Total solar eclipse — South Africa & Australia
On 25 November 2030 a total eclipse is expected to begin in the morning sky over southern Africa, cross the Indian Ocean and end over Australia. At Durban in South Africa the Sun should be completely covered for about 2 minutes 26 seconds at around 7:34 a.m.
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The story
A total eclipse happens when the Moon covers the Sun completely and daytime turns dark for a short while. On 25 November 2030 a band of this darkness is expected to stretch far across the southern hemisphere. The Moon’s shadow comes in from the Atlantic Ocean to Namibia, crosses Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho, and moves out over the Indian Ocean. After crossing a wide stretch of sea, it reaches southern Australia.
The South African port city of Durban lies inside the band. Calculations published on Wikipedia put totality there at around 7:34 in the morning, when the Sun, already risen in the eastern sky, should be completely covered for about 2 minutes 26 seconds. During the morning rush the sky will grow dark, and the corona, a faint white glow around the hidden Sun, will come into view. For people in southern Africa it will be the first total eclipse since December 2002.
The longest totality falls not over land but in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean, where the Sun is covered for about 3 minutes 44 seconds. The shadow then keeps moving east to southern Australia, crossing South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland before ending at sunset. The same eclipse is therefore seen in the morning at one end of its path and in the evening at the other.
In 2030 the annular eclipse of 1 June in the northern hemisphere is followed in November by this total eclipse in the southern hemisphere, so each half of the globe gets one central eclipse in the same year. The orbit view reproduces the line-up of Sun, Moon and Earth that sends the Moon’s shadow across the southern part of the planet, and choosing Durban in the sky view reproduces the Sun being covered in the morning sky.
Viewing guide — where, when, how
The safety rule is simple. Whenever any part of the Sun is visible, wear eclipse glasses certified to ISO 12312-2 or look through a solar filter. Only during the two minutes or so when the Sun is completely covered can the glasses come off to see the corona, and they must go back on as soon as the edge of the Sun starts to shine again. Binoculars and cameras also need a solar filter on the front.
On the African side the eclipse happens in the morning, so a site with a clear view to the east is best. On the Australian side it ends near sunset, so a clear view to the west is needed. Late November is when the rainy season starts in the interior of southern Africa, and clouds often build up in the afternoon. Mornings are therefore thought to have somewhat better odds of clear sky, but the weather on the day can only be described in terms of chances.
The eclipse cannot be seen from Europe or North America, because the Moon’s shadow only crosses the southern part of the globe. In the sky view, however, switching the location to Durban or to an Australian town reproduces the time of the eclipse and the height of the Sun at that place.
See this for yourself — open that sky at that moment · replay the moment in the orbit view
Why this eclipse is special
A total eclipse is a rare chance to see the corona, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, with the naked eye. Normally the Sun’s surface is so bright that the much fainter corona is lost in its glare. Only during the few minutes when the Moon exactly covers the bright surface does the corona appear, and its shape shows how the Sun’s magnetic field is spread out into space.
The Sun goes through a cycle of about 11 years, growing more active and then quieter again. Scientists think the most active period of the current cycle came around 2024 and 2025, and they expect the Sun to be in a quieter, declining phase by 2030. Because the corona changes shape with this cycle, placing eclipse photographs from different years side by side lets researchers compare how the Sun is changing.
This eclipse also matters because it crosses places that are home to many people and are fairly easy to reach. South Africa and Australia both have good roads and places to stay, so large numbers of people can travel to see it. As with the 2002 eclipse in southern Africa, schools and astronomy groups are likely to organise public viewing events.
Background and earlier eclipses
Eclipses repeat in a similar pattern about every 18 years and 11 days, a cycle called the saros. The eclipse of 25 November 2030 belongs to Saros 133 and is the 46th of that series’ 72 eclipses. The one before it was the total eclipse of 13 November 2012 seen near Cairns in Australia, and the next will take place on 5 December 2048.
The most recent total eclipse in southern Africa was on 4 December 2002, which crossed northern South Africa and Mozambique, among other places. Australia sees total eclipses fairly often. After Cairns in 2012 and Exmouth in Western Australia in April 2023, a total eclipse is due to cross Sydney on 22 July 2028, and more are expected in 2037 and 2038 after this one.
On 1 June of the same year there is an annular eclipse in the northern hemisphere. The two eclipses fall in the same year but are different in kind. In June the Moon is far enough away to leave a ring; in November it is close enough to cover the Sun completely. Comparing them shows how the distance between Moon and Earth changes the way an eclipse looks.
FAQ
When, and for how long, is the Sun covered at Durban?
Calculations published on Wikipedia give around 7:34 a.m. for about 2 minutes 26 seconds. Durban lies inside the band of totality.
Where does totality last longest?
In the middle of the southern Indian Ocean, at about 3 minutes 44 seconds. On inhabited land it is shorter.
How will it look from Australia?
The shadow crosses South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland and ends around sunset. The Sun is low in the evening sky, so a clear western view is needed.
Can it be seen from Europe or North America?
No. The Moon’s shadow passes only over the southern part of the globe, far from Europe and North America.
Related
- The 2030 annular over Hokkaido
- The 2028 total eclipse over Sydney
- The 2037 total eclipse over eastern Australia
- The Sun — object index
- The Moon — object index
Times and figures are approximate — verify with official sources when planning travel. Simulation uses J2000 mean elements.