Hey guys! This is hopefully going to be a quick post. I just wanted to share a couple of pictures I took of the solar eclipse on the 3rd of November. It was a hybrid eclipse (also called annular/total eclipse) and shifts between a total and annular eclipse. At certain points on the surface of Earth it appears as a total eclipse, whereas at other points it appears as annular. This type of variable eclipse is rare — the last time one occurred was November 20, 1854 and the next one won’t happen until October 17, 2172.
The best place to view the eclipse in Kenya was the Sibiloi National park located in the far flung northern part of the country. I got there 3 days after we had left Nairobi. I took the photo below at Karsa Gate before we left to go to the viewing site.
Got to the site to the eclipse and then went to have some lunch. Next thing I knew there were dust devils everywhere and it was incredibly windy, the kind of wind that feels as if it will sweep you off your feet. Then came the rain, it is currently the short rainy season in Kenya. It had been rather cloudy during the day but after the storm, more gathered and blocked out the sun. Perfect viewing conditions for a solar eclipse … NOT!
That’s my tent in the far left corner. Given that I had first learnt how to put up a tent 2 days ago I’m thinking that it didn’t do too badly in the gale force winds.
That’s dust and rain in the background
I stood there counting down the minutes and wondering if the 3 day journey had been in vain. Earlier on we had all been joking about having travelled all that way only to have something come up and that would make us miss it.
About 5 min before the total eclipse the sun began to peel through the clouds.
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The sight of the rays of the sun shining through the clouds was just magical.
To cut the long story short eventually the clouds parted just enough for the sun to peek out. I have a confession that I feel like I need to share. I was not overly awed. The sight was beautiful but that was about it for me.
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Despite not being awed I immensely enjoyed the view.
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Total Eclipse Image courtesy of Source
Loads of people had gathered to view the eclipse
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Everyone was eager to capture the experience
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The sun peeking out after the eclipse
After the eclipse was over the crowd cleared up pretty quickly but I stuck around to take more pictures
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KWS (Kenya Wildlife Service) officer standing next to the flags and monument
Finally the sunsets by the lake never cease to take my breath away.
So much for this being a quick post, I had hoped that one paragraph would do the trick. I hope you enjoyed the photos. Here’s a live broadcast from Sibiloi during the eclipse (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMF6saeYeew) . The host was considerably more emotional than I. The eclipse occurs from the 13th minute.
Have a lovely week everyone!
Post by Rachael. I would like to thank Mike (Hi Mike if you are reading this) for allowing me to use some of his images for this blog post.
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32 Comments
Great photos 🙂
Beautiful photos!!! totally envious of you. Your tent looks like it’s been through a hurricane, lol! Good try though, I don’t think I can pitch one.
Absolutely stunning views!! WOW!! I would love to camp through that – what an awesome adventure!! Jealous 😀
Oh wow very beautiful photos, what an event to experience!
Love this blog spot. Lets travel more and capture time and moments. Good job admin and Rachael.
First of all, let me just say your photos just blown me away, literally. Masterpiece! No joke! Best photos of hybrid solar eclipse I’ve ever seen. Secondly, that has been an amazing experience to be there and witness such an amazing sky! So jealous :).
Superb images, especially the skies, you captured the eclipse literally. I would have loved to witness this rare event.
Ok, the photo of the dark clouds and the sun peeking is breathless..and you have just finally convinced me never to stay in a tent i.e never to camp…unless I am sleeping under the stars..your tent looked atrocious!!
Amazing!! That’s all i can say.:)
Stunning Rachel!!!
I love your photos, Rachel! The ones of the people who were there to watch it are also great.
What an amazing experience! Lucky you! I love all your photos and seeing the eclipse I will never see in person. Thanks for sharing this awesome experience with us.
Your photos are great and I think you should count your blessings that you saw the sun at all judging by the fact your tent was so strained. Even if it wasn’t that exciting you can now say that you’ve seen an eclipse.
HI Rachel, I can’t believe you were not overly awed by the sight. I thought it was utterly awesome. I always love the sight of rays shining through the cloud and your photos captured them so stunningly.
These photos are incredible, Rachel! It’s hard to believe you weren’t awed because I’m in awe just looking at these! I guess I’ll never witness an eclipse like this in my lifetime. You’re blessed to have had this experience!
Thank you guys for your lovely comments. I was glad to share my experience.
Wow, I’m so jealous you got to view that! Seeing a total solar eclipse is definitely on my bucket list. That’s a shame about the clouds though. Your pictures are still awesome!
Hello, so good to meet you via Travel Photo Thursday. I really enjoyed seeing these photos, especially that they are so very large, unusual in blogs and they look terrific. Off to wander around your blog for a bit.
Feel free to wander and you can always come back for more 🙂
Stunning photos. I couldn’t view the eclipse due to clouds. I have enjoyed your photos.
I’d say it was well worth the trip! You after shots are as gorgeous as the eclipse.
I think I understand what you mean by not being overly awed, Rachel. Sometimes we build ourselves up so much in anticipation of an event that when it actually happens it fails to measure up to our expectations. Still, this is a once in a lifetime experience and you can say, I was there!
Your photos (and Mike’s) are just absolutely spectacular. I don’t know what it is about sunrises and sunsets in Africa, especially in the wide open spaces – they all just take your breath away.
Thanks for sharing this experience, Rachel. Look forward to hearing more about the 3 day drive back.
Have a great weekend.
I can just imagine how you were feeling before the sun came out. So glad that it finally did. I’d love to witness a solar eclipse one day. All your photos of the sunlight are beautiful, eclipsed or not.
Thanks for sharing. I was at Sibiloi too. The best part was getting there. We have an amazingly beautiful country.
I saw it but for less than a minute. I am happy to have seen it here again. Thanks Nicho
[…] on my radar. Her pictures from her travels through Kenya captivate me every week. Check out these images from the hybrid solar eclipse she recently witnessed at the Sibiloi National Park, or these captivating pictures from Watamu, […]
wow! the pics are amazing i nearly missed it bt i got have a glimpse of it.Atleast now i’ve had a better view…
At the heart of south B during the evening service ,i noticed a sudden change of sunlight…we got to see the some times once in a life time solar eclipse…but this is first hand
Wow – amazing photos and such a great experience.
[…] was at this site that offered the best views of the hybrid solar eclipse that took place last year on the 3rd of […]
[…] the background is Guto the curator of the Loiyangalani museum who was in Sibiloi for the eclipse. The fossil is huge. I imagine the elephant looked more like a mammoth than a modern day […]
This brings back great memories of witnessing a solar eclipse when I was a boy. Really liked the photos, thanks so much for sharing!