Uganda drew tens of thousands of spectators, international tourists, and researchers to Pakwach in Nebbi District on November 3, 2013, to witness a rare hybrid solar eclipse that turned the West Nile town into a global center of attention.
Pakwach Reaches Totality in Late Afternoon
Pakwach was identified as one of the best locations for viewing the eclipse, with totality occurring in the late afternoon at approximately 5:22 pm East African Time. The celestial event combined characteristics of both total and annular solar eclipses, depending on the observer’s location. Further documentation of the observation pinpointed Pokwero as the site for specific imaging work, where the total eclipse duration lasted 19 seconds, with second contact occurring at 14:22:18 UT and third contact at 14:22:37 UT.
President Museveni attended the main viewing gathering at Owiny Primary School, serving as Chief Viewer as the country participated in observing the phenomenon. Government agencies and tourism stakeholders marketed the eclipse internationally, leading to high demand for hotels across West Nile. Museveni used the occasion to address conservation efforts, while local leaders proposed preserving Owiny Primary School as a historical landmark linked to the event.
Miloslav Druckmüller Processed Eclipse Images Captured at Pokwero
Image capture at Pokwero utilized a Rubinar 10/1000mm optic paired with a Canon EOS 6D camera set to ISO 250, alongside two 3M-5CA 8/500mm optics paired with Canon 350D cameras set to ISO 100 under very faint high clouds. Astronomers and scientific teams captured detailed imagery of the corona and solar structures during the event. Miloslav Druckmüller processed the images, which involved composing 23 eclipse images calibrated with dark frames and flat-fields, aligned using phase correlation, composed via LDIC 5.0 software, and processed using Corona 4.1 software to visualize coronal structures before final processing with ACC 6.1 software.
Government agencies and media organizations distributed protective viewing glasses and public awareness materials regarding safe observation methods to prevent eye damage alongside tourism promotion.