Solar Eclipse Webcast from Africa - March 29, 2006

On March 29, 2006 a total solar eclipse was visible from parts of Africa. Scientists from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana webcast live video coverage of this event. Windows to the Universe was a mirror site for the webcast. Although the live webcast is over now, you can watch a replay of the eclipse by clicking on the link below.

Webcast icon Click here to watch a replay of the eclipse webcast. The eclipse peak can be found approximately 2 hours and 6 minutes into the stream.

The middle of the eclipse occurred around 9:10 Universal Time (4:10 AM Eastern time, 2:10 AM Mountain time, or 1:10 AM Pacific time in the United States) on March 29, 2006.

The video will also highlight science being done at various locations throughout Africa. This may include the African LASER Centre, LAMNET (Lasers, Atomic, and Molecular Sciences Network), and the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT). SALT is the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. SALT has a mirror array 10 meters (33 feet) across that is made up of 91 identical hexagonal mirror segments.

Other astronomy programs in Africa include H.E.S.S. and S.K.A. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in Namibia detects faint flashes of light in the atmosphere caused by gamma rays. South Africa is one of four countries bidding to host the Square Kilometer Array (S.K.A.), an array of radio telescope dishes that will have a combined surface area of one square kilometer.

Last modified April 27, 2006 by Randy Russell.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA