* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Total Solar Eclipse, November 13, 2012

Blobrana · L

The second solar eclipse of 2012 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in central Libra. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow crosses the South Pacific Ocean where it makes no landfall except for northern Australia. The Moon's penumbral shadow produces a partial eclipse visible from a much larger region covering the South Pacific (including Australia and New Zealand), southern South America, and part of Antarctica
The central eclipse path begins in Australia's Garig Ganak Barlu National Park in the Northern Territory about 250 kilometres east of Darwin at 20:35 UT. Travelling southeast, the umbral shadow quickly crosses the Gulf of Carpentaria and reaches the Cape York Peninsula at 20:37 UT.
The first and only populated region in the path lies along the east coast of Queensland. Gateway to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Cairns is about 30 kilometres south of the central line. Its residents and visitors will enjoy an early morning total eclipse lasting 2 minutes with the Sun just 14° above the eastern horizon. Observers on the central line can eek out another 5 seconds of totality, but local weather conditions will play a far greater role in choosing a viewing site than a few seconds of totality.
After leaving Australia, the umbral shadow glides over the ocean, undisturbed by further landfall for the remainder of its track. Greatest eclipse occurs in the South Pacific at 22:11:48 UT. At this instant, the axis of the Moon's shadow passes closest to Earth's centre. The maximum duration of totality is 4 minutes 2 seconds, the Sun's altitude is 68°, and the path width is 179 kilometres. Continuing across the vast South Pacific, the umbral shadow's path ends about 800 kilometres west of Chile at 23:48 UT.

Source (PDF)

Blobrana · L

Eclipse groupies take shot in the dark

Cairns is full. Full, that is, of NASA scientists, astronomers, hippies and geeks who are taking over the town to experience Wednesday's total eclipse. The international eclipse chasers have arrived en masse. The hot-air balloons are almost sold out for a dawn ascent. Visitors can even get an eclipse cócktail - an upside-down tequila sunrise.
Read more

Blobrana · L

Google earth file: Total Eclipse of 2012 Nov 13.kmz (13kb, kmz)

Blobrana · L

Total Eclipse of the Sun

Spoiler

Scientists and sky watchers are converging on the northeast coast of Australia, near the Great Barrier Reef, for a total eclipse of the sun.

Blobrana · L

Observatory offers views of the eclipse

New Plymouth Astronomical Society is holding a special event at its observatory on Marsland Hill so people can see the eclipse without damaging their eyes.
Read more

Blobrana · L

Cairns Set For Total Eclipse

Noted Australian astronomer David Reneke looks ahead to the total Solar Eclipse in Cairns, 14 November 2012
A total eclipse of the Sun is arguably nature's most spectacular and awe-inspiring phenomenon. Australia will play host to such an event next week and all eyes will be on the horizon overlooking the Coral Sea in Tropical North Queensland as the total solar eclipse casts an incredible shadow across the region on November 14.
Read more

Blobrana · L

World, not India, to witness two eclipses this month

In a rare celestial treat for astronomers, the world will witness two eclipses within a gap of just a fortnight this month, creating a lot of excitement among the scientific and astrological fraternities, a leading astronomer said here. India will, however, miss out.
Parts of the southern hemisphere will witness a total solar eclipse Nov. 13, on which Diwali will be celebrated in India, said scientist Bharat Adur, head of the Akash Ganga Centre for Astronomy (AGCA) here.
Read more

Blobrana · L

The Climate of Australia and the 2012 Eclipse

Latitude, terrain, and proximity to the sea dictate the climate of Australia. The vast interior of the continent is a desert, while semi-arid grasslands frame its perimeter. To the southeast, the cities of Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, and Adelaide enjoy a temperate climate with plentiful, though variable, rainfall. Perth, at the southwest corner of the continent, experiences a warm sub-tropical climate. But in the north, along the track of the eclipse, tropical and equatorial conditions hold sway, and so the eclipse traveller must cope with high humidity and a greater likelihood of cloud cover than those making a trip "down under" might ordinarily expect.
Read more

Blobrana · L

Times (UTC)
(P1) Partial begin	19:37:58
(U1) Total begin	20:35:08
Greatest eclipse	22:12:55
(U4) Total end	23:48:24
(P4) Partial end	0:45:34

The eclipse starts at dawn in the very north of Australia, passing over Cairns then narrowly missing Norfolk Island. The eclipse track then crosses the Pacific Ocean without making landfall anywhere.
Read more