Dunedin Astronomical Society member Warren Hurley said it would be a rare event for the city — so rare that the last time it happened was in 1163, long before Dunedin was established.
"The path of the eclipse starts in the Indian Ocean and crosses through central Australia, just north of Alice Springs, then goes through Sydney, and then it goes through just north of Milford Sound and Queenstown, and on through Central Otago to Dunedin."
The centre line of the moon’s shadow path would pass directly through the city, ensuring the maximum eclipse experience, with the sun completely hidden by the moon for two minutes and 51 seconds, he said.
"It will be a whole magnitude better than just seeing a partial eclipse.
"A total eclipse, where the sun is completely covered, it truly is awe-inspiring."
Mr Hurley said the city was making a "big deal" about it so early because there was a lot of preparation to do.
"This could attract 50,000 people from all over the world.
"More than 30,000 people were in the town on the day — that was before social media and there are a lot more people these days who can afford to be eclipse chasers.
"That’s why we need to be ready.
"I can say it will be like three Ed Sheeran concerts, but all on the same day and all in the same few hours."
He said even if the weather was cloudy, the event would still be exciting to watch.
"A huge shadow will appear from the west and race towards you across the sky — the whole sky will turn really, really black, like the biggest thunderstorm you’ve ever seen — and then the brightening edge of that will race towards you at hundreds of kilometres per hour.
"It will be like a spacecraft hovering above the clouds and then racing off."
Accommodation, hospitality and tour operators were all gearing up for it, Mr Hurley said.
Accommodation was expected to fill up quickly, so visitors were encouraged to book their stays well in advance.
The Dunedin Astronomical Society was creating a new dedicated website to provide information and advertise activities that would be happening on the build up to the eclipse, and on the day.
Dunedin’s scenic landscapes would provide a stunning backdrop for the cosmic spectacle, and those wanting to photograph it could prepare the perfect shot over the next week, he said.
All they had to do was check whether they could see the sun from their spot at 4.30pm, and if they could, they would be able to see the eclipse.
