Science at Parramatta High School

Total Solar Eclipse
December 4 2002

This site has featured three lunar eclipses: the first a partial eclipse on July 28 1999, then a total eclipse on July 16 2000, and most recently another partial eclipse over July 5&6 2001.	lunar eclipse, July 16 2000
...but wait - there's more...

On December 4 2002, Australia will be treated to the the most spectacular heavenly sight...
a total eclipse of the sun.

This time, the tables are turned. Rather than the earth casting a shadow on the full moon at night, this time the new moon will cast a shadow on the surface of the earth, and the sun will go dark.

But first, the obligatory warning. Please read this.

On the 4th of December this year the new moon will pass over the face of the sun, and will cast a moving shadow over the earth. The shadow will cross Africa, then the Indian Ocean, then will cross the Australian coast at Ceduna, South Australia. It will trace a path from there to the Cameron Corner, at the junction of S.A., N.S.W, and Queensland. The sun then sets and the shadow of the eclipse moves off the earth.

From space, the effect would be of a small shadow moving across the face of the earth.
From earth, the effect is that of the moon moving across the face of the sun, until at totality it exactly covers the sun, and day becomes night.

There is some good news and some bad news about this eclipse. First, the:

Bad News
The eclipse will not be total at Parramatta;
...and...
it will not be safe to view directly at Parramatta.

At 7:13pm at Parramatta, the moon will first cross ("touch") the sun.
first contact (The diagonal green line on each of the following diagrams represents the plane of the ecliptic, or the path which the sun, moon and planets appear to follow.)

This, and all the following diagrams, was generated with the astronomy (planetarium) program Starry Nights, then was edited with Photoshop.
Before this time, there will be nothing to view. The moon is impossible to see when so close to the sun. Shortly after this time, it will become possible to see (by projection, with a pinhole camera), a small "bite" taken out of the sun.

By sunset, a large "bite" will be taken out of the sun.
sunset
Being so close to sunset, this eclipse would probably go unnoticed at Parramatta if we were not forewarned. The reduction in light due to the eclipse will be difficult to notice, merging as it will with twilight.

Good News
South Australia is not that far away. At "first contact", the sun is a fair bit higher in the sky.

Almost an hour later, at 7:42pm S.A. time, as long as you are in the zone of totality, you will see the sky go dark in daytime:

The stars come out, birds (if any) go very quiet, it gets instantly very strangely cool, and with luck the corona (solar atmosphere) will be visible. For twenty seconds the eclipse may be viewed directly.

Then, all too soon, the sun flashes out behind the moon again. As the sun sinks towards the horizon, the moon retreats a little more slowly, exposing more and more of the sun.
At sunset, the moon will still partly cover the sun.
sunset

All the above diagrams were generated on a PC.

Provided that:

it isn't cloudy or raining,
the van doesn't break down in the desert,
I don't get sunstruck (S.A. desert in December... hot!), and
the camera gear works on cue

then your very own web designer will be posting some genuine photos of the eclipse depicted in these diagrams.

Its 26 years since Australia last saw a total eclipse. Here's hoping...

Whoo-hoo!
Success! View the results here.

Fun and games with the Sydney Morning Herald (again !)
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