Annular eclipse — Wellington, New Zealand (2035)
Crossing the south of New Zealand’s North Island into the Pacific — Wellington gets a brief but complete ring at 10:55 am.
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The moment of Annular eclipse — Wellington, New Zealand (2035): https://nowsky.org/e/annular-eclipse-2035 — opens at the right place and time, replayable, no login.
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The story
On 9 March 2035 the narrow path of an annular eclipse crosses the south of New Zealand's North Island and heads out into the South Pacific. The shadow comes across the Tasman Sea, grazes the southern tip of the island, forms its ring within a narrow band that includes the capital, Wellington, and vanishes over the ocean. A national capital falling squarely inside an annular path is uncommon.
Because the band is narrow, the northern North Island and most of the South Island see only a partial eclipse. In Wellington the ring closes at about 10:55 am. It is brief, but the ring is complete, and the Sun stands at a comfortable height in the morning sky, so anywhere in the city with open sky will do.
March is early autumn in the southern hemisphere and seasonally fairly stable, but Wellington is known for fast-changing wind and cloud, so the sky on the day is anyone's guess. With its harbour and hills, open viewpoints are easy to find.
In an annular eclipse the Sun's bright rim remains even when the ring is closed, so there is no moment when naked-eye viewing is allowed — the point most confusing to those who know total eclipses first, and one local guidance stresses every time. Set Wellington as the location in the sky view and move to that morning to reproduce the ring.
Why it matters
An annular eclipse happens when the Moon is near apogee and cannot cover the whole Sun. It is the moment the ellipticity of the Moon's orbit becomes visible, showing that the same Sun–Moon alignment can be total or annular depending on distance — a contrast made plain by the East Asian total eclipse of 2 September 2035 six months later.
After the March 2035 annular, New Zealand gets total eclipses on 13 July 2037 (northern North Island) and 26 December 2038 (South Island) — three central eclipses in three years, rare luck for one country, making the South Pacific with Australia the centre of eclipse observing in the late 2030s.
An annular eclipse inside a capital matters for the number of people who see it. Wellington's 200,000 residents can watch the ring on their way to work, and the distribution of eclipse glasses and school events become the rehearsal for the total eclipses of 2037 and 2038.
How to watch
Choose the March 2035 annular in the sky view's event list to replay the ring over Wellington at 10:55 am local time on 9 March — the Sun at mid-height in the north-east. Move the location to Auckland or Christchurch to confirm only a partial eclipse there.
The orbit view's event replay shows the Moon near apogee sliding between Sun and Earth; with the lunar orbit ring switched on, the Earth–Moon distance is visibly longer than average, which is why the Moon cannot cover the Sun.
Placed beside the East Asian total eclipse of 2 September the same year, the two show how a change in the Moon's distance over six months decides between annular and total.
See this for yourself — open that sky at that moment · replay the moment in the orbit view
Background
The eclipse belongs to Saros 148; the previous member was the annular of 26 February 2017 over South America and Africa, and the next is 20 March 2053. The path begins in the Indian Ocean, passes south of Australia at sea and comes ashore in New Zealand.
The duration of the ring is longest on the centre line and shortens toward the edges of the path. Wellington lies inside the path but off the centre line, so the ring is expected to stay closed for about a minute.
New Zealand had no annular eclipse in the 2020s, and its last total eclipse was 30 May 1965. The three eclipses from 2035 to 2038 are its first run of chances in seventy years.
FAQ
Is the ring visible from Wellington?
Yes — a complete ring for about a minute around 10:55 am.
Can it be viewed with the naked eye?
No. The Sun's rim remains throughout an annular eclipse, so a filter is needed the whole time.
What about Auckland?
Outside the path — only a partial eclipse, as in most of the South Island.
When is New Zealand's next eclipse?
Total eclipses on 13 July 2037 (northern North Island) and 26 December 2038 (South Island).
Related
- Total eclipse — Australia & NZ (2037)
- Total eclipse — brushing Korea (2035)
- Annular eclipse of 2028
- The Sun — object index
- The Moon — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.