There’s a partial solar eclipse on tonight!

This afternoon there will be another spectacular astronomical event as the whole of Australia witnesses a partial solar eclipse.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon, in its circuit around the earth, blocks all or part of the suns disc as seen from the surface of the earth. Only people in a specific ‘cone’ can actually view the eclipse effectively… And today Australian people are those lucky people.

The further south you are the more extravagant the event will be as Hobart will see 72% of the sun covered in the eclipse while Darwin views just 10% of the sun covered.

The moon will partially cover the sun and will cause it to look crescent shaped.

The last solar eclipse visible from Australia was the annular eclipse of 10 May 2013 that was visible as a partial eclipse for most of the country, while the last total eclipse was on 14 November 2012 that was visible from parts of the Northern Territory and parts of Queensland near Cairns. The next total eclipse to be seen from Australia will just touch the coast of Western Australia on 20 April 2023.

According to the Astronomical Society of Australia, the best viewing times for tonight’s partial eclipse vary for each capital city so you can find yours below…

Adelaide: 4:37pm

Brisbane: After sunset

Canberra: 5:12pm

Darwin: 4:56pm

Hobart: 5:00pm

Melbourne: 5:07pm

Perth: 2:42pm

Sydney: 5:15pm

*All viewing times are local

The sun will be sitting close to the horizon when the partial eclipse occurs so elevation will make it easier to see.

So keep your eyes out for this beautiful phenomenon this afternoon…

Tell us, do you enjoy watching eclipses?  You can even post a photo to our Facebook page after you’ve seen it!