APOD: Easter Island Eclipse (2010 Jul 14)

[APOD Robot]

Easter Island Eclipse

Explanation: Makemake, a god in Easter Island mythology, may have smiled for a moment as clouds parted long enough to reveal this glimpse of July 11's total solar eclipse to skygazers. In the foreground of the dramatic scene, the island's famous large, monolithic statues (Moai) share a beachside view of the shimmering solar corona and the darkened daytime sky. Other opportunities to see the total phase of this eclipse of the Sun were also hard to come by. Defined by the dark part of the Moon's shadow, the path of totality tracked eastward across the southern Pacific Ocean, only making significant landfall at Mangaia (Cook Islands) and Easter Island (Isla de Pascua), ending shortly after reaching southern Chile and Argentina. But a partial eclipse phase could be enjoyed over a broader region, including many southern Pacific islands and wide swath of South America.

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[Beyond]

It looks like southern Eclipse's are a bit different than northern one's. This southern one looks more like the Sun has aquired a pupil and is looking down upon the darkened statues. Maybe its just a southern illusion thingy

[yasgur]

Now that is a cool photo. Cool enough to be my desktop? Why yes, I believe it is.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/ ... clipse.jpg

If this is a problem with the copyright holder, kindly let me know.

[neufer]

Easter Island Eclipse

the island's famous large, monolithic statues (Moai) share a beachside view of the shimmering solar corona

• • ______ Othello, The Moor of Venice Act 5, Scene 2
    
    OTHELLO: Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse
    ___ Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
    ___ Should yawn at alteration.
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    ______ Twelfth Night Act II, scene V
    
    MALVOLIO: [Reads]
    ___ I may command where I adore;
    ___ But silence, like a Lucrece knife,
    ___ With bloodless stroke my heart doth gore:
    ___ M, O, A, I, doth sway my life.
    
    FABIAN: A fustian riddle!
    
    SIR TOBY BELCH: Excellent wench, say I.
    
    MALVOLIO: 'M, O, A, I, doth sway my life.' Nay, but first, let
    ___ me see, let me see, let me see.
    
    FABIAN: What dish o' poison has she dressed him!
    
    SIR TOBY BELCH: And with what wing the staniel cheques at it!
    
    MALVOLIO: 'I may command where I adore.' Why, she may command
    ___ me: I serve her; she is my lady. Why, this is
    ___ evident to any formal capacity; there is no
    ___ obstruction in this: and the end,--what should
    ___ that alphabetical position portend? If I could make
    ___ that resemble something in me,--Softly! M, O, A, I,--

[neufer]

It looks like southern Eclipse's are a bit different than northern one's. This southern one looks more like the Sun has aquired a pupil and is looking down upon the darkened statues. Maybe its just a southern illusion thingy

The only difference between a southern Eclipse and a northern Eclipse
is the angle between the sun's rotational axis and the horizon.

[orin stepanek]

Now that is a cool photo. Cool enough to be my desktop? Why yes, I believe it is.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/ ... clipse.jpg

If this is a problem with the copyright holder, kindly let me know.

And its cool enough for my desktop collection too!

[bystander]

Now that is a cool photo. Cool enough to be my desktop? Why yes, I believe it is.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v508/ ... clipse.jpg

If this is a problem with the copyright holder, kindly let me know.

I doubt that there is a problem with you having it on your desktop.
However, there might be a problem with you having it on photobucket.

[owlice]

Information about the eclipse is available on this thread.

More images of the eclipse are available on this thread.

[moonstruck]

The Moai don't look too excited. They've seen this many, many times before.

[Beyond]

It looks like southern Eclipse's are a bit different than northern one's. This southern one looks more like the Sun has aquired a pupil and is looking down upon the darkened statues. Maybe its just a southern illusion thingy

The only difference between a southern Eclipse and a northern Eclipse
is the angle between the sun's rotational axis and the horizon.

Yes....but it sure looks different, at least to me. I've never seen a total Eclipse with so much light around such a small dark spot. Just look at owlice's links to some Solar Eclipse's. They are all showing BIG dark spots in the middle of not too much light. Of course the one's that she has linked to were taken with telephoto lense's and apparently the Easter Island one was not. Thats why i said i said it must be a southern illusion thingy.

[moonstruck]

Owlice that's wierd. In you're first link where the you can see the faces of the Moai there are six statues. In the other view where they are facing the sunrise there are only five. Wonder why the photogapher would have left one out?

