Te Whatu Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told the Herald Monday’s eclipse will begin at 3.30am, as the moon begins to enter Earth’s penumbra – or outer shadow.
By 5.30am, it will be a total eclipse, he said. The moon will be completely shadowed by Earth, with a coppery red hue visible.
A lunar eclipse montage. Photo / Greg Stevens
To get the ultimate experience of the beauty of a lunar eclipse, Aoraki recommends an elevated spot with a clear, unobstructed view of the West.
“The weather is looking good for tomorrow too,” he said.
It will be the second time this year New Zealand has seen a blood moon – the first was in March. Before that, the most recent blood moon was in 2022.
Partial solar eclipse
In two weeks, we’ll be in for another captivating planetary moment: a rare and partial solar eclipse.
Aoraki told the Herald Kiwis haven’t seen a solar eclipse “of this magnitude” since 2012, when about 85% of the sun was blocked.
On September 22, the eclipse will already be in progress when the sun rises just after 6am, and it will appear as a crescent when it rises.
“Be sure to have a clear, unobstructed view of the eastern horizon.”
At 6.55am, the solar eclipse will reach its maximum point, with the moon blocking out around 60% of the sun’s disc in Auckland.
The bottom of the South Island will see about 70% of its sun blocked.
The solar eclipse will end just after 8am that day.
Unlike lunar eclipses, solar eclipses do require eye protection as the sun will “at no point” be fully blocked by the moon. Solar viewing glasses will be needed for anyone wishing to safely view it.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.