A total solar eclipse occurred over the northeastern Australian coast early in the morning of November 14 local time.
Clueless about this spectacular astronomical event? No worries, we've got you covered. We're here to explain what causes this remarkable act of nature, what skygazers see and how those outside of Australia can join in the experience.
What exactly is a total solar eclipse?
A solar eclipse happens when the moon, as it orbits Earth, passes directly in front of the sun, obscuring its rays and casting a shadow on Earth's surface. Sometimes referred to as a "happy accident of nature," a total solar eclipse occurs when the moon is perfectly aligned with both the sun and Earth, so it appears from our perspective that the sun is completely blocked.
When is this happening and who can see it?
The total solar eclipse became visible in the far north of Australia about an hour after sunrise local time on November 14 (afternoon of November 13 in the United States and evening of November 13 in Europe).
A total eclipse of the sun can only be seen from within what's known as the path of totality, a narrow path the moon's inner shadow travels as it glides across the Earth. The most populated areas within that path are in the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region.
It estimated to take about three hours for the moon's shadow to travel the entire path of totality. What time total darkness occurred, and how long it lasted, depended on location. Totality was expected to begin in Cairns at 0638 local time and was to last nearly two minutes. By contrast, totality was estimated to only last just about 20 seconds in the small town of Innisfail.
What's all the fuss about? Don't these happen frequently?
According to NASA, a full solar eclipse happens, on average, every 18 months. The last one happened in July 2010, crossing Chile's Easter Island, and one will occur over equatorial Africa in November 2014. But for any given region, a total solar eclipse only happens, on average, once every 375 years.