People wanting a supersized view of tomorrow morning's near total eclipse of the sun over Bay of Plenty skies can head along to the Tauranga Astronomical Society.

The organisation will be tracking the eclipse with high-powered telescopes and projecting the live images onto big screens at Fergusson Park.

Children from Gate Pa School practise using their protective glasses for tomorrow's eclipse.

The eclipse is due to begin in Tauranga at 9.20am and finish at 11.47am, with 86 per cent coverage at 10.30am.

The Society will also show pictures from Cairns in Australia where a total solar eclipse will occur at 9.40am.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon's apparent diameter is larger than the sun - blocking all direct sunlight and turning day into darkness.

According to the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand the sun and moon will not line up perfectly in New Zealand so Kiwis will only witness a partial eclipse of the sun.

Pictures of the eclipse in Cairns, and then in Tauranga, will begin about 9am at Ferguson Park.

Adults will be charged $2 but children get in free.

Visique Greerton optometrist Keith Miller says people must not look directly at the sun during the eclipse without proper protection.

'You should never look at the sun without the correct filters.

'This is really important during a solar eclipse, the sun might be disappearing but you'll still be able to see its powerful rays – standard sunglasses simply won't cut the mustard,” says Keith.

Visique Greerton Optometrists donated a pair of protective glasses to each child in two classes at Gate Pa School in Tauranga, so they can view the eclipse safely tomorrow.

Keith will also present a vision and learning seminar teaching children how the eye works, how to protect it and how their eyes help them learn.

'80 per cent of UV damage to eyes is done before the age of 20, so UV protection is vital from a young age and the eclipse is a great opportunity to teach them how to look after their eyes,” says Keith.

The MetService is predicting fine weather for the Tauranga area tomorrow.

Media and communication meteorologist Daniel Corbett says this will hopefully enable good viewing of the partial solar eclipse.