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Birthday · November 17, 2012

Like a Diamond in the Sky

November 17, 2012

If the universe seems cold from a distance, birthdays are part of its rebuttal.

Like a Diamond in the Sky

A little universe, just for you

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APOD published November 17, 2012. Credit: Terrastro. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.

Behind the image

Like a Diamond in the Sky

Original APOD · November 17, 2012

A dark Sun hung over Queensland, Australia on Wednesday morning during a much anticipated total solar eclipse. Storm clouds threatened to spoil the view along the northern coast, but minutes before totality the clouds parted. Streaming past the Moon's edge, the last direct rays of sunlight produced a gorgeous diamond ring effect in this scene from Ellis Beach between Cairns and Port Douglas. Winking out in a moment, the diamond didn't last forever though. The area was plunged into darkness for nearly 2 minutes as the Moon's shadow swept off shore toward Australia's Great Barrier Reef and out into the southern Pacific. Ranging from 1/4000 to 1/15 seconds long, five separate exposures were blended in the image to create a presentation similar to the breathtaking visual experience of the eclipse.

Image credit: Terrastro

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