Australia won’t see a total solar eclipse until 2028
IT’S the greatest event in the sky for more than 100 years, as parts of the world will be completely in the dark during the day today.
LARGE parts of the world will be completely in the dark in the middle of the day as a once-in-a-century phenomenon hits our skies.
A total eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun, will stretch along the US coast from Oregon to South Carolina from 3am Tuesday (AEST).
It has been billed as the greatest event to witness in the sky since 1918.
Millions of Americans will converge on the coast to watch the moon block the midday sun.
There are signs along highways reminding motorists of the grand solar eclipse and towns and parks are braced for 200 million people who are just a day’s drive from where the phenomenon will be seen.
It is expected to be the most observed, most studied and most photographed eclipse ever.
While this is the most significant eclipse to pass over America in a century — with some parts of Europe, South America and Africa also witnessing the event — Australia will be completely ripped off and won’t see a thing.
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?
The total eclipse will start at 10am Monday (PDT), in Oregon, and finish in South Carolina at 2.47pm (EDT), 4.47am Tuesday (AEST). A total eclipse was last seen on the US mainland in 1979 but the moon hasn’t thrown this much shade at the US since 1918.
Monash University Associate Professor and Astronomer Michael Brown told news.com.au a total eclipse happened when the moon completely blocked the sun by casting a shadow on to earth. A total solar eclipse can only be seen from some parts of the world.
“They’ll be in darkness, it will start to feel a little bit colder and animals will be seen starting their night time routines as they are cast into darkness,” he said.
“However, it will only last a few minutes and be a very fleeting experience.”
People are travelling long distances just to get a peek at the total eclipse, but Associate Professor Brown said while it was spectacular, it was mundane.
“Earth goes around the sun, the moon goes around the earth, and every once in a while everything lines up beautifully,” he said.
“In a sense it’s completely expected and very predictable but the experience is quite amazing.”
Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois will see the longest stretch of darkness — 2 minutes and 44 seconds.
All of North America will get at least a partial eclipse.
Central America and the top of South America will also see the moon cover part of the sun.
WILL WE SEE IT IN AUSTRALIA?
Australia will not get to see the total eclipse and Associate Professor Brown said even if you went outside to look at the moon in the early hours of Tuesday, you’ll see absolutely nothing.
“If it wasn’t for the internet we’d be none the wiser,” he said.
The moon’s shadow will barely reach us in Australia because the southern hemisphere will be far away from it when it lines up with the sun and earth.
“Basically it comes down to the size of the sun and the size of the moon. The moon is a lot smaller than the sun and so what that means is the shadow of the moon gets progressively narrower the further you get from the moon. By time that shadow reaches the earth it covers only a tiny portion of the earth,” Associate Professor Brown said.
But Australians should not complain as we were treated to a total solar eclipse in 2012, visible from Cairns and Port Douglas in Queensland.
Australia will experience another total solar eclipse in 2028 that is expected to last for three minutes.
It will start in Wyndham in Western Australia before stretching to Kununurra, Tennant Creek, Birdsville, Bourke and Dubbo before hitting Sydney and Dunedin in New Zealand.
“Millions of Australians are going to see it,” Associate Professor Brown said.
DOES THIS MARK THE END OF THE WORLD?
There are many strange superstitions when it comes to the total eclipse, and people are warned not to wear metal or go outside. Before science, ravenous monsters were blamed for the disappearance of the sun and the ancient Chinese banged pots to frighten away sun-gobbling dragons and Aboriginal Australians got a medicine man to throw sacred stones and boomerangs at the evil. Solar eclipses used to be seen as bad omens.
And while science has discovered what really happens during a solar eclipse, it doesn’t stop a lot of superstition.
According to USA Today, pregnant women have been warned not to go outside because their babies will be at risk of facial deformities. There’s nothing to actually prove that theory, but people have been warned to be careful not to look at the sun when outside during the total solar eclipse. There is such a thing as eclipse blindness and people should purchase eclipse sunglasses before such an event.
According to India-based astrology site, AstroSage, people should also not wear metal, including hair pins and jewellery, because it could also cause birth defects.
Earlier this year there were suggestions this total solar eclipse was a sign of earth’s impending doom and the globe could collide with planet Nibiru.
According to Christian numerologist David Meade, the planet will destroy earth on September 23. The August 21 eclipse is said to be a prophecy from the Old Testament warning of the upcoming apocalyptic event.
Italian farmers also hold some superstitions during a total solar eclipse, but they believe it will help flowers blossom better than ever before.
— with wires
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