The moon and sun put on a magnificent show on Sept. 21 when a dramatic partial solar eclipse darkened the sky over a swathe of the Pacific ocean, transforming the disk of our parent star into a radiant crescent.
Each partial solar eclipse takes place during the monthly new moon phase, when the lunar disk passes between Earth and sun, occulting (or hiding) its light while stopping short of perfectly blocking out its surface.
Read on to see pictures of the September 2025 partial solar eclipse captured as the sun rode low over New Zealand’s eastern horizon, and be sure to check out our partial solar eclipse live blog for a recap of how the magnificent display of orbital mechanics unfolded on the day.
First views of the September 2025 partial solar eclipse
A deepening eclipse
Our first view was captured from Time and Date’s livestream in the hour following sunrise, as the moon’s silhouette began to roll left to right over the fiery disk of our parent star. Members of the Dunedin Astronomical Society were able to image the face of the sun as it poked its head from behind a vast cloud bank that had settled over New Zealand’s eastern horizon.
The eclipse maximum
This magnificent view of the sun’s disk was captured minutes after the local eclipse maximum, when 70% of the solar surface surface was hidden by the curving expanse of the moon in the skies above Dunedin in New Zealand. At this point, the light projected through small holes — such as the holes in a colander — would appear to take on a crescent shape of their own, mimicking the stellar scene above.
The moon passes from the solar disk
This inverted solar portrait was captured during the waning partial phase, as the moon slipped left to right off the sun’s disk in the wake of the eclipse maximum. The following hour would see the lunar silhouette pass from the solar disk entirely, returning it to its former brilliance.
The next eclipse to grace Earth’s skies will be an annular solar eclipse on Feb. 17, 2026, which will be visible from southern Africa, South Africa and Antarctica. Stargazers hoping to get ready for future eclipses should read our guide to buying quality eclipse glasses online and read our explainer detailing how to safely photograph a solar eclipse.
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