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A partial solar eclipse is coming: 1 month until the moon takes a 'bite' out of the sun

a partial solar eclipse at sunrise, the sun looks like a large bright crescent in the early morning sky as it rises above the horizon.

A partial solar eclipse at sunrise over Rice Lake, Ontario, Canada. (Image credit: John Fader via Getty Images)

On Sunday, Sept. 21, the moon will chew a noticeable "bite" out of the sun; this partial solar eclipse will be visible across parts of the Southern Hemisphere and streamed live for skywatchers worldwide.

It's the second and final solar eclipse of 2025, arriving just before the September equinox, a date on which day and night are roughly the same length in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

You can learn more about the partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21 with our partial solar eclipse 2025 guide and keep up to date with the latest solar eclipse content with our solar eclipse live blog.

Timings

Starts: 1:29 p.m. EDT (17:29 GMT)

Peaks: 3:41–3:43 p.m. EDT (19:41–19:43 GMT), with about 80% of the sun obscured

Ends: 5:53 p.m. EDT (21:53 GMT)

Roughly 16.6 million people live within regions that will witness some degree of the eclipse. No location will see totality, as this is a partial eclipse only.

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Where to watch

The greatest eclipse, where 80% of the sun will be covered, happens over a remote patch of the South Pacific between New Zealand and Antarctica.

Notable locations include:

Balleny Islands (uninhabited, under New Zealand jurisdiction): ~78% coverage, starting about 10 minutes after sunrise
Zucchelli Station (Italian Antarctic base): ~72% coverage
McMurdo Station (U.S. Antarctic base): ~69% coverage

New Zealand highlights (local time on Sept. 22) according to Time and Date:

Auckland: Starts 5:52 a.m., peaks 6:55 a.m. (60% coverage), ends 8:04 a.m.
Christchurch / South Island dark-sky regions: Starts 6:03 a.m., peaks 7:08 a.m. (~70% coverage), ends 8:18 a.m.
Invercargill and Stewart Island: Starts 6:09 a.m., peaks 7:13 a.m. (~73% coverage), ends 8:22 a.m.

How to watch

gif animation showing the path of the partial solar eclipse on Sept. 21, 2025.

As this is a particularly remote eclipse, the majority of observers will likely be watching online. We will be livestreaming the eclipse here on Space.com; more details will be released closer to the time.

If you are in the path of the eclipse and plan on viewing it in person, remember it is never safe to look at the sun directly without adequate eye protection. Always use solar eclipse glasses or solar filters on telescopes, binoculars or cameras to avoid eye damage. Our

how to view the sun safely guide

is here to help you get the most out of your solar viewing experience.

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Daisy Dobrijevic joined Space.com in February 2022 having previously worked for our sister publication All About Space magazine as a staff writer. Before joining us, Daisy completed an editorial internship with the BBC Sky at Night Magazine and worked at the National Space Centre in Leicester, U.K., where she enjoyed communicating space science to the public. In 2021, Daisy completed a PhD in plant physiology and also holds a Master's in Environmental Science, she is currently based in Nottingham, U.K. Daisy is passionate about all things space, with a penchant for solar activity and space weather. She has a strong interest in astrotourism and loves nothing more than a good northern lights chase!

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