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Time Lapse: A Total Solar Eclipse

Explanation: Have you ever experienced a total eclipse of the Sun? The above time-lapse movie depicts such an eclipse in dramatic detail as visible from Australia last month. As the video begins, a slight dimming of the Sun and the surrounding Earth is barely perceptible. Suddenly, as the Moon moves to cover nearly the entire Sun, darkness sweeps in from the left -- the fully blocked part of the Sun. At totality, only the bright solar corona extends past the edges of the Moon, and darkness surrounds you. Distant horizons are still bright, though, as they are not in the darkest part of the shadow. At mid-totality the darkness dips to the horizon below the eclipsed Sun, created by the shadow cone -- a corridor of shadow that traces back to the Moon. As the total solar eclipse ends -- usually after a few minutes -- the process reverses and Moon's shadow moves off to the other side. Solar eclipses can frequently be experienced at gatherings organized along the narrow eclipse path as well as specialized cruises and plane flights.

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MTSAT Images - Moon shadow passing over Australia

Interesting.

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The time lapse is neat Colin!

I liked seeing the different versions of the elipse ~~ lucky you to be able to see it in real time!

Before and after totality a bright Sun dog appears to the Sun's left and slightly higher than the Sun. Or is that an artifact of the camera?

Thank you - we really enjoyed the video.

I have a question. Why don't you see the sun move in the sky with respect to the horizon over the span of time the movie was shot?

Poti wrote:I have a question. Why don't you see the sun move in the sky with respect to the horizon over the span of time the movie was shot?

Look more closely (try putting your mouse cursor on the Sun). It moves significantly up and left during the movie- which only represents a few minutes in real time.

I love APOD. Please post a tribute to Patrick Moore. Something to do with the moon perhaps?

starmann wrote:
Please post a tribute to Patrick Moore. Something to do with the moon perhaps?

http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=30331

Very good