Easter Island Dream Comes True

The total solar eclipse of 11 July 2010 above the Easter Island, a remote land of mysterious moai statues erased from the island’s yet-to-understand history. Click on the second photo to see the eclipse through the photographer’s telescope, nearly at the same time. Note the fine details of the solar corona in this close-up view. The foreground, illuminated by the solar corona, shows some of the most spectacular examples of the 887 mysterious stone statues carved a thousand years ago on various sites of the island. There were concerns for the usual passing clouds above the island but the sky was suitably clear during the eclipse and 4.5 minutes of totality was seen at 40 degrees above the Island’s horizon. Note the planets Mercury and Venus (brighter) on the right side of the eclipsed sun.