A partial solar eclipse will grace Australian skies on Sunday, September 21, 2025. The Moon will move between the Earth and the Sun, obscuring part of the Sun’s image. This astronomical event will mainly be visible along Australia’s eastern coast and certain southern regions. The eclipse marks the second and final solar eclipse of 2025.
Eclipse Watch: When and Where Australians Will See the Moon’s Shadow
The eclipse will begin as the Sun rises on September 22 for Australia, given the country’s time zone difference from the UTC standard time. Locations such as Sydney, Hobart, and Norfolk Island will witness the partial eclipse early in the morning. Macquarie Island in the south will see one of the highest obscurations at over 78% coverage. Sydney will experience minimal coverage, with about 1.18% of the Sun obscured. Hobart will see coverage of approximately 3.2%, while Norfolk Island will observe just under 50% coverage.
Australia eclipse visibility map with coverage%ages for different regions
What Australia’s Residents Can Expect from Sunday’s Solar Eclipse
The eclipse will begin at sunrise in most places and take between one hour and twenty-three minutes in some areas such as Macquarie Island. The total eclipse (when the Moon is the largest) will take place at 19:43 UTC, or in the early morning of the 22nd of September in Australian time. In mainland Australia, the coverage of the eclipse is partial and short, taking a few minutes in the metropolitan areas. This is highly unlike the situation in southern New Zealand and Antarctica, where longer periods and greater coverage will be experienced.
Geographical Reach Beyond Australia
New Zealand, Antarctica, some parts of the South Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean will also be able to see this partial solar eclipse. Dramatic views of eclipses will be witnessed in Southern New Zealand, where crescent images of the sun will be seen during the time of sunrise. Other islands in the Pacific like Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands, will experience a small scale eclipse coverage of approximately between 9% and almost 32%.
Scientific Context and Eclipse Parameters
The eclipse belongs to the Saros 154 cycle. It happens at the Moon’s descending node, with a strength of 0.855. The size indicates that about 85.5% of the diameter of the Sun will be covered at the locations that are best. The obscuration of the eclipse, or the area of shadow of the Moon on the Sun, is almost 79.7 per cent. The scientific table entries provide the times of the important stages, when the penumbra of the Moon will touch the Earth, and when it will cover it to the maximum and continue to recede.
How a partial solar eclipse occurs
Experts Highlight Safety Measures for Watching Sunday’s Solar Eclipse
The eclipse does not cover the entire surface of the Sun but in case the eclipse is viewed without suitable eye protection, it may lead to serious injuries to the eye. The government advises using the certified solar viewing glasses or indirect viewing techniques. The short-term event allows educational and scientific observation, capturing time-lapse images or live-streaming in coastal areas. The fact that the partial eclipse is very subtle in the Australian cities with a high population makes it necessary to use specific equipment to view it safely.
Safety tips for a peaceful viewing experience
Solar Eclipse Marks Final Celestial Event for Australia in 2025
The eclipse is during an eclipse period which is characterised by lunar and solar eclipses. The solar eclipse is the final one that is going to occur this year and it is of great interest to most of the world especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The eclipse will not be seen at all in India and much of Asia, so the rituals associated with eclipses like the Sutak period, will not hold there. However, the phenomenon has scientific significance among astronomers and sky gazers all over the world.
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Observations in Antarctic and Remote Locations
Long periods of partial eclipse of more than two hours will be witnessed at Antarctic research stations like McMurdo and Zucchelli. These distant places will enjoy much sun cover, thus offering ideal places to study eclipses. This eclipse being seen in less populated and extreme locations will help in data collection of phenomena in the sun globally.
