Sydney total solar eclipse, 22 July 2028

Sydney eclipse times (AEST)

Eclipse begins 12:40:46 pm · Totality 1:59:37 pm to 2:03:26 pm (3 min 48 s) · Maximum 2:01:32 pm · Eclipse ends 3:14:43 pm. Times shift by a few seconds across the city; see the suburb table.

Harbour or your local park?

Totality lasts within a few seconds of 3 min 48 s everywhere from Parramatta to Bondi, so the Harbour isn't longer, just more iconic. If you want the Opera House and Bridge in the frame, commit to a foreshore spot and get there early. If you'd rather have room to spread out, a local oval or park with open sky to the north-west gives you the same totality without the crowds.

Northern beaches and Hills District residents get almost exactly the same duration. Palm Beach is the one notable exception at about 3 min 34 s, because it's closer to the path's northern edge.

Getting there on the day

Leave the car at home. Sydney Trains, the Metro (Barangaroo station is a short walk to Barangaroo Reserve), ferries and the L2/L3 light rail all serve the main foreshore sites. Expect special event timetables if the city runs official viewing areas, and plan your trip home too: everyone will leave at once at about 3:15 pm when the eclipse ends.

If the forecast looks cloudy

Sydney's winter cloud is often patchy. In 26 years of satellite records for 22 July, about a third of days were clear, five were overcast and the rest had gaps. A westerly wind usually means clearer skies. If a band of coastal cloud is forecast, the western suburbs (Penrith, Richmond, Campbelltown) often sit just beyond it and still get 3.5+ minutes of totality.

What you'll see in Sydney, minute by minute

Times are AEST for Sydney CBD (Town Hall).

1. 12:40:46 pmfirst contact. Through your glasses the Sun shows a small notch on its right-hand edge. Nothing else on the foreshore changes yet.
2. About 1:29 pmthe Sun is about 52% covered. Light on the harbour goes flat and slightly metallic, and under the Botanic Garden trees the dappled shadows turn into small crescents.
3. About 1:44 pmabout 76% covered. It is not yet quarter to two, but the foreshore light looks like late afternoon, the air cools and birds may go quiet.
4. About 1:54 pmabout 93% covered. Look past the Bridge to the north-west: that part of the sky darkens first as the Moon's shadow races in at more than 4,000 km/h.
5. 1:59:37 pma last bright point of sunlight, the diamond ring, then totality. Glasses stay on. Seen from Mrs Macquaries Point, the eclipsed Sun sits up and to the right of the Bridge, over Kirribilli. The sky goes dark and a sunset glow runs right around the horizon.
6. 2:03:26 pmthe second diamond ring flashes on the opposite side of the Moon. Glasses stay on.
7. 3:14:43 pmlast contact. The Moon clears the Sun's edge and the eclipse is over, right about when the foreshore crowds start heading for the trains and ferries.

Where to look

Totality puts the Sun about 29° up in the north-north-west, on a bearing of 328° true. From Mrs Macquaries Point that is up and to the right of the Bridge arch, over Kirribilli. An ocean view doesn't matter; open sky in that one direction does, and in the city the towers are what usually take it away. Anything to your NNW hides the Sun if it is closer than about 1.8 times its own height, so a 20-storey tower (60 m) needs to be at least 110 m away and a 10 m tree at least 18 m. That is why the harbour sites that work, like Barangaroo Reserve, look north-west over water with the CBD behind you.

Near the CBD, check the towers: anything to your NNW hides the Sun if it's closer than about 1.8× its own height. A 20-storey tower needs 110 m of clear space, a 10 m tree 18 m.

The best spots

For the iconic shot, choose foreshore sites on the south and west of the harbour that look north-west over water: Mrs Macquaries Point, Observatory Hill, Barangaroo Reserve and Nielsen Park. For space and an easy day with kids, pick a big park like Centennial Park. Totality is the same length across the city, so you can stay local.

Crowds and transport

Expect NYE-style crowds at the harbour icons, with vantage points filling by late morning and closing when full. Use trains, Metro, ferries and light rail, and don't plan on parking near the foreshore. It's a Saturday, so bring warm layers. The temperature dips during totality.

Where to watch in Sydney

Eclipse times around Sydney

Times AEST, computed from JPL DE421 lunar ephemeris and cross-checked against NASA/Espenak Besselian elements. Out towards the path edge, as at Palm Beach, a short move can change the duration by 10 s or more.

Weather odds and crowds

Satellite records for 22 July from 2000 to 2025 (Eclipsophile): 9 clear, 12 with openings, 5 overcast. Cloud is often patchy across the city, so a westerly-wind day is the best bet. Mean 3 pm temperature in July is 16.4°C, but expect it to drop a few degrees during totality.

Every Sydneysider is in the path, so demand spreads across thousands of parks. The Harbour icons will reach NYE-style capacity, because the 'eclipse over the Opera House and Bridge' image is what every visitor and broadcaster will want. Expect foreshore vantage points to fill by late morning and some to close when full.

Eye safety

From first contact at 12:40:46 pm to last contact at 3:14:43 pm, keep ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses on for the whole eclipse, including the minutes of totality from 1:59:37 pm to 2:03:26 pm. Sunglasses, smoked glass and homemade filters are not safe. A camera, binoculars or a telescope, including any telescope at Observatory Hill, needs a proper solar filter on the front before you look through it.

For schools, councils and businesses in Sydney

Saturday 22 July 2028 is not a school day, so Sydney schools will need to hand out glasses and run safety lessons on Friday 21 July 2028 or earlier. Anyone hosting a viewing, from a harbourside venue in the CBD to a council park in Hornsby, Sutherland or Liverpool, should plan on one certified pair per guest. All 5.23 million Sydneysiders are in the path, so demand will be high in the final weeks. For groups we supply 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 printing.

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

FAQ

More eclipse guides nearby

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

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