The Sense of Totality

The November 2012 total solar eclipse over the northern coast of Australia. A dark Sun hung over Queensland 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. 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. Click on the second photo to see close-up telescopic views of the diamond ring effect and the solar corona during the total eclipse. © Alex Cherney