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As seen on Astronomy Picture of the Day a dark Sun hung over Queensland, Australia on morning during a much anticipated total solar eclipse. Storm clouds threatened to spoil the view along the northern coast, but minutes before totality the clouds parted. Streaming past the Moon’s edge, the last direct rays of sunlight produced a gorgeous diamond ring effect in this scene from Ellis Beach between Cairns and Port Douglas. Winking out in a moment, the diamond didn’t last forever though. The area was plunged into darkness for nearly 2 minutes as the Moon’s shadow swept off shore toward Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and out into the southern Pacific. Ranging from 1/4000 to 1/15 seconds long, five separate exposures were blended in the image to create a presentation similar to the breathtaking visual experience of the eclipse.

Click on the second photo to see a close-up telescopic photo of this diamond ring, only a couple of seconds before totality.

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  • Wu Shichao Reply

    So beautiful!!!

    December 22, 2012 at 6:52 am

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