Thousands await the eclipse

By KIBIWOTT KOROSS

Mark November 3 on your diary. That is the day Nairobians will be witnessing this year’s solar eclipse – at Ngong Hills. 

A solar eclipse as you know is when the moon passes between the sun and the earth directly blocking its light.  Ngong Hills is the highest peak near Nairobi and the best place for an uninterrupted view of the 15-minute partial affair. 

The partial eclipse will start at 4:25 pm. The total eclipse will then occur at 5:25pm. The partial eclipse will then end at 6:27 pm.

A partial eclipse occurs when the Sun and Moon are not exactly in line and the Moon only partially obscures the Sun.

Kenya boasts-on the world map- one of the best locations to view this hybrid solar eclipse, which according to scientists is a rare occurrence.

The total phase of the solar eclipse will be very brief and will only be seen in Kenya for 15 seconds.

Besides Kenya, other countries that will witness total eclipse include Uganda, (Dr) Congo, and Ethiopia.

ABOUT ECLIPSES

A total solar eclipse occurs when the dark silhouette of the moon completely obscures the Sun. 

A partial eclipse occurs when the sun and moon are not exactly in line and the moon only partially obscures the sun. 

An annular eclipse occurs when the sun and moon are exactly in line, but the apparent size of the moon is smaller than that of the sun. Hence the sun appears as a very bright ring, or annulus, surrounding the dark disk of the Moon.

A hybrid eclipse (also called annular or total eclipse) shifts between a total and annular eclipse. Hybrid eclipses are comparatively rare.