Durban stargazers flock to view eclipse

HUNDREDS of Durbanites and some holiday makers joined the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa this morning to view the partial solar eclipse at Durban’s Botanic Gardens.

Logan Govender, media director of the Society was pleased with the large number of locals and visitors who attended the extraordinary sight. “We had close to 300 people filtering through to catch a glimpse. The only slight problem is that Durban is somewhat of an astronomical backwater because of the terrain, ocean and cloud cover, so we are particularly blessed that the clouds held off long enough for us to view the eclipse almost in its entirety this time, although we are only seeing a partial eclipse in Durban,” Govender said between assisting visitors get the best view.

The rare sight also attracted first time sky gazer, Butho Sibanda who heard about it through a friend who is an ASA member. “When he told me about the eclipse and we could view it here I decided to come and check it out for myself. It is amazing when you really compare what people say about the creation and seeing like this, it just shows you how magnificent earth is,” Sibanda said.

Clinton Venter, a contractor who was working at the Gardens came out on a break to check out the “cool” sight. “It’s not everyday that you get to see an eclipse on a proper telescope,” he added.

Richard Rowland treasurer of ASA Durban Centre, said he was also pleased with the turnout as he was able to sell a number of the Society’s special viewers, to raise funds towards replacing the main telescope at St Henry’s School, where society has its observatory.

Shaheda Arthur, a visitor from Essex, in the UK was also excited to view the eclipse. “Our family members mentioned they heard you could come through and view the eclipse at the Gardens and we are in Durban on holiday so decided not to miss the opportunity to look at this magnificent sight,” she said.

Solar eclipses only occur during a new moon, when the moon moves between the earth and the sun and the three celestial bodies form a straight line: earth – moon – sun. “There are three kinds of solar eclipses, total, partial, annular. This one from our perspective was a partial eclipse. A partial solar eclipse can be observed when the earth, moon and sun do not align in a perfectly straight line, and the moon only partially covers the disc of the sun,” Govender added.