Hawkesbury total solar eclipse, 22 July 2028

Hawkesbury eclipse times (AEST)

Eclipse begins 12:39:53 pm · Totality 1:59:01 pm to 2:02:51 pm · Eclipse ends 3:14:24 pm.

Why the Hawkesbury is a sweet spot

The Hawkesbury sits right under the path's centre line, so Windsor, Richmond, North Richmond and Kurrajong get about 3 min 50 s, a little more than the CBD. Add open river flats, historic towns and less crowding than the Harbour, and it's one of the best places in Greater Sydney to watch.

Fog, frost and timing

Winter mornings on the Hawkesbury floodplain can be foggy and frosty, but fog usually lifts by late morning, well before the eclipse starts at 12:40 pm. Bring layers: the temperature can drop a few degrees as totality approaches. Bilpin and Kurrajong Heights sit higher and are often above the morning fog.

Getting there

Windsor, Clarendon and Richmond are on the T1 Richmond line, so you can leave the car at home. Drivers coming from the Hills should allow extra time on Windsor Road. Wisemans Ferry relies on the vehicle ferry, so expect queues on the day.

Picking your spot in the Hawkesbury

For river views and space, Governor Phillip Park at Windsor and the riverside reserves around Richmond and North Richmond are easy picks. For history, Ebenezer Church, Australia's oldest surviving church, sits above the river flats. If you'd like to be above any lingering fog, Kurrajong Heights and Bilpin on the Bells Line of Road get the same 3 min 50 s with wide views. Downriver, Wisemans Ferry and St Albans are quieter but get slightly shorter totality (about 3 min 31 to 37 s).

What you'll see in Hawkesbury, minute by minute

Times are AEST for Windsor.

1. 12:39:53 pmfirst contact. Through your glasses at Governor Phillip Park, the first small bite shows on the right-hand edge of the Sun. Glasses on.
2. About 1:29 pmthe Sun is about 53% covered. The light over the Windsor river flats goes flat and slightly metallic, and gaps in the riverside trees throw small crescents on the grass.
3. About 1:44 pmabout 76% covered. Out on the floodplain it now feels more like late afternoon than 1:44 pm. The air cools, and birds along the river may fall quiet.
4. About 1:54 pmabout 93% covered. From the riverbank, watch the north-western sky darken as the Moon's shadow comes in at more than 4,000 km/h.
5. 1:59:01 pmone last point of light, the diamond ring, and then Windsor goes into totality. Glasses stay on. The sky goes dark, and all round the horizon it glows like sunset.
6. 2:02:51 pmsunlight breaks through on the opposite edge as a second diamond ring. Glasses stay on.
7. 3:14:24 pmlast contact. The Moon clears the Sun's edge and the eclipse over the Hawkesbury is finished.

Where to look

When Windsor goes dark the Sun is about 29° up in the north-north-west, on a bearing of 328° true, roughly a third of the way from the horizon to overhead. On the open river flats at Governor Phillip Park or the Clarendon showground that is an easy line to keep clear. Check the trees and buildings on your north-north-west side instead: any one of them hides the Sun if you stand closer than about 1.8 times its height. Keep at least 18 m back from a 10 m tree, and at least 110 m from a 20-storey (60 m) building.

On the river flats, check the trees on your NNW side. One will hide the Sun if you're closer than about 1.8× its own height, so give a 10 m tree 18 m of space, and a 20-storey tower 110 m.

Where to watch in Hawkesbury

Eclipse times around the Hawkesbury

Times AEST, computed from JPL DE421 lunar ephemeris and cross-checked against NASA/Espenak Besselian elements. The Hawkesbury sits near the centre line, so these figures are steady; it is places close to the path edges where durations can shift by 10 s or more.

Weather odds and crowds

Richmond RAAF averages 10.7 clear and 7.2 cloudy July days, a little better than the coast. Winter fog on the Hawkesbury floodplain is common at dawn but normally lifts by late morning, so it's unlikely to affect a 2 pm eclipse. (Mean 3 pm temperature in July: 16.4°C.)

Expect Hills District and North-West Sydney residents to come out for the longest totality in Greater Sydney, plus river and rural scenery. Riverside reserves and the showground will be the hubs.

Eye safety

From 12:39:53 pm until 3:14:24 pm, keep ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses on for every second. In Windsor they stay on from first contact to last contact, including the minutes of totality. Sunglasses, smoked glass and homemade filters are not safe. Nor is a camera, binoculars or a telescope unless it has a proper solar filter on the front.

For schools, councils and businesses in the Hawkesbury

With the eclipse on a Saturday, schools from Windsor and Richmond out to Kurrajong and Wisemans Ferry will need to hand out glasses and run safety lessons by Friday 21 July 2028. Anyone planning a viewing day, whether at the Hawkesbury Showground, a riverside reserve or a church hall, should allow one certified pair per person. The Hawkesbury has about 67,000 residents and will draw visitors from the Hills and North-West Sydney, so stock will be tight in the last few weeks. For larger orders there are bulk cartons, fundraising boxes of 20 to 250 pairs, and custom-branded glasses from 500 units, with an artwork proof before anything is printed.

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

FAQ

More eclipse guides nearby

• Penrith eclipse guide
• Blue Mountains eclipse guide
• Western Sydney eclipse guide
• Central Coast eclipse guide
• 2028 eclipse times across Australia
• Interactive eclipse map
• The 10 best places in Sydney to watch

← Back to the 2028 eclipse guide