The Total Eclipse of the sun in Egypt
March 2006, Egypt have witness a total
eclipse of the sun at its north west coast.
The Total eclipse of the sun is one of the
very important phenomena in astronomy and
geophysics. It is also a very rare
phenomena, and often happens in the same
place every 200 years. This the last
recorded eclipse in Egypt goes back to the
year 1798.
You get a solar eclipse when the Moon gets
between the Earth and the Sun disk. In the
total eclipse, the Moon blocks all of the
light, creating an eerie deep twilight, and
suddenly, in the middle of the day, you can
now see the stars. When a total eclipse does
occur, the Moon's shadow covers only a small
portion of the Earth.

Total Eclipse of the sun
Many people, when given the chance, never
enjoy the free cosmic thrill of a total
solar eclipse, because they believe the myth
that looking at an eclipse, or even being
outdoors, will make you go blind.
Although the phenomena had been well studied, still attract Scientists and astronomers. A total eclipse of the Sun is about as astonishing a treat as nature provides.

Eclipse path for the sun in March 2006
The eclipse makes the daytime sky dark
enough for stars and planets to be seen;
during the 29th of march event many planets
such as Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter
will all be visible in the darkened sky from
the southern eastern part of the
Mediterranean. And the bright stars of the
constellations Gemini, Canis Major, Canis
Minor, Orion, and Auriga should be visible,
too! Away from the path of totality, the sky
will not get significantly darker and the
surrounding stars and planets will still be
invisible.

On the 29th of March 2006, the total eclipse
of the sun was seen from the north
cost of Egypt. It started at partial
eclipse at 09:36:08, and will become total
eclipse at 12:11 and will finish at 2:46 PM.
*The total eclipse have lasted
for 4 minutes and 7 seconds:
*Sun eclipse position at it is peak has
been 67 degrees located at longitude
of 16.7 East and latitude of 23.3 North. and
the Coverage area will be 183 square KM.
-Moon shade covered 105.2% of the sun
surface

Eclipse phases:
General phases of the
solar eclipse
The general eclipse begins when the Moon's
penumbra cone starts to sweep across the
Earth's disc.
The total or annular eclipse begins when the
Moon's umbra starts to sweep across the
Earth's disc.
The centrality begins when the axis of the
Moon's shadow cone starts to sweep across
the Earth's disc.

How it happens
The eclipse's maximum occurs when the terrestrial surface within the umbra reaches its largest area. The centrality ends when the axis of the Moon's shadow finishes its sweep across the Earth's disc.
The total or annular
eclipse ends when the Moon's shadow finishes
its sweep across the Earth's disc. The
general eclipse ends when the Moon's
penumbra finishes its sweep across the
Earth's disc.
The following table will help you to know
exactly when and where the phases of the
total Eclipse in Egypt 2006:
| Event / phases | Hour | Minutes | Longitude | Latitude |
| Start of the Eclipse | 9 | 36.8 | 22 - 06.1 | 14 -27.7 |
| Beginning of the Southern shade | 10 | 35.0 | 37 - 07.0 | 6 - 53.4 |
| Beginning of Eclipse centre | 10 | 35.4 | 37 - 15.5 | 6 - 18.3 |
| Beginning of the Northern shade | 10 | 35.8 | 37 - 24.2 | 5 - 42.9 |
| Centre of the Eclipse at Noon time | 12 | 33.2 | 22 + 53.9 | 29 37.2 |
| End of the Northern shade | 13 | 46.4 | 99 + 00.4 | 52 08.1 |
| End of Eclipse centre | 13 | 46.9 | 98 48.5 | 51 33.7 |
| End of the Southern shade | 13 | 47.3 | 98 36.9 | 50 59.4 |
| End of Eclipse | 14 | 45.6 | 83 03.3 | 43 26.3 |
How to observe the Sun and be safe
The safest way to observe the Sun, and watch the progress of the
partial phase of the eclipse, is to not look directly at the Sun at all.
Instead, project the Sun's image onto a piece of white paper, using a pinhole
camera . Binoculars may also be used to project the Sun's image; they need to be
supported on a tripod, one lens should be covered, and a sheet of white paper
held behind the eyepiece. Focus the binoculars to achieve a sharp image.
Do not look directly at the Sun through the binoculars! To observe the Sun
safely before and during the partial phase of the eclipse, most of its light and
its harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays must be filtered out. Safe filters
include:
Using two layers of fully exposed and developed black-and- white film (color
film will not provide adequate protection).
Using a special metal-coated piece of plastic, typically aluminized Mylar,
certified for viewing the Sun. Double-sided coatings greatly reduce the
possibility of filter defects. Rectangular welder's glass, shade No. 14. Less
dense shades (lower numbers) are not suitable for direct solar observation.
Welder's glass will also produce a green-colored image.
Many filters that are sometimes recommended for observing the Sun are not safe
for direct-eye viewing, including a piece of glass blackened by soot from a
candle, sunglasses, photographic neutral-density filters, and solar filters that
operate at the eyepiece of telescopes or binoculars. Eyepiece filters are
especially dangerous; they are placed at the point where the Sun's light is most
concentrated and magnified. They can crack or even explode.
So when the next total eclipse of the Sun rolls around at march 2006 , just
remember a few rules:
1. It's OK to look at the totally-eclipsed Sun with the naked eye - but only
when the Sun is totally covered by the Moon, so you have to pick the right
moment;
2. Never look at the partially-eclipsed Sun with the naked eye. Even a slim
crescent has enough energy to blind you;
3. It's safe to look at the fully-exposed or partially-exposed Sun with approved
filters, such as professional Solar Viewing Mylar filters. But never look
directly at the Sun with smoked glass, exposed photographic films, or Mylar food
packaging.









