Sky Guide April 2023

This is the major astronomical highlight of 2023. A total solar eclipse will be visible over the North West Cape area of Western Australia. Elsewhere in Australia a partial solar eclipse occurs. This is the first total solar eclipse over Australia since the Cairns eclipse of November 2012, with the next (over Australia) in 2028.

If you are lucky enough, or began planning ahead several years ago, you will be on North West Cape on 20 April for the beginning just after 10am local time. For almost 3 hours the Moon creeps across the face of the Sun. But the main event lasts just 60 seconds from 11:29am local time – the Moon completely covers the Sun and a ghostly white solar corona surrounds a jet-black hole in the sky. It is awe-inspiring, terrifying, spiritual. And life-changing, if only because you will spend the rest of your life travelling to exotic and often remote parts of the globe to experience more totality (or trying to put in words what can only be experienced!)

If you are in other parts of Western Australia or the Northern Territory you will see a partial solar eclipse with most of the Sun covered by the Moon. As we cross the country eastwards less and less of the Sun is covered. In Sydney only about 10% of the Sun’s surface is covered by the Moon and the eclipse lasts from about 1:37pm – 3:15pm.

If you are on the North West Cape and experience totality you can and should observe with no eye protection – but only do this during the sixty-seconds of totality. At all other times and all other locations, you must use approved eye protection (solar glasses or filters) or another safe method (such as the projection method).