Dubbo total solar eclipse, 22 July 2028

Dubbo eclipse times (AEST)

Eclipse begins 12:34:39 pm · Totality 1:55:27 pm to 1:59:17 pm (3 min 50 s) · Maximum 1:57:22 pm · Eclipse ends 3:12:24 pm.

Why Dubbo is a top pick

Dubbo combines near-maximum totality (about 3 min 50 s), drier inland skies (11.5 clear days in an average July, against 7 in Orange) and the services of a regional city: flights, NSW TrainLink XPT services from Sydney, motels and big open spaces. Expect it to be one of the most popular eclipse destinations in Australia.

Where to stay if Dubbo is full

Surrounding towns are also in the path with similar totality. Wellington gets about 3 min 46 s, Gilgandra about 3 min 51 s, and Narromine and Mudgee are well inside the path too. Farm stays and campgrounds will be popular, so book early. If you're driving in on the day, aim to arrive by late morning.

Beyond the three minutes

Make it an astronomy weekend. Dubbo Observatory runs night-sky tours, and the Warrumbungles, Australia's first Dark Sky Park, are under two hours north. The western-plains sky on the nights either side of the eclipse is a highlight in itself.

Getting there

Dubbo is about five hours from Sydney by car via the Great Western and Mitchell highways, with the Newell Highway bringing traffic from Victoria and Queensland. NSW TrainLink's XPT runs from Sydney, and Dubbo's airport has regular flights. Aim to arrive on Friday. Highways into town will be busy on Saturday morning, and the eclipse starts at about 12:35 pm, a few minutes earlier than in Sydney.

What you'll see in Dubbo, minute by minute

Times are AEST for Dubbo CBD.

1. 12:34:39 pmfirst contact. From the Showground or the river foreshore, you will see the Moon start to cut into the right-hand edge of the Sun. Glasses on.
2. About 1:25 pmthe Sun is about 54% covered. Under any tree along the Macquarie, the gaps in the leaves throw small crescent shapes on the ground, and the midday light over the plains turns flat and faintly metallic.
3. About 1:40 pmabout 77% covered. A Dubbo July afternoon only averages 14.3°C at 3 pm, and now the air starts to cool noticeably. Birds may go quiet, and at the zoo the animals may start reacting to the fading light.
4. About 1:50 pmabout 93% covered. Watch the north-west horizon across the flat country. That part of the sky goes dark first, as the Moon's shadow comes towards Dubbo at more than 4,000 km/h.
5. 1:55:27 pma diamond ring flashes and totality begins. Glasses stay on. The sky goes dark, and all round the low western-plains horizon it takes on sunset colours.
6. 1:59:17 pmsunlight breaks through on the opposite edge of the Moon in a second diamond ring. Glasses stay on.
7. 3:12:24 pmlast contact. The Moon clears the edge of the Sun and the eclipse is over for Dubbo.

Where to look

From Dubbo, face north-north-west (bearing 331° true) and look about 32° up, roughly a third of the way from the horizon to overhead. The country around Dubbo is flat, so the things most likely to get in the way are nearby trees and buildings. As a guide, anything to your NNW will hide the Sun if you are closer to it than about 1.8 times its height: stand at least 18 m back from a 10 m tree, and at least 110 m from a 20-storey (60 m) building. The open arenas at the Showground and the lawns and river flats at Elizabeth Park give you that room.

On the river flats or at the Showground, keep any tree or building to your NNW at least 1.8× its own height away. For a 10 m tree that is 18 m, and for a 20-storey tower, 110 m.

Plan ahead

Accommodation will book out. Consider camping, a farm stay or staying in Wellington, Narromine or Gilgandra (all inside the path). Arrive Friday; the highways will be busy on Saturday morning.

Where to watch in Dubbo

Watching safely in Dubbo

In Dubbo the eclipse phases run from 12:34:39 pm to 1:55:27 pm and again from 1:59:17 pm to 3:12:24 pm, with totality in between, and ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses need to be on for every second of the whole eclipse, totality included. Sunglasses, smoked glass and homemade filters are not safe. A camera, binoculars or telescope needs a proper solar filter on the front before you look through it.

Times across the area

Times AEST, computed from JPL DE421 lunar ephemeris and cross-checked against NASA/Espenak Besselian elements. Figures for towns further from the centre line, such as Coonamble, should be treated as approximate: close to the path edges, durations can shift by 10 s or more.

Cloud, cold and crowds

Dubbo averages 11.5 clear July days, with low rainfall (about 44 mm). Inland air is drier than the coast or tablelands. Mornings are frosty (mean minimum about 3°C) but afternoons reach about 14 to 15°C. (Mean 3 pm temperature in July: 14.3°C.)

Dubbo is the largest inland city near the centre line, with good weather odds, an airport, rail and a major zoo, so it will be one of the top eclipse destinations in Australia. Plan for 20,000 to 60,000 visitors and sold-out accommodation.

Eclipse questions for Dubbo

Buying for a group in Dubbo

Because 22 July 2028 is a Saturday, Dubbo schools, and those in Wellington, Narromine and Gilgandra, will need to give out glasses and teach eclipse safety by Friday 21 July 2028. Anyone running a viewing at the Showground, a club, a caravan park or a motel should allow one certified pair for each person there. Dubbo has 54,922 residents before 20,000 to 60,000 visitors arrive, so stock will be tight in the final weeks. For larger orders we offer bulk cartons, fundraising boxes of 20 to 250 pairs for schools and clubs, and custom-branded glasses from 500 units, with an artwork proof sent before anything is printed.

• Bulk & wholesale
• Custom-branded glasses
• School & club fundraising
• Eclipse safety plan for schools

Other places on the path

• Orange eclipse guide
• The whole NSW path eclipse guide
• Upper Hunter eclipse guide
• Blue Mountains eclipse guide
• 2028 eclipse times across Australia
• Interactive eclipse map

← Back to the 2028 eclipse guide