Annular Solar Eclipse of 2006 September 22
 from Pointe de l’Etat-Major in Kourou, French Guiana

To observe the 2006 September 22 annular eclipse, I was in French Guiana at the Pointe de l’Etat-Major on the Kourou beachfront. Located between the 2° and 6° N parallels, French Guiana has an equatorial climate. This position near the equator, plus its oceanic beachfront, confers a good climatic stability : a great wind and temperature regularity, slightly varying throughout the year. Only rainfalls show consequent annual variations. The dry season from mid-July to mid-November, when the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ZIC) moves to latitudes higher than 10° N, thus sparing the French Overseas Department, gave us a good opportunity to observe this annular eclipse (about 50% odds). The days are thus quite sunny, only some rainstorms, sometimes stormy, develop during the afternoon in the interior. You can also visit the Tourism Board of French Guiana website for more information.
During annularity, the Sun was about seven degrees above the horizon, and we had a very nice spectacle for sunrise. Unfortunately the planned September 19 Ariane 5 ECA mission was cancelled, by the European Space Agency (ESA), and postponed to October 12.