PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSECairns, AustraliaThursday 20 April 2023 · times in UTC+10
42.2%
OF THE SUN COVERED
A clear bite was taken out of the Sun. Daylight barely changed, so this was an eclipse you had to know about in advance to notice.
02 · TIMING
When did it happen?
The whole eclipse ran 2h 40m. All times are local, in UTC+10.
13:25 MAX 14:49 16:05
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 13:25 | 57° NNW |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 14:49 | 43° NW |
| Last contactthe Sun is whole again | 16:05 | 27° WNW |
03 · DIRECTION
Where was it in the sky?
At maximum the Sun stood 43° above the horizon to the north-west — high enough to clear most buildings and trees.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Cairns. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it was actually like
A distinct bite was taken out of the Sun, reaching 42.2% at maximum. Daylight barely changed — the eye adapts far too well for that — so this was an eclipse you had to know about in advance to notice. Anyone watching needed a filter; the remaining Sun was as dangerous as an uneclipsed one.
04 · POSITION
Where was it seen?
The path passed 2,053 km to the north-west of Cairns and was 46 km wide. Only inside it was the Sun covered completely.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 06:26
- SUNSET
- 18:05
- DAY LENGTH
- 11h 39m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 18:27
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 42.2%
- COORDINATES
- 16.92° S, 145.771° E
- PATH WIDTH
- 46 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 2,170 km/h
- SAROS
- 129 · no. 49
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.5270
- GAMMA
- -0.3952
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM CAIRNS
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Cairns has coming, soonest first.