A total solar eclipse will be visible this week from northeastern Australia, but, for those who aren’t in the land down under, the first total solar eclipse in two years can be watched live online.
Those who live in or have traveled to Cairns, Queensland, Australia will be able to see the moon completely cover the sun for two minutes in the eastern sky shortly after the sun rises, reports Space.com .
The eclipse will occur at sunrise on Wednesday, November 14 local time, though it will still be Tuesday afternoon for those watching online from North America.
The total solar eclipse Down Under will be followed by two more eclipses next year, though neither will be a complete solar eclipse. The first will be a “ring of fire” (annular) eclipse and will take place on May 10, viewable from northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Gilbert Islands.
The second will happen on November 3 and will be a special “hybrid” eclipse (an annular and total solar eclipse at once) and can be viewed from the African nations of Gabon, Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
The Examiner notes that the people with the best view for the total solar eclipse in Australia will be riding hot air balloons roughly 1,000 to 3,000 feet high just before dawn, though the eclipse can still be seen live online.
The company hosting the balloon flight is Hot Air Balloon Cairns, who stated on their website:
“We have a team of four dedicated staff photographers geared up and working closely with our expert pilot team to produce some amazing images for you.”
Those who either don’t have the money to travel to Cairns, Queensland or do not want to wait to see the photos can watch the eclipse live online through either the Slooh Space Camera , the Hot Air Balloon Cairns website, or the video below. The Slooh Space Camera’s live feed will begin at 3 pm EST on Tuesday.
