On July 22, 2028, Dunedin and Queenstown will be the only major centres in New Zealand to experience a total solar eclipse, although the rest of the country will be able to observe a partial eclipse.
A total solar eclipse happens when the moon completely covers the face of the sun.
To see it, you have to be somewhere within a narrow path of totality.
Millions of people in North America stopped, many donning special eclipse viewing glasses, and looked up for a few minutes yesterday as a solar eclipse - its totality stretching from Mexico to Newfoundland - happened.
Tūhura Otago Museum director and astronomer Ian Griffin said interest in yesterday’s solar eclipse, such that numerous North American states and municipalities declared states of emergency in expectation of massive crowds, showed how excited people would be about a similar effect in Dunedin and southern New Zealand.
"I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time," Dr Griffin, who writes the Skywatch column for ODT's The Weekend Mix, said.
"There is a real opportunity for Dunedin to attract several thousand tourists interested in it. There was an eclipse in Queensland in 2012, and it was said to bring in about $20 million to the local economy.
"The eclipse in southern New Zealand passes over Milford Sound, and it goes all the way across to Dunedin, so there will be a lot of opportunities for some amazing views.
"I’m going to be sitting on my deck, with a gin and tonic, observing the eclipse. I’m pretty excited about it."
On July 22 in 2028, the partial eclipse over New Zealand will begin about 3.10pm, and the totality will begin about 4.15pm and end about 4.18pm.
"You will need to get yourself some special eyeglass filters to ensure you don’t go blind.
"The weather in July is a bit iffy. It can be brilliant, but it can also be really cold and cloudy, so don’t be afraid to move out a bit."
Tens of thousands of tourists visited Queensland in 2012 to view the eclipse.
While several pre-emptive states of emergency were declared in North America in expectation of massive crowds and possible traffic jams, pressure on emergency services, mobile network overloads and warnings from US intelligence of a rise in the terror threat, the event appears to have passed off peacefully.
Otago authorities should make careful plans ahead of time for large crowds, Dr Griffin said.
"The road infrastructure in Central Otago is not super-great. If 20,000 to 50,000 sky-watchers rock on up to Otago and Dunedin, we could see traffic mayhem."
The last total eclipse recorded for Dunedin was back in AD1100, he said.
"There have been eclipses visible from elsewhere in New Zealand since then, but this will be the first solar eclipse that a human being will see in Dunedin should the sky be clear.
"I hope the city organisations, such as Enterprise Dunedin, really plan for this event. It’s just before Matariki, so there’s an opportunity for a festival of stars to occur in Dunedin.
"The good thing is we know it’s going to happen, so we can plan for it."
