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Head to Australia This November to NOT See the Sun

Where: Australia
January 17, 2012 at 10:25 AM | by | Comments (0)

Many people flock Down Under to bask in the sun, but now Australia has become a destination to also soak up some shade. According to NASA, some parts of the earth will be able to view a total solar eclipse this November. November 13th to be exact. The majority of Australia will be able to view, at least, a partial eclipse of the largest star.

According to NASA's website dedicated to the planetary phenomenon, the northern half of Oz will be able to witness the moon blocking our view of the sun. To be even more specific, the tropical city of Cairns will be one of the places to be in November. The sun's ray will be blocked by the moon for about 60 seconds casting an eerie twilight on most of the region, given clear skies.

Cairns is a tropical sea port dedicated to tourism, namely diving excursions on the Great Barrier Reef. Our friends keeping their eyes on the skies predict the time will be in the early evening, so you can still spend a day in the water and experience the astronomical rarity. The city will be hosting a Solar Eclipse Festival for tens of thousands of intergalactic revelers will be able celebrate on the beach.

With hotels filling up quickly, Holland America Cruise Lines have already announced they will be setting sail from Sydney to the tropical waters of the Coral Sea for prime viewing of the eclipse. According to astronomers, observers further from land will get about 4 minutes of shielded sunlight. Shuffleboard and a solar eclipse on the Lido Deck. Anyone?

We have told you before about a company that flies around the skies to sneak a peak at the phenomena. And for an eclipse back in 2003, Qantas and LAN chartered eclipse-chasing flights for people to catch views in the air. No word from any airlines if this extravagance will be offered again.

[Photo: shehal / Flickr]

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