A rare total solar eclipse that will turn day into night in parts of Western Australia will be partially visible from northern parts of New Zealand.
Thousands of eclipse chasers are expected to flock to Exmouth, WA on Thursday April 20, when the moon casts a 40 kilometre-wide shadow over the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo reef region.
It will also be visible as a very tiny partial eclipse from the North Island and very top of the south. The further north, the more noticeable it will be.
Stardome astronomer Rob Davison said the partial eclipse will last for around 30 minutes and require special glasses for viewing.
"It’s important to never look directly at the sun with your eyes, and this solar eclipse is no exception. This event should only be viewed if you have solar glasses or a solar filter for telescopes, binoculars, and cameras," he told 1News.
According to timeanddate.com, the partial eclipse will be visible in Northland late Thursday afternoon, when just under 3% of the sun will be eclipsed at 5.01pm.
In Auckland, just under 2% of the sun will be eclipsed at 4.59pm.
Further south in Wellington just 0.13% of the sun will be eclipsed at 4.51pm.
However, a more spectacular display is on the way for Aotearoa later this decade.
"Unfortunately, we will not see a full solar eclipse here, but we will still get a very small glimpse of a partial solar eclipse for those in the North Island. But in 2028 there'll be a full solar eclipse visible from here, which will be something really special," Davison said.
Across the ditch in Western Australia, the eclipse will take about three hours as the moon passes between the sun and Earth in perfect alignment, with total darkness set to last about a minute from 11.29am (local time).
"It's a unique experience. I'm looking forward to it. That 62 seconds is going to be precious," WA Chief Scientist Peter Klinken told AAP.
"You'll see the moon moving over and then you'll get to a point ... when the sun is going to be blotted out. It's a bit like the Rolling Stones song Paint It Black.
"I want to see the sun blotted out from the sky and that's what's going to happen."
A bright corona that looks like a white halo will form around the moon during the total eclipse and some stars and planets may become visible to people on the North West Cape.
The air temperature is also likely to drop and animals may change their behaviour, with eclipse chasers urged to protect their eyesight and not look directly at the sun.
"Our last total solar eclipse was in November 2012," amateur astronomer Terry Cuttle said.
"It's been over a decade's wait for another Aussie eclipse."
The event is classified as a hybrid eclipse because it starts as an annular eclipse in the Indian Ocean before changing into a total eclipse near Exmouth.
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