Penrith total solar eclipse, 22 July 2028

Penrith eclipse times (AEST)

Eclipse begins 12:39:44 pm · Totality 1:58:54 pm to 2:02:40 pm (3 min 46 s) · Eclipse ends 3:14:17 pm.

Penrith versus the mountains

Many people will head up the Great Western Highway for the eclipse. From Penrith you don't need to. You'll get about 3 min 46 s here against about 3 min 29 s at Katoomba. July is also usually clearer on the plain, and you avoid a single-lane crawl up the mountains. If the forecast for the mountains is grim, expect visitors to come down to Penrith instead.

The riverfront on eclipse day

The Nepean riverfront has handled big crowds before. Penrith's Real Festival drew about 45,000 people to Tench Reserve over a weekend. Tench Reserve and Regatta Park face each other across the river, and both have open sky to the north-west. Penrith Lakes and the Regatta Centre are the biggest open spaces in the area if an official event is staged there.

Getting there

Penrith and Emu Plains stations are on the Blue Mountains Line, and both riverfront parks are walkable from them. Drivers should expect the M4 and Great Western Highway to be busy all morning. Arrive by noon to be set up before the eclipse starts at 12:40 pm.

Local spots worth knowing

Besides the riverfront and Penrith Lakes, any local oval or park with open sky to the north-north-west works. Emu Plains, Glenbrook and St Marys all get about 3 min 43 to 47 s. Avoid spots hemmed in by tall trees on their northern side, and check the view at 2 pm on a clear winter day beforehand. If you can see the Sun then, you're set.

What you'll see in Penrith, minute by minute

Times are AEST for Penrith CBD.

1. 12:39:44 pmfirst contact. Look through your glasses and you'll see a small notch on the right-hand edge of the Sun.
2. About 1:28 pmthe Sun is about 53% covered. Light on the river turns flat and slightly metallic, and the shade under trees along the riverbank fills with tiny crescents.
3. About 1:43 pmabout 76% covered. On the damp winter lawns by the Nepean the temperature falls, the light looks like late afternoon and birds may go quiet.
4. About 1:53 pmabout 93% covered. Look up-river past the Victoria Bridge towards Emu Plains: the sky there darkens as the Moon's shadow approaches at more than 4,000 km/h.
5. 1:58:54 pmthe diamond ring, then totality. Glasses stay on. The sky goes dark above the river and a sunset glow circles the horizon.
6. 2:02:40 pmthe second diamond ring flashes on the far side of the Moon. Glasses stay on.
7. 3:14:17 pmlast contact. The Moon leaves the Sun's disc and the eclipse ends.

Where to look

At totality the Sun is 29° up, bearing 328° true. Stand on the lawns at Tench Reserve and that is roughly up-river, over the Nepean towards the Victoria Bridge and Emu Plains, where the sky is open. The Blue Mountains escarpment to the west sits well below that height, so it won't get in the way. Away from the river the test is simple: anything to your NNW hides the Sun if it is closer than about 1.8 times its own height. A 10 m tree must be at least 18 m away, and a 20-storey tower (60 m) at least 110 m.

On a local oval, measure it out: to keep the Sun in view, anything to your NNW must be further away than about 1.8× its own height. That's 18 m for a 10 m tree and 110 m for a 20-storey tower.

Heading to the mountains?

Don't. Katoomba gets less totality (about 3 min 29 s) than Penrith, with worse winter cloud odds and a single highway in. Penrith is the better bet.

Eclipse times near Penrith

Times AEST, computed from JPL DE421 lunar ephemeris and cross-checked against NASA/Espenak Besselian elements. Penrith and its neighbours are deep inside the path; swings of 10 s or more in duration only happen close to the edges.

July weather in Penrith

Richmond RAAF (nearest long cloud record) averages 10.7 clear and 7.2 cloudy July days. Nepean valley fog is common on winter mornings but usually lifts by late morning. By mid-afternoon in July, Richmond averages 16.4°C.

Penrith's riverfront has proven big-crowd capacity: Real Festival drew about 45,000 people to Tench Reserve over two days in 2024. The Regatta Centre holds 30,000 (up to 50,000 with approval).

Where to watch in Penrith

Quick answers

Keeping your eyes safe

The eclipse phases in Penrith run from 12:39:44 pm to 1:58:54 pm and from 2:02:40 pm to 3:14:17 pm, with totality in between. For the whole eclipse, totality included, anyone watching needs ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses on. Never use sunglasses, smoked glass or homemade filters. If you bring a camera, binoculars or a telescope to the river, it needs a proper solar filter on the front.

For schools, clubs and venues

Because 22 July 2028 is a Saturday, Penrith schools, from St Marys to Emu Plains, will need to hand out glasses and teach eclipse safety on Friday 21 July 2028 or earlier. For a riverfront event at Tench Reserve or a large gathering at the Regatta Centre, budget one certified pair per person. Penrith has 217,664 residents, plus whoever comes down from the mountains if the forecast up there is poor, so expect high demand in the final weeks. Bulk cartons, fundraising boxes of 20 to 250 pairs and custom-branded glasses from 500 units (with an artwork proof before printing) are all available.

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

Guides for nearby towns

• Blue Mountains eclipse guide
• Katoomba eclipse guide
• The Hawkesbury eclipse guide
• Western Sydney eclipse guide
• Parramatta eclipse guide
• 2028 eclipse times across Australia
• Interactive eclipse map
• The 10 best places in Sydney to watch

← Back to the 2028 eclipse guide