A total solar eclipse will be seen along a strip about 200 kilometres wide that will cross the top of the Northern Territory, Queensland and the Coral Sea.

The rest of the country will see a partial eclipse.

In Tasmania people will be able to view the partial eclipse from 7.25am to 9.06am - give or take a minute.

Launceston Planetarium manager Martin George said he was looking forward to the relatively rare opportunity to view the eclipse.

"In terms of viewing the eclipse, it makes very little difference as to where you are in Tasmania as you will only see about 47 per cent of the sun covered by the moon," Mr George said.

He said a total eclipse occurred relatively regularly somewhere in the world but it would not be seen in the same location, in this case across the top of Australia, for another 400 years.

He said all keen eclipse watchers should be hoping for clear skies so it could be properly viewed.

Regardless of what some people thought, Mr Martin said if there was cloud coverage astronomers would not be able to see the eclipse either.

•People can view the partial eclipse on a big screen at the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Inveresk, at the river end of the car park, from 7.45am.