TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSEWellington, New ZealandFriday 17 February 2045 · times in UTC+13
7m 31s
OF TOTAL DARKNESS
The Moon crosses the centre of the Sun but is too far away to cover it, so a complete ring of sunlight remains. It never goes dark and it is never safe to look without a filter.
When the filter comes off →85.8% COVERED SUN 53° UP 14 km OFF CENTRE
02 · TIMING
When does it happen?
The whole eclipse runs 3h 15m. All times are local, in UTC+13.
10:20 MAX 11:55 13:34
| Phase | LOCAL TIME | SUN |
|---|---|---|
| First contactthe Moon touches the Sun's edge | 10:20 | 38° ENE |
| Totality beginsfilters off — the corona | 11:51 | — |
| Maximumthe deepest point | 11:55 | 53° NE |
| Totality endsfilters back on, immediately | 11:58 | — |
| Last contactthe Sun is whole again | 13:34 | 61° N |
03 · DIRECTION
Where do I look?
At maximum the Sun stands 53° above the horizon to the north-east — high enough to clear most buildings and trees.
The Sun's height and bearing at maximum, from Wellington. The horizon is at 0°.
THE EXPERIENCE
What it will actually be like
At maximum the Moon sits wholly inside the Sun's disc and leaves a complete ring of sunlight. There is no corona and no darkness — the remaining ring is still far too bright to look at — but the light goes strange and flat, and shadows sharpen.
SAFETY
Looking at it without hurting yourself
Keep a certified solar filter on for every part of the eclipse except totality itself. During totality, and only then, it is safe to look with the naked eye — and the filter must go back on the instant the Sun reappears.
Sunglasses, smoked glass, exposed film and phone screens are not filters. If you can see anything else through it, it is not dark enough.
04 · POSITION
Should I travel?
Wellington lies inside the path, 14 km from its centre line. The path is 285 km wide here.
THE DAY
- SUNRISE
- 06:47
- SUNSET
- 20:21
- DAY LENGTH
- 13h 35m
- CIVIL DUSK
- 20:50
REFERENCE FIGURES
- OBSCURATION
- 85.8%
- COORDINATES
- 41.286° S, 174.776° E
- PATH WIDTH
- 285 km
- SHADOW SPEED
- 2,087 km/h
- SAROS
- 131 · no. 47
- MAGNITUDE
- 0.9596
- GAMMA
- -0.3126
Contact times are accurate to a couple of seconds at the coordinates above. Altitudes are geometric — unrefracted, on the WGS 84 ellipsoid.
NEXT FROM WELLINGTON
What else is coming here?
The rest of what the sky over Wellington has coming, soonest first.