegedly to make sure no one wanders too far off.
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Stocking up on Libyan Pepsi to keep hydrated...
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Waiting and watching as totality approaches...
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Finally! After years of planning and thousands of miles traveled, the eclipse begins. Amazing how easy it is to photograph with just a small handheld digital camera.
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Of course those with the foresight to bring bigger and better equipment were rewarded with much more spectacular photographs, like the one below (thanks Alex!).
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Special Libyan stamps to commemorate the eclipse.
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