Wheatbelt residents celebrating Australia Day would have noticed an eerie sight late on Australia Day when WA witnessed a partial solar eclipse.
Manager of Horizon the Planetarium at Scitech, Pete Wheeler said WA was given a rare astronomical display on Australia Day.
“We only get an eclipse once every couple of years,” he said.
“2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and a great opportunity to find out more about this astronomical phenomenon.”
“It’s just a coincidence that it happened at a time when most of the people in WA were gathering to celebrate Australia Day.”
The eclipse was to begin at 5:01pm and end at 6:56pm, reaching its maximum coverage about 6pm.
Mr Wheeler said the eclipse was a great way to start the international year of astronomy and get people more involved with the fascinating wonders of space.
“The International Year of Astronomy involves a number of events and activities throughout the year,” he said.
More details can be obtained at www.scitech.org.au