Katoomba total solar eclipse, 22 July 2028

Katoomba eclipse times (AEST)

Eclipse begins 12:39:00 pm · Totality 1:58:31 pm to 2:02:00 pm (3 min 29 s) · Eclipse ends 3:13:58 pm.

Which lookout faces the Sun

Katoomba's famous lookouts mostly face south over the Jamison Valley, but the eclipsed Sun is in the north-north-west. At Echo Point you'll turn your back on the Three Sisters to watch totality. At Cahills Lookout the main and northern platforms face west and north over the Megalong Valley, towards the Sun's side of the sky. Narrow Neck gives you valley views on both sides.

Echo Point on eclipse day

Echo Point already gets 1.5 to 2 million visitors a year, and eclipse day will be one of its busiest ever. Expect crowd control and possible road closures. If you want space and quiet, try Cahills Lookout or Narrow Neck instead, or walk the Prince Henry Cliff Walk to a quieter lookout.

Train, don't drive

Katoomba station is about two hours from Central on the Blue Mountains Line, and it's about a 25-minute walk or a short shuttle to Echo Point. Driving means the Great Western Highway, which will be gridlocked from early morning. If the forecast for the mountains is poor, Penrith is an hour back down the line and gets about 3 min 46 s.

What you'll see in Katoomba, minute by minute

Times are AEST for Katoomba Echo Point.

1. 12:39:00 pmfirst contact. Echo Point is already crowded by now. Glasses on, and the first small bite shows on the Sun's right-hand edge, in the sky behind the platform.
2. About 1:28 pmthe Sun is about 53% covered. The light on the Three Sisters and across the Jamison Valley loses its contrast and takes on a dull, metallic tint, and under any tree on the escarpment the dappled shadows become small crescents.
3. About 1:43 pmabout 77% covered. At 1:43 pm it looks like late afternoon. Katoomba's July air, around 8°C to start with, gets colder, and birds in the valley below may go quiet.
4. About 1:53 pmabout 93% covered. Stand with your back to the Three Sisters and watch the north-west. That part of the sky darkens as the Moon's shadow races in at more than 4,000 km/h.
5. 1:58:31 pmthe diamond ring flashes and Katoomba goes into totality. Glasses stay on. The sky goes dark, and behind you the Three Sisters sit in sunset colours that run right round the horizon.
6. 2:02:00 pma second diamond ring breaks out on the other edge of the Moon. Glasses stay on.
7. 3:13:58 pmlast contact. The Moon leaves the Sun's edge and Katoomba's eclipse is over.

Where to look

Katoomba's totality Sun stands about 30° high in the north-north-west, on a bearing of 329° true. At Echo Point that puts it behind you, above the low visitor-centre buildings, so turn around when totality starts, then look back at the Jamison Valley glowing in sunset colours all around the horizon. At Cahills Lookout the smaller north-facing platform looks straight towards it. Wherever you stand, check for anything close on your NNW side. It will block the Sun if you are nearer than about 1.8 times its height, which means at least 18 m from a 10 m tree and at least 110 m from a 20-storey (60 m) tower.

At Scenic World or Echo Point, look for pines or buildings on your NNW side. Anything closer than about 1.8× its own height hides the Sun: that's 18 m for a 10 m tree and 110 m for a 20-storey tower.

Getting there

Take the train. The Great Western Hwy will be gridlocked from early morning, and Echo Point roads may close.

Where to watch in Katoomba

Watching safely in Katoomba

On the platform at Echo Point or Cahills Lookout, keep ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses on for every second of the eclipse, from first contact to last contact, including totality (1:58:31 pm at Echo Point). Do not rely on sunglasses, smoked glass or a homemade filter, and do not look through a camera, binoculars or a telescope unless a proper solar filter is fitted on the front.

Times across the area

Times AEST, computed from JPL DE421 lunar ephemeris and cross-checked against NASA/Espenak Besselian elements. Sites near a path edge can be out by 10 s or more, but Katoomba and its lookouts are nowhere near an edge.

Cloud, cold and crowds

Katoomba averages 8.0 clear and 9.9 cloudy July days, with a mean 3 pm temperature of 8.0°C. Mist and low cloud can sit on the escarpment. Have a plan B down the hill (Penrith, about 1 h by train).

Katoomba already handles 1.5 to 2 million visitors a year at Echo Point. On eclipse day, expect several times a normal peak Saturday: the town of about 8,000 could host 20,000 to 40,000.

Eclipse questions for Katoomba

Buying for a group in Katoomba

Katoomba's schools will need to hand out glasses and run their safety lessons by Friday 21 July 2028, since the eclipse is on a Saturday. The town has 8,268 residents, but on the day it could host 20,000 to 40,000 people. Accommodation hosts, venues, clubs and anyone running an event near Echo Point or Scenic World should plan on one certified pair per person and order early. For groups we supply bulk cartons, fundraising boxes of 20 to 250 pairs, and custom-branded glasses from 500 units, printed only after you approve an artwork proof.

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

Other places on the path

• The wider Blue Mountains eclipse guide
• Penrith eclipse guide
• Sydney eclipse guide
• Orange eclipse guide
• 2028 eclipse times across Australia
• Interactive eclipse map

← Back to the 2028 eclipse guide