Fiat fun eclipses journey of the sun

EIGHT tiny cars, 13 tall people and one solar eclipse - Club Fiat 500's recipe for fun.

The club, based in Prospect, left on Monday (December 2) for a two -day journey to Lyndhurst, north of the Flinders Ranges, to watch the solar eclipse.

Member Peter Yeatman, of Glenunga, suggested travelling to the eclipse as part of a road trip.

"I'd been to Leigh Creek, and there's bitumen all the way to the eclipse... (the club) just took it up,"

Dieter Howshild, from Rostrevor, added the journey was just as important as seeing the eclipse.

"To prove our little cars could do it ... no worries."

The Fiats were produced in Italy from 1957-1972.

Club president Tony Potter, from Prospect, loves Fiats because of their "cute" size and because the convertible top allows tall people to drive them.

"It's amazing how many of our members are tall people, drawn to small cars," he said.

Mr. Howshild: "You can park them anywhere, you can even park them sideways."

The 550km journey to Lyndhurst took two days because the Fiats' top speed is 80km/h.

Mr. Yeatman gave his Fiat a new paint job for the trip, daubing the back wheel panels with partial eclipses and adding eclipse reflectors to the bonnet.

A total solar eclipse is when the moon totally obscures the sun. The moon will begin covering the sun from 6.40pm tonight (Wednesday, December 4), blocking the sun for 33 seconds at 7.40pm.

The best viewing points are in a narrow band from Ceduna to Lyndhurst.

The next solar eclipse in Australia is not until November 2012 with SA having to wait until 2606.

"You'll never get a photo of your car with the eclipse again," Mr. Howshild said.

- AMY NOONAN

(For more information about the eclipse, visit the Astronomical Society of
SA website on wwwassa.org.au)