On Thursday, parts of Australia went dark as the Sun was blocked out by the Moon in the country's first solar eclipse of 2023. The rare, hybrid solar eclipse was only visible as a totality from a few cities in southeast Asia and Western Australia but was watched by tens of thousands of people around the world via livestreams.
During an annular eclipse, the relative size of the Moon against the Sun permits a blazing ring of light to encircle the darkness. Pictures of this rare event are now starting to flood social media, serving as a timely reminder that we're all spinning on a tiny cog in a giant Solar System.
This particular celestial event is known as a 'hybrid' eclipse, which occurs only several times per century. The phenomenon casts a 40-kilometer shadow over remote towns like those situated on Exmouth Peninsula where residents could experience total solar eclipses. A total eclipse shows the Moon fully blocking out the Sun and painting sky black when it should be daylight.
NASA seized this opportunity for its kite experiment aimed at learning more about how solar wind escapes during eclipses. Experts plan to use their findings again during North America's anticipated 2024 eclipse.
Dr. Emily Richardson, an astrophysicist at Australian National University remarked: "It really highlights our place within this vast universe and reminds us just how interconnected everything is."
As photos continue to surface across various platforms online, viewers express awe at nature's display while eagerly anticipating future astronomical events.
"The beauty and rarity make these occurrences truly breathtaking," said Prof. David Jenkins from Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles who participated remotely through livestreaming channels available worldwide.
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