Hotels fill up 2 years ahead of rare New Zealand total solar eclipse

Hotels in New Zealand's southern city of Dunedin are already filling up two years ahead of a rare total solar eclipse expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors from around the world, according to New Zealand public broadcaster RNZ.

The eclipse, due on July 22, 2028, will be the first total solar eclipse visible from Dunedin in more than 850 years and the first seen from anywhere in New Zealand since 1965.

As the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, a roughly 100-kilometer (62-mile)-wide path of totality will sweep across New Zealand's South Island, stretching from the resort town of Queenstown to the coastal city of Dunedin.

Observers within the path will experience 2 minutes and 51 seconds of daytime darkness.

The approaching celestial event has already triggered a surge in accommodation bookings. Dunedin Leisure Lodge said its special eclipse package, which includes complimentary eclipse-viewing glasses, has sold out despite the event being two years away.

Other hotels in the city are also reporting strong early demand.

City officials expect the eclipse to provide a significant boost to tourism. About 35,000 visitors are forecast to travel to Dunedin, which has a population of around 130,000, for the event.

Astronomer Ian Griffin, director of Tuhura Otago Museum, said Dunedin would be one of the world's premier viewing locations because it is among the last major land areas along the eclipse's path before the moon's shadow moves over the Pacific Ocean.

He noted that the previous total solar eclipse visible from Dunedin occurred in 1163, before humans settled in New Zealand.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon moves directly between the Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun's visible disk for observers within the narrow path of totality.