Total Solar Eclipse seen in Northern Australia

A total Solar Eclipse was seen in Northern Australia on 14 November 2012. The darkness of the eclipse was at its peak for 2 minutes. Number of scientists, amateur astronomers and tourists gathered together on the hill tops and the beautiful beaches of Great Barrier Reef to have a look on of the celestial phenomenon. The total solar eclipse left a large part of the Continent’s North Eastern part into sudden darkness.

The eclipse started at the time of dawn and casted its shadow in an area of about 150 kilometers in the Northern Territory of Australia sweeping across the east to the South Pacific after crossing across the northeast tip of the country. This eclipse was partially visible from the eastern half of Australia, East Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and southern parts of Chile and Argentina

Started just after the dawn, the eclipse casted its 150-kilometre shadow in Australia’s Northern Territory, crossed the northeast tip of the country and was swooping east across the South Pacific, where no islands are in its direct path. A partial eclipse was visible from east Indonesia, the eastern half of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and southern parts of Chile and Argentina. Totality of the darkness, that happens at the peak of the eclipse lasted just for two minutes in some parts of Australia, where it was visible.

Solar Eclipse

The Solar Eclipse occur when the moon crosses between the Sun and the Earth blocking the sun completely or partially. This celestial event can occur only on the day of a new moon when, the sun and the moon lies in conjunction to each other when seen from the earth.