Stargazers in inland South Island regions are in for a treat tomorrow morning, with clear skies forecast to offer some of the country’s best visibility for the total lunar eclipse — while parts of Northland, Wellington, and the East Coast may miss out under cloud cover.
MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti told 1News visibility was looking "promising" for much of the South Island, with clear skies expected in most areas.
"The exceptions to that were coastal Fiordland, the coast of Marlborough and Nelson, where we are expecting some partly cloudy conditions."
Fine conditions were expected across most of the North Island's, he said, with the exception being Northland where cloud and isolated showers are expected for the early hours of the morning.
Did you take any pictures of the lunar eclipse? Send them to news@tvnz.co.nz
The East Coast, including Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington would have the poorest visibility for the astronomical event, with morning cloud likely to stick around until midday.
Monday's lunar eclipse will begin at around 3.30am, when the Moon enters the Earth's umbra, or dark shadow.
The moment where the Moon was fully covered by Earth's shadow, starts at 5.30am, casting it in a dull red hue until it sets at around 6.30am.
"If you just want to get a quick glance of the lunar eclipse, the best time is going to be around six in the morning," Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki said.
Tomorrow's eclipse is the first of two this month.
On the morning of September 22, New Zealand will be one of the only places in the world to witness a partial solar eclipse.
By Bianca Day
SHARE ME