Today Pink Floyd celebrated the 50th anniversary of “The Dark Side of the Moon” with a listening event timed to a rare total solar eclipse at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park (Nyinggulu) in Exmouth, Western Australia.
Eight competition winners gathered at a secluded beach in the region to hear “Dark Side” start to finish – with Roger Waters‘s closing lines “But the sun is eclipsed by the moon…” timed to align with the moment of total eclipse at 11.29 a.m. WST.
The eight fans — dubbed the ‘Astronome Domine 8’ – arrived on Mcleods Beach this morning to witness a giant black pyramid framed by the horizon, constructed with creative oversight from Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, Floyd’s long-time creative consultant and Hipgnosis co-founder. Following a Welcome to Country by elder Hazel Walgar, the event began as the shadow of the moon grazed the tip of Western Australia — the best land-based place in the world to view the eclipse.
The event was livestreamed across the world on Floyd’s YouTube channel.
The eight winners were brought together from all walks of life and represent multiple generations of Floyd fans. “This is something I’ll never forget” said 27-year-old Nathan, who took the trip in tribute to his father, a Floyd mega fan who died in 2021. “It was like Dad was there with me.”
“I’m speechless,” said Monya, who made the journey with her husband, Joseph, after they were brought together by their love of the band. “I’ve listened to this album thousands of times — but never like this.”
The 300-kilometer-long Ningaloo Marine Park is 1,200 kilometers north of Perth (Boorloo) along Western Australia’s Coral Coast Highway. The Ningaloo region is renowned as where the outback meets the reef — home to Australia’s largest fringing reef adjoining the rusty gorges of Cape Range National Park.
A short form documentary film directed by Powell charting the journey of the Astronome Domine 8 is expected at a later date.
What an amazing experience that would have been for any Pink Floyd fan!