DON’T FORGET ONSLOW FOR SOLAR ECLIPSE

Total Solar Eclipse. Credit: Smithsonian Journeys

The Ashburton Shire President has said she’s disappointed the town of Onslow is being ignored as a potential viewing site for this year’s total solar eclipse.

The total solar eclipse is a rare phenomenon that will see approximately 62 seconds of darkness as the moon crosses over the sun on April 20.

Around 25,000 tourists will visit Exmouth, the only place where there will be 100 per cent totality for viewing the eclipse on land, but Ashburton Shire President Kerry White said Onslow only had a zero point three per cent difference in totality.

“Onslow has a 99.7 per cent viewing of the eclipse,” she said. “I mean you’re not going to miss 0.3 of a per cent, are you?”

The total solar eclipse streamline. Credit: The Backyard Universe

Despite the small difference in totality of viewing, both communities received very different amounts of funding from the state government in preparation for the event.

“Onslow got money but nothing like Exmouth. We wouldn’t have even got $400,000 and Exmouth got millions,” Kerry White said.

Pilbara Tourism Association Project Consultant Neil McGlip said the ocean off the coastline off Karratha will also have 100% totality.

“It’s only a few kilometres out to sea that you’d be able to experience that totality,” he said.

“So this path of totality is basically paralleling the coastline for a while.”

Both Exmouth and Onlsow are preparing events for the rush of visitors expected.