The fourth and final solar eclipse of the year takes place on the 25th November and like the previous three it is a partial eclipse. The best location to view the eclipse is also one of the most inaccessible in the world, Antarctica. For anyone who can make the trip, the place to head for is the western Antarctica Peninsula where observers will experience up to 90% totality.
After Antarctica, the next best option is New Zealand. Here the eclipse starts just after 8pm NZDT with maximum coverage occurring 40 minutes later. From the extreme south part of the South Island, just before sunset, eclipse watches will see about 30% of the sun obscured. Unfortunately, by then the Sun will be very low in the sky. From Christchurch it will be just about setting. The eclipse can also be seen from the North Island, but is not as well placed as from the South Island. In the south part of the North Island the Sun sets soon after the eclipse starts and before maximum is reached. Further north still and the eclipse is not even visible at all.
New Zealand Partial Eclipse Data 25 Nov 11
| Place | Eclipse Start Time (NZDT) | Sun Altitude (Degrees) | Time of Maximum Eclipse (NZDT) | Sun Altitude (Degrees) | Percentage Eclipsed at Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart Island | 20.02 | 11 | 20.40 | 5 | 31 |
| Invercargill | 20.03 | 10 | 20.41 | 4 | 30 |
| Dunedin | 20.03 | 8 | 20.41 | 2 | 31 |
| Christchurch | 20.07 | 5 | 20.42 | 0 | 28 |
| Wellington | 20.10 | 2 | Sun has already set | --- | --- |
Partial Solar eclipse - 25th Nov 2011 (F. Espenak, NASA) - pdf format
The eclipse is also visible from Tasmania just before sunset, the far south of South Africa soon after sunrise and will be in progress during sunrise from the South Atlantic island of Georgia. From all of these regions less than 10% of the Sun is obscured.