Western Sydney total solar eclipse, 22 July 2028

Times across Western Sydney

See the suburb table. All totality begins between about 1:59:00 and 1:59:20 pm AEST.

Pick your local open space

You don't need to travel. Every Western Sydney suburb is in the path, and the north-west actually gets slightly longer totality than the CBD. Sports ovals, school grounds, parklands and reserves all work as long as there's nothing tall close by to the north-north-west. Check at 2 pm on a clear winter day: if you can see the Sun, you're set.

Bigger gatherings will form at the Western Sydney Parklands, Bungarribee Park, Mount Annan and the Penrith riverfront. Smaller local parks will be calmer and just as good.

North-west versus south-west

The path's centre line runs from Mudgee through Lithgow, the Hawkesbury and north-western Sydney. That's why Richmond, Rouse Hill and Castle Hill get 3 min 49 to 50 s, while Liverpool gets about 3 min 45 s and Camden about 3 min 24 s. Camden is closer to the southern edge. Everywhere is well inside the path, so the difference is seconds, not minutes.

Weather on your side

Western Sydney has a small edge on the coast in winter. Long-running stations at Prospect Reservoir and Richmond record about 7 cloudy July days on average, against nearly 9 at Observatory Hill. Morning fog in the river valleys is common but usually burns off well before the eclipse starts around 12:40 pm.

What you'll see in Western Sydney, minute by minute

Times are AEST for Blacktown.

1. 12:40:09 pmfirst contact over Blacktown. Put your glasses on and you'll see a small notch on the Sun's right-hand edge.
2. About 1:29 pmthe Sun is about 52% covered. Across backyards and sports ovals the light goes flat and slightly metallic, and the spots of sunlight under any tree become crescents.
3. About 1:44 pmabout 76% covered. The Cumberland Plain starts to look like late afternoon. Expect a chill in the air and quieter birds.
4. About 1:54 pmabout 93% covered. From high ground such as Sugarloaf Ridge you can watch the north-west sky over the plain darken as the shadow comes in at more than 4,000 km/h.
5. 1:59:11 pma diamond ring, then totality. Glasses stay on. The sky goes dark and the horizon right around the plain glows like sunset.
6. 2:03:00 pmthe second diamond ring, on the opposite edge. Glasses stay on.
7. 3:14:28 pmlast contact. The Moon moves clear and the eclipse is over for Western Sydney.

Where to look

Face north-north-west, bearing 328° true, and look about 29° up: that is where the Sun will be at totality. From Sugarloaf Ridge it sits over the Cumberland Plain. In a backyard or local park, the things to check are trees, houses and fences near you in that direction. Anything to your NNW blocks the Sun if it is closer than about 1.8 times its own height, so a 10 m tree needs at least 18 m of clear ground and a 20-storey tower (60 m) at least 110 m. On an open oval or the grassland at Bungarribee Park that is easy to find.

Backyard check: a tree or house to your NNW hides the Sun if it stands closer than about 1.8× its own height. For a 10 m tree that's 18 m; a 20-storey tower needs 110 m.

Crowds

Demand will be spread out. Most people will watch from local parks, sports grounds and backyards, which is a great option because totality is the same length up the street.

Where to watch in Western Sydney

Watching safely in Western Sydney

Whether you watch from a Blacktown backyard or the ridge at Abbotsbury, the rules are the same. Wear ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses for every second of the eclipse, from first contact to last contact, including the minutes of totality. Sunglasses, smoked glass and homemade filters will not protect your eyes, and a camera, binoculars or telescope is only safe with a proper solar filter on the front.

Times across the area

Times AEST, computed from JPL DE421 lunar ephemeris and cross-checked against NASA/Espenak Besselian elements. Camden and Campbelltown sit nearest the southern edge, where durations can change by 10 s or more over short distances.

Cloud, cold and crowds

July averages at Prospect Reservoir: 11.3 clear and 6.6 cloudy days. Western Sydney averages slightly fewer cloudy July days than the coast (Prospect 6.6, Richmond 7.2, vs Sydney 8.7). Winter morning fog in the river valleys usually clears by late morning. Afternoons are cool, with a July mean of 15.9°C at 3 pm, so dress for standing still on an oval.

With no harbour icons, most people will watch locally. The big draws will be elevated parkland ridges, the Western Sydney Parklands and the large botanic garden at Mount Annan.

Eclipse questions for Western Sydney

Buying for a group in Western Sydney

Western Sydney schools will need to run eclipse lessons and hand out glasses on Friday 21 July 2028 or earlier, because the eclipse falls on a Saturday. About 2.6 million people live across the Western Sydney councils, from Blacktown and Fairfield to Liverpool, Campbelltown and Camden, so demand will be high in the final weeks. Councils, sports clubs and venues planning events at places like Bungarribee Park or Mount Annan should budget one certified pair per person. For groups there are bulk cartons, fundraising boxes of 20 to 250 pairs for schools and clubs, and custom-branded glasses from 500 units, with an artwork proof before printing.

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

Other places on the path

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

← Back to the 2028 eclipse guide