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Eclipse in the Outback

About the eclipse

The eclipse path begins on the 4th of December 2002 over the Atlantic Ocean, west of Africa. It crosses Angola, Mozambique and the Indian Ocean, before making its Australian landfall at Ceduna (South Australia) late in the afternoon (local time). The path of totality then heads northeast across the South Australian outback before leaving the Earth's surface east of Lake Blanche.

The only towns in the path of totality are Ceduna and Lyndhurst. Totality passes south of the towns of Andamooka, Glendambo and Roxby Downs, and north of Leigh Creek and Woomera.

Totality occurs less than an hour before sunset for all these locations. This will provide some interesting opportunities to photograph the eclipsed Sun with the local landscape.

The duration is 32 seconds at Ceduna (on the coast) and drops to 26 seconds at Lyndhurst (northern Flinders Ranges). On the roads midway between Woomera and Glendambo, and midway between Woomera and Roxby Downs, totality is 30 and 28 seconds, respectively.

After crossing the coast, virtually all of the eclipse path is in remote and sparsely inhabited desert country.

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