This New Zealand city will witness Total Solar Eclipse after 850 years; hotels book out two years in advance
Wellington : Eclipse chasers have begun the countdown for the rare astronomical event which will take place on July 2022, 2028. While Dunedin it self will witness a total solar eclipse after about 850 years, the country of New Zealand witnessed its last total solar eclipse in 1965.
This New Zealand city will witness Total Solar Eclipse after 850 years; hotels book out two years in advance
At 4.17pm on July 22, 2028, Dunedin in New Zealand is all set to witness an astronomical event that the region hasn't witnessed in hundreds of years.
After more than 850 years, Dunedin will witness the region’s first total solar eclipse. As the Moon passes in front of the Sun, it will cast a shadow about 100 km wide across parts of southern New Zealand.
The event might be years away but the countdown has begun in Dunedin. Stargazers are excited about the Total Solar Eclipse, which will also be the first one visible anywhere in New Zealand since 1965.
Total Solar Eclipse: Countdown begins in Dunedin
According to a report in The Guardian, "from tourist hotspot Queenstown in the west to Dunedin city in the east", all areas in that band of southern New Zealand "will be plunged into daytime darkness for 2 minutes and 51 seconds".
On Wednesday, Dunedin's museum launched a two-year countdown to the eclipse, an event expected to draw thousands of visitors. Around 35,000 people are forecast to travel to the city, which has a population of about 130,000.
The Guardian quoted Dr Ian Griffin, an astronomer and director of Tūhura Otago Museum, as saying: “The last one (total solar eclipse) visible from Dunedin was in 1163, which was before humans reached New Zealand. So we will be the first people in Dunedin ever to see a solar eclipse from this part of the world, which is quite exciting.”
As excited star gazers wait for the once-in-a-lifetime sight, hotels in Dunedin are already filling up two years ahead of the region's first total solar eclipse in more than 850 years, mentions the report in The Guardian.
Occurring in the depth of New Zealand’s winter, the eclipse closely follows the national celebration of Matariki—the Māori New Year.
Named after the star cluster widely recognized as the Pleiades, Matariki is visible in New Zealand's night sky for 11 months before vanishing for a single winter month. Its return around the winter solstice signals the start of the new year.
What is a Total Solar Eclipse? : When the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun, a total solar eclipse happens.
NASA explains: "People located in the center of the Moon’s shadow when it hits Earth will experience a total eclipse. The sky will darken, as if it were dawn or dusk.
Weather permitting, people in the path of a total solar eclipse can see the Sun’s corona, the outer atmosphere, which is otherwise usually obscured by the bright face of the Sun.
A total solar eclipse is the only type of solar eclipse where viewers can momentarily remove their eclipse glasses (which are not the same as regular sunglasses) for the brief period of time when the Moon is completely blocking the Sun."
