Magnificent Eclipse

An all-sky view of November 2012 total solar eclipse in Northern Australia. Click on the second photo to see a close-up view of the eclipsed sun and the corona at this moment captured by the photographer’s second camera. From the photographer: “I was involved with the European project Gloria on this eclipse expedition. We were divided into three groups, I went to an inland area with a magnificent view to the east, where the sun would stand during the eclipse. Accompanied by observers from various nationalities, American, Japanese, Germans, in a spirit of universal emotion, we observed the eclipse successfully despite some high clouds, which affected only the photos of the outer corona.”

As the Sun’s corona becomes visible from behind the dark of the Moon, the sky has got as dark as twilight hours, a bit brighter than a full moon night. But unlike a normal dusk or dawn, the twilight colours can be seen all around the horizon in every direction with the daylight from the distant locations outside the shadow of the Moon. Brightest stars and planets can also be seen during the short minutes of totality.