CAIRNS ECLIPSE TOUR 2012 – NOW SOLD OUT

The Cairns Eclipse tour is now sold out.

The total solar eclipse will be visible from north-eastern Australia – from Cairns to Port Douglas – just after dawn on 14 November 2012. Further south it will be visible as a partial eclipse. But please remember – IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT A SPECIAL SOLAR FILTER, whether looking directly or through a telescope or binoculars, even for a very short while. It can cause permanent eye damage and even blindness.

Check out Melissa Hulbert’s video of the 2010 eclipse as seen from Easter Island:
Duration: 1 minute 06 seconds

For images and full details on our adventures in South America check out our blog posts here – search ‘easter island eclipse’, and scroll down to find the posts.

About the 2010 tour:
Guests on this tour joined astronomers from Sydney Observatory for this opportunity to witness one of nature’s most awe-inspiring events, a total solar eclipse, in a land of mystery and beauty. South America and Easter Island are steeped in history and have interesting astronomical beliefs.

Melissa Hulbert, Astronomy Educator at Sydney Observatory, and colleagues led guests on a unique 17-day astronomical tour of South America and Easter Island. In Peru, they visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Cuzco, a city near the Andes mountain range, which was the historical capital of the Incas. The tour included visits to Machu Picchu, and a private tour to Chanquillo, an ancient astronomical and archaeological site in Peru that is not open to the public. Tour members learned from an Andean Astronomy Wizard about the Andean beliefs of the night sky, followed by viewing through telescopes and binoculars of the night sky. As well, they visited the cosmopolitan cities of Lima and Santiago.

The highlight of our tour was a three-night stay on Easter Island to witness one of nature’s most awe-inspiring events – a total solar eclipse. This combined with the mysterious Moai statues was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

An opportunity to visit the east coast of South America (the carnival city of Rio de Janeiro, the mighty Iguazu Falls and dance the tango in Buenos Aires) was also offered as a special pre-tour option.