Annular eclipse — Nelson, New Zealand (2035)
An annular eclipse crossing the top of New Zealand's South Island (Nelson) and the Kāpiti Coast of the North Island (Paraparaumu). Wellington, just outside the path, sees a deep partial eclipse with about 97% of the Sun covered.
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The story
On 9 March 2035, the narrow path of an annular eclipse will cross New Zealand. The Moon's shadow passes near Nelson and Richmond at the northern tip of the South Island, crosses Cook Strait, and reaches Paraparaumu on the west coast of the North Island. From there it heads out over the Pacific towards French Polynesia.
The capital, Wellington, lies just south of this path. Because of that, Wellington does not see a complete ring. Around 10:55 am the Sun there will be about 97% covered, which is a deep partial eclipse. To see the ring, people will need to travel roughly 50 km north to Paraparaumu or cross Cook Strait to Nelson.
Even inside the path, the complete ring lasts only a short time. In Nelson, Richmond and Paraparaumu it is expected to last about one minute. March is early autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, but wind and cloud in this region can change quickly, so the weather on the day cannot be known in advance.
During an annular eclipse, a bright rim of the Sun stays visible even when the ring is complete. So, unlike a total eclipse, there is no moment when it is safe to look with the naked eye. In the sky view, setting the location to Paraparaumu or Nelson and moving to that morning shows the ring-shaped Sun.
Viewing guide — where, when, how
In the sky view, choose the March 2035 annular eclipse from the event list and set the location to Paraparaumu. The ring-shaped Sun in the late-morning sky of 9 March is shown. Moving the location to Wellington shows a partial eclipse with only a thin crescent of Sun left, and moving it to Auckland shows a partial eclipse with about 84% covered.
The event playback in the orbit view shows the Moon passing between the Sun and Earth while it is on the far side of its orbit. Turning on the lunar orbit ring shows that the Earth–Moon distance at that moment is longer than average, which explains why the Moon cannot cover the whole Sun.
For real viewing, eclipse glasses or a proper solar filter are needed from start to finish. The partial phases last about 2 hours 45 minutes, and even the minute or so of complete ring can hurt the eyes if viewed without a filter. Projecting sunlight through a small hole onto paper, like a pinhole camera, lets several people watch safely together.
See this for yourself — open that sky at that moment · replay the moment in the orbit view
Why this eclipse is special
An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is far from Earth. The Moon's orbit is not a perfect circle but a slightly stretched oval, so its distance from Earth changes over time. When the Moon is farther away it looks a little smaller, so it cannot cover the whole Sun and a bright ring is left around the edge.
On 2 September of the same year, a total solar eclipse takes place over East Asia. That time the Moon is closer to Earth and covers the Sun completely. Because an annular and a total eclipse happen only six months apart, the pair is a good way to see how the Moon's distance changes the look of an eclipse.
New Zealand gets several central eclipses in a short time. A total eclipse is expected on 13 July 2037 over the central North Island (Taupō and Napier), and another on 26 December 2038 over the south-west of the North Island (Paraparaumu and Palmerston North). That is three central eclipses crossing one country in less than four years.
Background and earlier eclipses
This annular eclipse belongs to an eclipse family called Saros 140. A saros is a cycle of about 18 years and 11 days after which nearly the same kind of eclipse happens again. The previous member of this family was the annular eclipse of 26 February 2017 over South America and Africa, and the next one will be on 20 March 2053.
The ring lasts longest on the centre line of the path and gets shorter towards its edges. Outside the path, the ring never closes at all. That is why Wellington, with about 97% of the Sun covered, and Paraparaumu, inside the path, see very different things even though they are only about 50 km apart.
An earlier total eclipse seen from New Zealand took place on 31 May 1965 (local date). Totality was visible in the north-western part of Northland, at the northern end of the North Island, shortly after sunrise. The band of totality that day was narrow, and despite some cloud the evening before, the eclipse was seen successfully.
FAQ
Will Wellington see the ring?
No. Wellington lies just south of the path, so it sees a partial eclipse with about 97% covered at around 10:55 am. The ring is visible for about one minute inside the path, for example at Paraparaumu and Nelson.
Is it safe to look with the naked eye?
No. Even when the ring is complete, a bright rim of the Sun remains, so a filter is needed from beginning to end.
What about Auckland?
Auckland is outside the path and sees only a partial eclipse, with about 84% of the Sun covered.
When are New Zealand's next central eclipses?
Total eclipses on 13 July 2037 (central North Island) and 26 December 2038 (south-west of the North Island).
Related
- Total eclipse — Australia & NZ (2037)
- Total eclipse over East Asia (2035)
- Annular eclipse of 2028
- The Sun — object index
- The Moon — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.