A total solar eclipse, which saw the moon block out the sun for 58 seconds, attracted both professional and amateur cosmologists to a remote area of Western Australia on Thursday.
Observers parked their caravans, set up telescopes, and put on safety goggles at Exmouth, Australia’s northwest, to watch the moon appear to creep over the sun’s surface before totality.
According to John Lattanzio of the Astronomical Society of Australia, “many people become addicted to that minute or so of eerie otherworldliness.”
They tour the globe as “eclipse chasers,” seeking out new viewing opportunities.
According to witnesses, the totality took place around 11:29:48 local time, bringing with it darkness and a ghostly calm.
After less than a minute, the arid outback was once more illuminated.
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The eclipse provided scientists with a chance to see the sun’s corona, which is typically hidden by its dazzling rays, as well as being entertaining and maybe moving for viewers.
In order to support his theory that light can bend, Albert Einstein once experienced a comparable eclipse.
This time, East Timor and West Papua inhabitants will also be able to see the totality.
Less than 20% of the sun’s light was obscured by the moon in Sydney, which was on another continent. But there is some comfort for the citizens of the city.
Its five million inhabitants will see their own complete solar eclipse on July 22, 2028; it will be one of five that will pass across Australia in the ensuing 15 years.
