by Kimberley O'Sullivan, 3 November 2009

There is a select group of people who will happily spend thousands of dollars every odd year to witness an event usually lasting less than 7 minutes, sometimes less than 3, and mostly occuring in remote places on earth: deserts, arctic tundra, and the middle of the ocean.

The events are solar eclipses.

Yet these devoted 'addicts' consider it a small price to pay to see the sun disappear, to feel a spiritual connection to nature and the universe, and to capture on film a fleeting moment.

They are known as the Eclipse Chasers.

So, What's the Dark Side?

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth comes between the sun and the moon, causing a shadow to fall across the moon. However, the more dramatic event is the total solar eclipse. As the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, it causes a shadow to creep across the sun.

When the moon is too small to cover the entire area of the sun - this is dependent on distance and alignment - it is a solar eclipse, but not a total eclipse. A ring of light appears around the moon (the reason they are known as annular eclipses), providing an eerie shadow effect. When the moon only partly covers the sun - and looks like a bite mark - this is known as a partial eclipse.

As far back as I can remember, eclipses have always rendered themselves a mystery. In Hergé's 'Prisoners of the Sun', young adventurer Tintin is captured by fierce Inca warriors, yet uses the eerie coincidence of a solar eclipse to ensure his freedom.

This natural phenomena has for many years fascinated and scared people worldwide, particularly in Africa, where it is often considered the work of God as a message to come out of the dark into the light.

But for the Eclipse Chasers, it is a chance to witness something that only happens somewhere on our planet roughly once every 18 months. However, annular and partial eclipses occur 2 to 3 times a year, giving these 'addicts' some respite before the next few minutes of total darkness.

Chasing the Eclipse to Kenya

2010 heralds a new and exiting year for Africa: the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup&trade is set to kick-off in South Africa in July, bringing the world's biggest sport event to the continent.

However, January 2010 is also when Kenya will be experiencing an annular eclipse - a rare and unique event, as the eclipse is set to be over 8 minutes long.

On the 15th of January, the moon's shadow will pass over a 300km wide track that includes Chad, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Somalia and Kenya. From there it will continue into the Indian Ocean, reaching a maximum annularity of over 11 minutes.

This rare and beautiful natural phenomenon is reason enough to travel to Kenya, but in case you need a few more reasons, it's also home to the endless Masai Mara, the striking Laikipia Plateau and the white beaches of Mombasa.

What could be better than a Kenya safari and beach holiday with an eclipse thrown in?

Don't Look Up, Yet.

A huge factor in successfully viewing an eclipse is the weather; if it's cloudy with a chance of anything, your viewing pleasure percentage drops dramatically.

That's why you need to make sure your eclipse chasing venture is not limited to just the event. If you're heading to Kenya in the new year, then make sure you're spending time in the Samburu, sleeping outside on the Loisaba Star Beds in Loisaba, or watching animals gallop across the Mara.

Remember animals act differently in the darkness; they tend to believe night has already come, so if you're in a game reserve, you might hear some early lion growls.

Never look directly at the sun - it will damage your eyes. So even if you're excited to see the eclipse, refrain until it's safe to do so, and then only with protective glasses.

Be prepared. A real Eclipse Chaser will have the correct photographic equipment, a light travel bag, and know where he or she needs to be on what day and what time.

Enter the Twilight Zone

Be prepared to be dazzled; an eclipse is a memorable, goose-bump-raising event, where a strange silence falls upon the earth, birds cease to chirp and you feel like you've stepped into another reality.

Eclipse Chasing is meaningful travel. It sets both a destination and an objective during the planning stages, it brings you into a community of people who consider chasing eclipses around the world a worthy pastime, and it gets to you places you've never been before.

If you've never been to Africa, now might just be the time.

Readers' Comments:

Have you ever seen an eclipse? Or are you travelling to Kenya to see the 2010 eclipse? Let us know.

Article © Copyright 2009 Go2Africa.

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