Easter Island Eclipse - July 11, 2010

Easter Island Eclipse

Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard (Los Cielos de America), TWAN

Makemake, a god in Easter Island mythology, may have smiled for a moment as clouds parted long enough to reveal this glimpse of July 11's total solar eclipse to skygazers.

In the foreground of the dramatic scene, the island's famous large, monolithic statues (Moai) share a beachside view of the shimmering solar corona and the darkened daytime sky.

Other opportunities to see the total phase of this eclipse of the Sun were also hard to come by. Defined by the dark part of the Moon's shadow, the path of totality tracked eastward across the southern Pacific Ocean, only making significant landfall at Mangaia (Cook Islands) and Easter Island (Isla de Pascua), ending shortly after reaching southern Chile and Argentina.

A partial eclipse phase could be enjoyed over a broader region, including many southern Pacific islands and wide swath of South America.

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This is one of those photos that when I looked at it I immediately wished that I had been there to witness the sight of the eclipse of the sun over Easter Island. The combination of the ancient history of the monolithic statues and the awesome splendor of Mother Nature fills me with wonderment.

This photo and many others can be found at

Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive -

definitely one of my favorite websites.

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