15 January 2010
On 15 January 2010, a partial solar eclipse was visible in the Egyptian skies, in the early morning hours. In Alexandria, the eclipse started exactly with sunrise, at 7:00 a.m., and lasted two hours. The PSC organized a public observing session, to observe the celestial showpiece, from the Plaza of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
Solar Eclipse over Alexandria
The photo shows the partial solar eclipse of 15 January 2010.
Photo by Aymen Ibrahem, PSC Senior Astronomy Specialist
Over 100 participants convened at the BA Plaza, shortly before the beginning of the eclipse. It was a misty warm morning, and Sun was relatively pale. The Moon covered up to 25% of the solar diameter, in Alexandria, while the magnitude of the eclipse was about 40%, in the southern city of Abu Simbel.
Following the observation, Astronomer Aymen Ibrahem conducted a public lecture, titled “Eclipses of the Sun and the Moon”. Through images, movies, illustrations and cartoons, Ibrahem presented intriguing facts on eclipses, the Sun and the Moon. Ibrahem also recorded the eclipse through his 6-inch refractor telescope.
The day program was as follows:
7:00 am Gathering at the BA Plaza
7:20 Beginning of Observation Session
9:00 End of Observations
9:15 Evaluating the results of observations
9:30 Presentation: Eclipses of the Sun and the Moon
10:30 Conclusion