Rare solar eclipse stuns skywatchers with never seen before view

Partial solar eclipse rises across the South Pacific were rewarded with a breathtaking celestial event Monday, September 22, 2025, as a deep partial solar eclipse transformed the sunrise into a fiery crescent.

The spectacle was most dramatic for viewers in southern New Zealand and Antarctica, where the moon obscured up to 86% of the sun.

Astronomy buffs witnessed the sun did not rise as a familiar disk but as a dramatic, thinning sliver of light. 

Live streams from Dunedin, New Zealand, captured the sun emerging from the horizon already in the grip of the eclipse, reaching a peak of 70% coverage.

While partial eclipses are more common than total ones, this event was notable for its depth and timing, occurring just hours before September’s equinox.

For scientists and adventurers at remote Antarctic stations like McMurdo and Zucchelli, the eclipse provided an even more stunning view against the icy landscape.

The city of Dunedin, which witnessed this deep partial eclipse, is already preparing for a celestial jackpo, it lies directly in the path of a total solar eclipse on July 22, 2028. 

In addition to that, on thr event day, the city will be plunged into darkness for 2 minutes and 47 seconds near sunset.