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the Degree Confluence Project
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Libya : Ġāt

50.7 km (31.5 miles) ENE of al-`Uwaynāt, Ġāt, Libya
Approx. altitude: 587 m (1925 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 26°S 169°W

Accuracy: 4 m (13 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: East #3: South #4: West #5: GPS display at the point #6: Lunch break at the confluence point #7: Giant rocks in the Akākus mountains #8: Amazing landscape in the Akākus #9: Preparing the camera #10: Total eclipse of the sun: Moon covering the sun #11: The landscape during the eclipse

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  26°N 11°E (visit #2)  

#1: View to the North

(visited by Martin Zürcher, Conny Meier, Jan Grohe, Mathias Steiner, Jeannine Iten and `Abdullah Muqafi)

21-Mar-2006 -- The day after visiting 27N 11E, we crossed the southwestern part of the Erg Ubari, the amazing sand sea is called Tirine Dunes. It was a challenge to find the most suitable dune passages towards the confluence 26N 11E, but the point by itself was in a very flat area with not much of a special countryside.

After a small celebration at the Confluence, we drove to al-`Uwaynāt to stay on a campground after a week out in the desert. The next day, our trip led as to the unique Akākus mountains, one of the most beautiful areas in the Libyan Sahara: The huge, black, very bizarre rock formations, surrounded by colourful, yellow and orange sand offers fantastic views.

Approximately 900 km to the East we drove, first on concrete road via Ubari and Murzuq, and then on bumpy, rocky tracks to reach the volcanic crater Wāw al-Nāmūs. In this area of the Libyan Sahara, on 29 March 2006 a very rare total eclipse of the sun took place: The moon covering the sunlight completely for more then 4 minutes, it was almost dark in the middle of the day.

We parked on the outer crater with breathtaking view to the Wāw al-Nāmūs and had a nice and quiet spot to watch the eclipse: Most of the eclipse tourists (travelling in the Toyotas of the Libyan travel agency) had been driven a few kilometres further to the East to park and stay exactly on the centreline of the eclipse path.

On the way back towards the north via Tmassa, Sabhā and Yafran, we passed some more populated areas and again had some nice contacts with the very friendly, helpful Libyan inhabitants.


 All pictures
#1: View to the North
#2: East
#3: South
#4: West
#5: GPS display at the point
#6: Lunch break at the confluence point
#7: Giant rocks in the Akākus mountains
#8: Amazing landscape in the Akākus
#9: Preparing the camera
#10: Total eclipse of the sun: Moon covering the sun
#11: The landscape during the eclipse
ALL: All pictures on one page