Total Solar Eclipse: 14 November 2012

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Tue 20/03/2012 20:32

A heads up about the coming Total Solar Eclipse on the above date, passing from the eastern Top End, Australia to west of South America. From New Zealand, it will be partial.

The best place to view this would be Cairns, Queensland with 100% totality lasting two minutes after sunrise.

The next best would be Norfolk Island at 8:37AM local time with 98% totality.

North Cape, NZ: 10:21AM (NZDT) with 91.1% totality
Auckland: 10:27AM with 87% totality
Napier: 10:34AM with 83% totality
Wellington: 10:34AM with 76% totality
Christchurch: 10.35AM with 69% totality
Dunedin: 10:36AM with 61% totality
Invercargill: 10.34AM with 58% totality

Exciting!! Now we just need to pray for sunny weather!

Some great info here concerning cloudiness in Northern Australia: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~jander/tot ... 2intro.htm
http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/S ... oogle.html

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 20/03/2012 20:56

Nice to get in early on this. Sunny or cloudy it shouldn't make a difference except for light.

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Tue 20/03/2012 21:36

Is anyone keen to possibly met up for this? Could head to north cape? Or cairns

Orion · Unread post by **Orion** » Wed 21/03/2012 07:52

Thanks for the notice, Foggy; have entered it in my diary.

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Wed 21/03/2012 08:11

this is a couple of days after my wedding. would have been neat to have it on my wedding day

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Wed 21/03/2012 18:20

Be nice to afford to go to Cairnes

,In cairnes it be not long after sunrise wheres in N.Z the sun will be near 60 deg high at the time

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Wed 21/03/2012 22:12

Where the ordinary hell is Cairnes? Egypt somewhere?

tgsnoopy · Unread post by **tgsnoopy** » Thu 22/03/2012 10:09

He means Cairns, in Queensland Australia. Lovely place.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Thu 22/03/2012 21:27

Yes its correct Cans as the aussies say it Cairns mispelt obviously

Darwin or arnhiem land gets it too but I think maybe before sunrise I read.

tgsnoopy wrote:He means Cairns, in Queensland Australia. Lovely place.

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Fri 23/03/2012 01:35

Arnhem Land will get it during sunrise. You would have to be in a high position to see it along the horizon. It's a bit risky because the lower the sun is in the sky, the higher chance of cloud will obstruct the view.

As Auckland is only 262 nautical miles from the southern limit of the eclipse path, you wonder if there will be any cruises (return Auckland) for this event? Or charter flights? Total eclipse duration to the NE of NZ will last up to 3 minutes and 34 seconds..!

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 23/03/2012 09:04

A cruise be better see more I think,I seen nothing of it,most cruises be off Cairns.hopefully fine on the day.

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Tue 16/10/2012 13:55

http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/australia ... e-the-next
Cairns is going to do very well outta this!

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Fri 19/10/2012 01:01

26 days to go!

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Fri 19/10/2012 06:32

I didnt realise Auckland is goingto do so well. Awesome I can't wait

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 19/10/2012 09:32

as long as the weather behaves...

jamie.haultain wrote:I didnt realise Auckland is goingto do so well. Awesome I can't wait

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 19/10/2012 09:36

directly north of here say 600km be the best,sun be high unlike low as in australia,just need a boat.

happyviewer · Unread post by **happyviewer** » Fri 19/10/2012 11:19

Dont normally comment, as I am happy to just lurk BUT!!!!! I was still in the UK for the total eclipse in August 1999. It was the most awesome experience, we watched it from a Caravan site in South Wales with our very young (at the time) family. The darkness was similar to about 1 hour after sunset (ish) and everything was silent, the birds stopped singing and everything was completely still. Just prior to the full eclipse was like a scene from a Hitchcock movie as all the rooks flew down and settled in the trees. I can totally understand how the people around in the middle ages would have seen it as a sign from the Gods. Very spooky

Lacertae · Unread post by **Lacertae** » Fri 19/10/2012 11:50

The color of the sky during the total phase was the thing which striked me the most back in 1999, a strange mix of very dark blue hues quite impossible to describe and which I have never seen captured by cameras. I wasn't on the path of maximum total phase, so may be the light from the not-too-far-from-me penumbra mixed with the darkness of the umbra created this amazing skyscape ?
The other great things were the diamond rings and the Baily's beads, an awesome sight to enjoy live !

Not to mention how great it is if you're in a crowd and you get this collective chill of excitement and emotions just before, during and after the eclipse. A unique experience shared by many ...

Well actually all is great with total solar eclipses, except for clouds.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 19/10/2012 11:58

I saw one in Wanganui,wasnt quite total around 1971.Remember looking through dark film.

David · Unread post by **David** » Mon 05/11/2012 19:55

ECMWF shows a low departing the country around the date of the eclipse, hopefully we can get a high pressure system arriving in time to clear the skies

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Sun 11/11/2012 14:13

The weather around NZ looks very changeable with that departing low, especially over the North Island with a showery westerly. Looks like Wellington and Christchurch have the best chances of sunny Wednesday mornings.

Weather in Cairns is not looking particularly ideal at this stage.

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Wed 14/11/2012 07:59

Perfect weather for it. Just a few hours away

bmo · Unread post by **bmo** » Wed 14/11/2012 08:10

Very cloudy here in Kaukapakapa but there are some breaks in the clouds so fingers crossed.

David · Unread post by **David** » Wed 14/11/2012 08:12

Yes a lot of cloud here too, but there are some fine breaks

Vertigo · Unread post by **Vertigo** » Wed 14/11/2012 09:00

got my filters, im excited

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