Annular Solar Eclipse {10 May 2013}

Last year we had the privilege of traveling to Queensland and witnessing a Total Solar Eclipse.  It was an amazing experience. A week ago Melbourne experienced an early morning Annular Solar eclipse and we made a spur of the moment decision the evening before to drive to Ballarat Observatory to enjoy breakfast with them and the eclipse.

The sunrise that morning was spectacular and we enjoyed the beautiful colours that danced across the morning skies.

We arrived at the observatory at 7:50 am in time for breakfast and to see how they set up the equipment to see the eclipse safely.

Did you know you can build your own solar eclipse viewer ? National Geographic has a step by step tutorial.

One of the gentleman there had built his own specialized sun filters for binoculars and loaned them to us to take a look. We are looking forward to building some for next year's eclipse.

We had to mover around a little to get the best view but it was really worth it.  The whole experience lasted just over two hours.

This is a reflection of the sun and the moon passing over the bottom right.  If you look closely you can see a number of sun spots.  I just found a great site that has some information on photographing eclipses.  I'm really keen to learn how as next year there will be another annular eclipse over Melbourne.

We are really looking forward to next years eclipse (29 April 2014 at 3.59 PM).  Have any of you witnessed an eclipse ?

Blessings
Chareen

Future Solar Eclipses for Australia 

Solar Eclipse - Australia November 2012

Here is a photo story of our adventure last week...

5 days and over 3 000 km of travel we arrived in Julatten Northern Queensland in anticipation of seeing the Solar Eclipse.

Finally the morning arrived after a night of rain. It was 4.30 am and the sky above the tent was clear and full of stars.

Paul had contacted the farmer behind the caravan park and we had permission to walk in his paddock to view the eclipse.

Walking to our viewing point.

The paddocks were beautiful and the birds were regaling us with their morning chorus

6:37 am it started getting dark.

we looked at the heavens and saw this heart in the clouds...

6:38 it was totally dark and ..... everything was silent

The clouds moved and revealed the total eclipse. It lasted for two minutes.

Total Eclipse

And in a twinkling of an eye the daylight returned.

the rays of the sun were bright

sun beginning to reappear. Third Contact Phase

"Hey Mommy the sun looks like the moon!"

The moon moving out of occlusion Fourth Contact Phase

The moment is finished.

It was an amazing experience and I hope to see the next one in Australia. Did any of you see it ?

I enjoyed the experience so much I would love to see the next one Lord willing for my 56th birthday :) 22 July 2028

Future Solar Eclipses for Australia

Blessings
Chareen

Some facts

• There are five phases of a total eclipse
  Moon's first contact
  Second Contact
  Total Eclipse
  Third Contact
  Fourth Contact
• This eclipse started at 5.44 am
• Total eclipse was at 6.38 am
• Last contact was at 7:40 am
• Duration of total eclipse 2 m 03s
• The sun is 400 times larger than the moon
• The sun is also 400 times further away that is why the moon can cover the sun.
• This eclipses path started in the Northern Territory and ended just short of South America
• Over Queensland the path was about 140 km wide
• The moons shadow traveled at 15,000 km/h 
• A total solar eclipse happens somewhere on earth approximately every 18 months.

On the web

• ABC news Solar Eclipse video
• Download a pdf from the Astronomical Association of Queensland.
• Total Solar Eclipse over at the AAQ (Teacher downloads, Website links etc)
• NASA eclipse website.
• NASA solar eclipse November 2012
• Our Aussie Homeschool Astoronomy Notebooking Journal.
• Jimmies Collage - Mapping the Solar System
• Jimmies Collage - We saw the Eclipse
• Jimmies Collage - Independent Lapbook - Eclipse
• Pinterest
• Technology facts

Solar Eclipse Cairns Australia 2012

Tomorrow we will be in Cairnes to view the total solar eclipse.  I discovered this web cam which has been set up to show the eclipse live.

Enjoy

Cairns Webcam Sponsored by cairnsinfo.com

I also discovered via Eclipse Safety Glasses Australia that this particular eclipse will be seen as far as New Zealand.

LOCAL VIEWING TIMES

LOCATION	START	PEAK	END	ECLIPSE
AUSTRALIA
Adelaide*	6:43 am	7:31 am	8:22 am		42%
Brisbane	5:56 am	6:54 am	7:59 am		80%
Cairns	5:45 am	6:39 am	7:40 am		100%
Canberra*	7:10 am	8:04 am	9:03 am		53%
Darwin	6:13 am	6:13 am	7:01 am		88%
Hobart*	7:26 am	8:15 am	9:07 am		34%
Melbourne*	7:16 am	8:06 am	9:00 am		42%
Perth	5:12 am	5:12 am	5:42 am		25%
Sydney*	7:07 am	8:03 am	9:03 am		59%
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland*	9:18 am	10:27 am	11:44 am		85%
Christchurch*	9:30 am	10:35 am	11:45 am		62%
Wellington*	9:27 am	10:34 am	11:47 am		71%
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Port Moresby	5:41 am	6:33 am	7:32 am		77%
NEW CALEDONIA
Noumea	6:52 am	7:56 am	9:09 am		90%
FIJI ISLANDS
Suva*	8:58 am	10:05 am	11:21 am		55%

* Time adjusted for Daylight Saving

Blessings
Chareen