Solar eclipse 150 days away
15 Jun 2012
The Cairns region will have a front row seat to a natural phenomenon in November and residents are being asked to think about where they will be at the time.
This Sunday signals 150 days until the total solar eclipse on November 14. To celebrate, Cairns Regional Council is launching an Eclipse Events Calendar to help promote community activities to be held on the day.
“If you’ve thought about hosting a barbecue breakfast or any other activity to celebrate the eclipse, now’s the time to start planning,” Mayor Bob Manning said.
“If your event is open to the public, you can upload the details to Council’s website to let people know about it. There may be fundraising opportunities for community groups and charities.”
Cr Manning said the eclipse was a once-in-a-lifetime event that would bring tens of thousands of visitors to the region.
“Not only will we have a large representation of the scientific community, but people will travel from all over the world to experience the eclipse,” Cr Manning said.
“This means that there will be large numbers of people on roads and in public areas – so it is important to start planning now and, if possible, consider options that will avoid problem areas.”
The total solar eclipse will last for up to two minutes, dependant on viewing location, and will be seen along a 200km stretch of coastline from Bloomfield to Innisfail.
To view the actual eclipse of the sun will require a location that has an unobstructed view of the sunrise and the use of approved solar filters, which will be made available locally.
However, darkness will be experienced throughout Queensland.