PHOTOS: Crescent sunrise wows New Zealanders during partial solar eclipse

The last solar eclipse of the year 2025 occurred on Sunday. It was visible only in some parts of the world, including New Zealand, and major portions of Antarctica. These regions got to witness a crescent sunrise, meaning the sun was already eclipsed early morning when it greeted the residents. Here are some stunning pictures of the cosmic event.

The partial solar eclipse was only visible in New Zealand, the South Pacific, and Antarctica. Only about 400,000 people witnessed an eclipse of over 70 per cent. In a partial eclipse, the moon covers a large part of the Sun, creating a crescent as a portion remains exposed.

The crescent sunrise happened because of the timing of the eclipse. The eclipse started at 1:29 pm and ended at 5:53 pm ET on September 21. This was sunrise time on Monday in Antarctica, New Zealand and the South Pacific. So the people here got to witness a fascinating crescent sun rising from the horizon.

People from New Zealand who got to see the amazing spectacle posted some stunning shots of the cut-off sun. Dunedin, a South Island city in the country, witnessed the crescent sun rising at 6:27 am NZST. It reached a maximum eclipse of about 72 per cent 40 minutes later.

The largest eclipse cover was only visible in Antarctica, where an eclipse of up to 86 per cent was reported. Ross Sea and southern New Zealand were the areas where the largest cover was seen.

During a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun, with only the corona, or the outer atmosphere, visible. But in the case of a partial solar eclipse, some part of the Sun remains visible. So it appears like a crescent Moon, except what you have is the Sun partially cut off.