On September 21, residents of Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania will be able to witness a solar eclipse. We will inform you of the start time and where you can watch it live.
Solar eclipses occur when the Moon, in its orbit around the Earth, completely or partially covers the Sun. If its orbit lay entirely within the plane of the ecliptic, eclipses would be observed every full moon. However, since it is tilted at an angle of 5.14° to it, eclipses occur much less frequently in reality.
The upcoming solar eclipse will be partial. This means that the Moon will only cover part of the Sun. Nevertheless, the upcoming celestial event is interesting for several reasons. First, it will be “deep” – the Moon will cover over 80% of the Sun. Second, the eclipse will occur on the eve of the autumn equinox. And it takes on additional symbolism because it will occur just two weeks after a total lunar eclipse, when the Moon turns blood red.
The solar eclipse will begin on September 21 at 8:29 p.m. Kyiv time (5:29 p.m. GMT) in the Pacific Ocean. The Moon’s penumbra will then move south toward Antarctica. Due to the remoteness of this region, not many people will be able to enjoy this rare celestial spectacle. The best places to observe the eclipse will be the southern tip of New Zealand, Stewart Island, Macquarie Island, and the coastal areas of Antarctica (McMurdo Station).
The maximum phase of the eclipse will be reached at 22:41 Kyiv time (7:41 p.m. GMT) at a point located between New Zealand and Antarctica. There, the solar disk will be 85% covered. The eclipse will end on September 22 at 00:53 Kyiv time.
Although due to geographical factors, not many people will be able to see the upcoming eclipse with their own eyes, it will be possible to watch it online. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube.
The next solar eclipse visible in Europe will take place on August 12, 2026. Its partial phases will be visible from Ukraine.