[bystander]

Owlice that's wierd. In you're first link where the you can see the faces of the Moai there are six statues. In the other view where they are facing the sunrise there are only five. Wonder why the photogapher would have left one out?

There are many Moai on Easter Island in various groupings, probably just a different group.
and there are six in today's apod, the last one has lost his head

Yes....but it sure looks different, at least to me. I've never seen a total Eclipse with so much light around such a small dark spot. Just look at owlice's links to some Solar Eclipse's. They are all showing BIG dark spots in the middle of not too much light. Of course the one's that she has linked to were taken with telephoto lense's and apparently the Easter Island one was not. Thats why i said i said it must be a southern illusion thingy.

All of the pictures are the same Solar Eclipse, the difference is just in the way the image was taken.

[Chris Peterson]

The Moai don't look too excited. They've seen this many, many times before.

Actually, not. I didn't look at the record of actual eclipses, but statistically this is probably the second or third total solar eclipse over Easter Island since the statues were carved. Having seen total solar eclipses, I can tell you that the second or third one you see is no less exciting than the first.

[Khrodebherat4391]

This is absolutely the only eclipse picture I've ever seen that appears to be as a pupil in an eye and a tiny pupil at that. All other photos I've seen show the solar corona as just appearing around the edges of the moon. Clearly, this is not the case here and this anomaly should certainly have been addressed in the text explaining the photo. Since the immediate surroundings in the photo are quite dark (as is proper in a solar eclipse) it seems that an eclipse is indeed happening, but the size of the "corona" makes it appear that things should be much brighter. Can anyone explain this please?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It looks like southern Eclipse's are a bit different than northern one's. This southern one looks more like the Sun has aquired a pupil and is looking down upon the darkened statues. Maybe its just a southern illusion thingy

The only difference between a southern Eclipse and a northern Eclipse
is the angle between the sun's rotational axis and the horizon.

[neufer]

This is absolutely the only eclipse picture I've ever seen that appears to be as a pupil in an eye and a tiny pupil at that. All other photos I've seen show the solar corona as just appearing around the edges of the moon. Clearly, this is not the case here and this anomaly should certainly have been addressed in the text explaining the photo. Since the immediate surroundings in the photo are quite dark (as is proper in a solar eclipse) it seems that an eclipse is indeed happening, but the size of the "corona" makes it appear that things should be much brighter. Can anyone explain this please?

The corona is overly large because the eclipse has been overexposed in order to see the Moai.

[Chris Peterson]

This is absolutely the only eclipse picture I've ever seen that appears to be as a pupil in an eye and a tiny pupil at that.

I've seen many eclipse images that show the Sun just this way. It is also a good approximation of how the eclipse appears in person. There is nothing odd here.

[Beyond]

Just goes to show that some people's "normal" is other people's "strange".

[neufer]

The Moai don't look too excited. They've seen this many, many times before.

Actually, not. I didn't look at the record of actual eclipses, but statistically this is probably the second or third total solar eclipse over Easter Island since the statues were carved. Having seen total solar eclipses, I can tell you that the second or third one you see is no less exciting than the first.

<<The last time a total solar eclipse was visible from Easter Island was more than 13 centuries ago, on Sep. 24, 656 A.D., and the next time islanders get to see one will be 314 years from now, on Feb. 25, 2324.>>

London is comparable in size to Easter Island and it has only experienced one total eclipse in its lifetime.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_so ... %932090_AD

[orin stepanek]

July 22 2009; http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090724.html A similar eclipse of the picture taken in China!

[neufer]

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060407.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010711.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990915.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990819.html

[biddie67]

I love this picture - it really tugs at my heart, mind and soul!

Mr. Stéphane Guisard, kudos to you for capturing it. AND for being at the right place in the right century!!!

[dcstark@hotmail.com]

Great choice of a spot to take the picture!! Well done!

[RJN]

This APOD is one of the few that has been discussed on MetaFilter. I always find it interesting to follow their APOD discussions. Here is the link: http://www.metafilter.com/93762/Easter- ... ipse-Photo .

- RJN

[GETDAM]

Nice photo. I was surprised noone made mention to how well the three other heavenly bodies stood out. And what
is that dark line half way right of the eclipse?

[marcusapod]

Has anyone noticed the sun in this picture looks exactly like a missing eye from one of these statues? Eerie