Eclipse 2012
When dawn breaks across Cairns and Great Barrier Reef on November 14, 2012, the early chatter of birds and animals will be replaced by an eerie silence. The temperature will drop as the moon overtakes the sun and casts a shadow so large the land will be plunged into darkness.
Eclipse 2012 is attracting world-wide attention from visitors planning holidays around the event which is best viewed from the Cairns region. The total solar eclipse will be seen along a narrow strip of land about 200km wide which crosses the top of Queensland and the Coral Sea. For a detailed map go to www.eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
It is rare for a total eclipse to be visible from land, so the excitement is building for those who want to share in this extraordinary phenomenon. Several cruise ships are scheduled to be in the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region in time for passengers to see the eclipse, accommodation inquiries are flooding in and special events have been planned to celebrate Eclipse 2012. Find a viewing spot from a beach anywhere between Cooktown and Innisfail, a Great Barrier Reef island or head for a wide open space on the Atherton Tableland or Cape York Peninsula. Choose accommodation at www.cairnsgreatbarrierreef.org.au.
What will you see?
As the moon’s shadow starts moving across the sun it will look like a small bite which gradually increases in size. Watch for Baily’s Beads where the sun shines through the rugged surface of the moon creating points of light on the edge of the moon’s disc. These can only be seen for a few seconds at the centre of the eclipse path, but are visible longer near the outer edge of the path of the umbra or the darkest part of the shadow. When only one point of light is left, it is called the Diamond Ring effect as the single bead of light looks like a shiny ring with an enormous sparkling diamond.
When the shadow of the moon covers the sun entirely, a faint halo or corona appears and this phase is known as totality. As the moon moves away from the sun, Baily’s Beads may be seen again before the sun fully emerges.
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How can you view the eclipse safely?
It is only safe to view the eclipse without any filters when the sun is totally eclipsed, but safety precautions must be taken before and after this phase. Do not look directly at the sun with the naked eye or through an optical device such as binoculars or a telescope as it can cause permanent eye damage.
Safe eye protection includes welder’s goggles with a rating of 14 or higher. Indirect projection is one of the safest ways to view an eclipse. The image of the sun is projected onto a white piece of paper using binoculars (with one side covered), a telescope or another piece of cardboard which has been made into a pinhole camera (by making a small 1mm hole in it). For more information go to www.eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov.
Fore more information on how to view a solar eclipse safely, please click here.
How can you celebrate Eclipse 2012?
Solar Eclipse Marathon
The Solar Eclipse Marathon takes place in Port Douglas with the runners meeting before sunrise at 5.35am on Four Mile Beach and starting their 42km run as soon as the corona is broken by the sun re-emerging from behind the moon.
At Four Mile Beach, the partial eclipse (when the moon partially covers the sun) will start at 5:44:27am and end at 7:39:42am, while the phase of totality (when the moon fully covers the sun) will last about two minutes, starting at 6:38:04am and ending at 6:40:09am.
The marathon passes through the outskirts of Port Douglas towards the Mowbray River taking in the steep Bump Track, rainforest, sugar cane fields and back to Port Douglas:
www.solar-eclipse-marathon.com
Eclipse 2012
The event Eclipse 2012 will be held in Cairns on November 12-16 with some of the biggest and best producers, DJs and artists from around the world covering the styles of trance, progressive, techno, dub, breaks, house, ambient and everything in between:
www.eclipse2012.com.
TO view a complete list of Eclipse 2012 FAQs click here. |
