Total eclipse delight

Tens of thousands of sky-gazers flocking to Australia?s tropical north were rewarded with an awesome show from Mother Nature.

Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning

The total eclipse as it was seen over northern Australia yesterday. AFP

Click button to listen to Solar eclipse and rightclick to download

Star-gazers in awe of rare total eclipse

PALM COVE, AUSTRALIA, AFP: Tens of thousands of sky-gazers flocked to Australia’s tropical north yesterday to watch the moon block out the sun in one of nature’s greatest phenomena — a total solar eclipse.

All eyes and cameras turned to the heavens as the clouds parted over the state of Queensland and the moon slowly moved between the Earth and the sun, creating a missing ‘‘bite’’ that gradually increased in size.

Clouds had threatened to spoil the party and huge cheers erupted when they cleared to give awestruck eclipse hunters a perfect view of totality — when the moon completely covers the sun and a faint halo or corona appears.

 ‘‘Wow, insects and birds gone quiet,’’ one tourist, Geoff Scott, tweeted. Another, Stuart Clark, said: ‘‘This it it. Totality now. Utterly beautiful.’’

The path of the eclipse got under way shortly after daybreak when the moon’s shadow, or umbra, fell in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in the Northern Territory, about 250km east of Darwin.

The umbra then moved eastward before hitting north Queensland — one of the few places it could be viewed by humans and where tourists and scientists gathered to witness the region’s first total solar eclipse in 1,300 years.

Totality lasted just over two minutes from 6.38am (Thai time), with eclipse watchers donning special eye-protecting glasses.

total – complete เต็มที่
(solar) eclipse – when the sun disappears from view, either completely or partly, while the moon is moving between it and the Earth สุริยุปราคา  ( a lunar eclipse is when the moon disappears from view)
gaze – to look at something or someone for a long time, especially in surprise, admiration or because you are thinking about something else มองดู, เพ่งมอง,จ้องมอง
awe – feelings of respect and slight fear; feelings of being very impressed by something/somebody ความน่าเกรงขาม, ความกลัวเกรง
rare – not happening very often  หาได้ยาก
flock – to go somewhere in large numbers; to gather together in large numbers แห่กันไป
tropical – relating to the hottest area of the Earth, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn ในเขตร้อน
block – to prevent from being seen  ปิดกั้น
phenomenon (plural phenomena) – something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something which is unusual or interesting ปรากฏการณ์
solar – involving the sun เกี่ยวกับดวงอาทิตย์
the heavens – the sky ท้องฟ้า
part – (of two or more things) to move away from each other; to separate  แยก, แยกออก
gradually – slowly and in small stages or amounts อย่างทีละน้อย
threaten – to put at risk; to put in danger ทำให้ตกอยู่ในความเสี่ยง
spoil – to destroy or reduce the pleasure, interest or beauty of something ทำให้เสีย
erupt – to start suddenly ปะทุขึ้น
awestruck – feeling very impressed by something ประทับใจ, ติดใจ, ตกใจกลัว,ประหม่า
faint – not strong or clear อ่อน
halo – a circle of light shown around or above something ทรงกลด, ฉัพพรรณรังสี, รัศมี, ความรุ่งโรจน์
corona – a ring of light seen around the sun or moon, especially during an eclipse ทรงกลด
utterly – completely อย่างที่สุด
get underway – to start happening  เริ่มเกิดขึ้น
daybreak – the time of day when light first appears  ฟ้าสาง, รุ่งสาง, รุ่งอรุณ, เช้ามืด
shadow – the dark shape that somebody/something's form makes on a surface, for example on the ground, when they are between the light and the surface  เงา, ร่มเงา
umbra – the darkest part of a shadow; the area on the earth or the moon which is the darkest during an eclipse เงามืด, เงาดวงจันทร์,เงาโลก
gather – to come together in a group รวมกลุ่ม, รวมตัวกัน, จับกลุ่มกัน, ชุมนุม
witness – to see something happen – มองเห็น, เป็นพยาน
last – to continue for a particular length of time กินเวลา
don – to put on and wear something ใส่
protect – to make sure that somebody/something is not harmed, injured, damaged, etc ป้องกัน,อารักขา,คุ้มกัน