The Solar Eclipse ~ Teachers’ Kit ~ Department of Human Services ~ Government of SA
The Solar Eclipse
Plus how to make a Safe Solar Eclipse Image Projector!
What causes a Total Solar Eclipse?
When the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, its shadow is cast on to the Earth.
• Because of the Moon's orbital motion, its shadow travels rapidly across the daytime side of the
Earth, tracing out a strip known as the eclipse path.
• Anyone who is within the eclipse path at the right time will experience a Total Solar Eclipse – if
clouds don’t cover the sun.
• The duration of total eclipse is zero at the edges of the path, increasing to a maximum at the centre
of the path.
• Townships near to, but outside the path will experience a deep partial solar eclipse (a crescent of
sun will be visible).
• More distant places will experience a smaller partial eclipse.
The path of the Moon’s shadow on Earth
The December 4, 2002 eclipse begins in the south Atlantic where
the Moon's shadow first touches down on Earth.
Later, the shadow will reach the Atlantic coast where a 50
kilometre wide shadow will sweep across Angola in a south-
easterly direction.
The shadow will pass over eastern Namibia before entering
northern Botswana then into Zimbabwe, Botswana and then
northern South Africa
The eclipse next travels over land when it passes over the South
Australian township of Ceduna. Ceduna is the ideal spot as it
lies in the centre of the 35 kilometre-wide path where the eclipse
will last about 33 seconds.
The Solar Eclipse ~ Teachers’ Kit ~ Department of Human Services ~ Government of SA
The total solar eclipse on December 4, will be visible in South Australia within a band approximately 35
kilometres wide stretching from Ceduna on upper Eyre Peninsula to Cameron Corner in North Eastern
SA. The eclipse then travels across 900 kilometres of the Australian Outback.
Elsewhere in Australia a partial solar eclipse will be visible which will allow all of us to experience t