In 11 days and 6 hours, there will be a total solar eclipse, with the path of totality passing through the city of Cairns. I will be going up there to view it. Unfortunately, unless you are in Australia, New Zealand, or are in the south pacific, you won't even get to see a partial eclipse (though if you are in the south of Chile you will see it start at sunset).

As I will be on a boat, I might not be able to get everything posted instantly (as I will only have my phone, and won't be able to connect my main camera until I get back to Townsville in the evening), but will try and get stuff up to youtube if I am able, and will link it here.

Here is a link to one of the few shots of the 2009 Chinese eclipse that I was able to get through the heavy cloud cover.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alphamone/4485104341/

I was in Hungary for the total eclipse of 1999. It was in the middle of summer, and the thing that struck me most is how terribly cold it suddenly got during the eclipse.

u sure there wasn't a cold front comin' in bro

I just remember the people, wearing protective glasses someone mass produced using paper and some plastic. I was thinking how foolish they all looked.

Do send me a note next time you come down here.

I am now in Cairns, and it is now T minus 14 hours till the eclipse.

pics

or

No need for pics. Nobody in the world who matters was in its path anyway.

Two of the better images I got, first one shows the diamond ring effect, second one has the corona, and if you look at the full sized version, it also shows a prominence at the bottom.