A total solar eclipse occurred on May 9, 1910.^[1][2][3] A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partly obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. Totality was visible from part of Wilkes Land in Antarctica and Tasmania in Australia.

Except for Antarctica, the only land covered by the path of totality was the central and southern parts of Tasmania. The eclipse occurred in winter when Tasmania is usually rainy with bad observation conditions. However, British pioneer aviator Francis McClean still organized and led a team to Port Davey on the southwestern coast of Tasmania, but in the end failed to make observations due to rainy weather. In addition, observations on Bruny Island, southeast of Tasmania also failed due to the weather. Zeehan and Strahan on the west coast of Tasmania were clear during the partial phase, but had poor weather during the total phase. Queenstown, located slightly inland, was one of the few places where the entire process of the eclipse was seen. Some observers took images of the corona there.^[4][5]