New Zealand will experience a partial solar eclipse

On Thursday, parts of New Zealand will experience a partial solar eclipse, as the moon passes in front of the sun. Auckland will have just a 1% partial eclipse, and Wellington just the slightest touch between the moon and the sun. Meanwhile, thousands of visitors are expected in the small, remote town of Exmouth, Australia, where the sun will be completely blocked out for almost a minute around 11.30am local time. The eclipse is a hybrid event, where at different times it will be either a total or an annular eclipse.

Solar eclipses occur when the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun from our view. Depending on the positioning of the 3 bodies, 3 types of solar eclipses can occur: total, partial, & annular.

Here’s how eclipses differ, courtesy NASA intern Claudia Bolanos.

Solar eclipses occur when the Moon moves between Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun from our view. Depending on the positioning of the 3 bodies, 3 types of solar eclipses can occur: total, partial, & annular.

Here’s how they differ, courtesy of our NASA intern Claudia Bolanos. pic.twitter.com/3w9kn6hqw9

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) December 18, 2022