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Partial Solar Eclipse - Soweto 2001/06/21

HartRAO science awareness educators Kim de Boer and Pulane Moroeng teamed up with Prof. Hartmut Winkler of the Physics Department at the Soweto campus of Vista University to show the partial eclipse seen in Johannesburg to Sowetans. The images below, taken by Kim, set the scene. About 100 people viewed the event at this site.

Viewing the early stages of the eclipse with SAAO eclipse viewers and a spotting scope projecting an image of the Sun.

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Pulane explains how eclipses work using a home-made orrery comprising a torch bulb for the Sun, a table tennis ball for the Earth and a ball bearing for the Moon, all mounted on cotton reels on a cake tin.

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Investigating the orrery.

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Just how does an eclipse occur?

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General view of the orrery (on the left), display boards about the eclipse, and the spotting scope.

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The Sun was about 70% covered at maximum.

For coverage of totality by HartRAO staff in Lusaka see: Totality in Lusaka.

Another staff member went overland to Zimbabwe for the eclipse. See: Zimbabwe report and photo's.