November 14th: Mt. Fuji’s miracle revisited! A century’s moment captured by clean energy

A total solar eclipse is a phenomenon where the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely obscuring the Sun. While the Sun is hidden, we can instead see the tenuous, high-temperature corona (a pearly, faintly glowing gas around the dark Sun), the diamond ring effect, and prominences (solar flares). Total solar eclipses are observable only in very narrow regions and are rare phenomena, perhaps seen only once in a lifetime.



The last total solar eclipse was visible on July 11, 2010, from Easter Island, Chile, and Argentina. And on Wednesday, November 14th, a total solar eclipse, the first in two years and three months, will occur in northern Australia. The peak of the Sun’s complete obscuration will be from 6:38:45 AM to 6:40:26 AM local time, lasting only about two minutes – a truly fleeting moment.



Panasonic, who recently broadcast the annular solar eclipse from Mt. Fuji in May, has once again stepped up to share this once-in-a-century moment with the world. This project is named “Panasonic Eclipse Live by Solar Power.” Similar to the previous broadcast, where all necessary equipment, including cameras and computers, was powered solely by solar energy, this second attempt will also use the motto “Filming the sun, using the sun” to capture the total solar eclipse moment using only the sun’s power.



＜Previous Report Video | 2 min 12 sec＞



This time, Panasonic’s proprietary “HIT® Solar Panels” and “Portable Power Supplies” (lithium-ion batteries) will be installed at two locations: the main venue, Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Resort in Port Douglas, and a secondary venue on an island near Cairns. At the main venue in Port Douglas, the total solar eclipse moment will be filmed from the beach directly in front of the hotel using a LUMIX GH2 mirrorless camera equipped with a telescope and a high-magnification lens. The countdown will begin at midnight on the 14th. Starting at 4:30 AM (3:30 AM Japan time), a reporter will appear and provide a live commentary of the total solar eclipse from beginning to end via the internet (this live broadcast will also be available on the Facebook page).


The project leader is Hisao Tsugita from Panasonic’s Brand Communication Division, Content Planning Center. He shared his enthusiasm with OPENERS for this second attempt: “After our first attempt, I felt that people’s interest in the moment of a solar eclipse is extremely high. However, on that day, clouds obscured the annular solar eclipse, and the internet connection at the summit was not ideal, leaving us with some regrets regarding the delivery of beautiful footage. These challenges also contributed to the high interest, but this time, we started with the intention of showcasing the inherent beauty of the total solar eclipse itself, rather than focusing on such challenging elements. Currently, the skies in Australia are rarely clouded, so we are hopeful that we can deliver beautiful footage this time.”



In Japan, the peak of the total solar eclipse will occur at 5:39:36 AM on the 14th. We hope you will join us in witnessing this rare celestial event along with the footage coming from Australia.



Panasonic Eclipse Live by Solar Power

Broadcast URL | https://www.facebook.com/PanasonicEclipseLiveBySolarPower (Facebook Page)



＜Broadcast Schedule＞

Broadcast Start (Scheduled) | 3:30:00 AM (Japan) / 4:30:00 AM (Cairns)

Solar Eclipse Start | 4:44:54 AM (Japan) / 5:44:54 AM (Cairns)

Total Solar Eclipse Start | 5:38:45 AM (Japan) / 6:38:45 AM (Cairns)

Peak Time | 5:39:36 AM (Japan) / 6:39:36 AM (Cairns)

Total Solar Eclipse End | 5:40:26 AM (Japan) / 6:40:26 AM (Cairns)

Solar Eclipse End | 6:40:14 AM (Japan) / 7:40:14 AM (Cairns)

Broadcast End (Scheduled) | 7:00:00 AM (Japan) / 8:00:00 AM (Cairns)