Eclipse 2028 City Guides

Broome, Western Australia

Partial eclipse · begins 9:16 a.m. AWST · maximum 10:46 a.m. AWST · ends 12:19 p.m. AWST · magnitude 0.921

Broome gets one of the clearest-looking partial prospects in this guide, with the Moon covering most of the Sun before midday but no totality at the town center.

For viewers staying in Broome, the main planning constraint is heat and sun exposure rather than darkness. The event peaks in the late morning, so choose a shaded setup with an unobstructed northern sky and keep solar viewers that conform to ISO 12312-2 available throughout. Because the town is outside the central path, there is no safe naked-eye interval. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 48 degrees above the north-northeast horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Broome. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

If the goal is totality, Broome is not the endpoint. Treat it as a northwest gateway and confirm road distances, fuel, accommodation, and permits before building an itinerary toward the central path. Visitors who remain in town should still expect a striking partial event and should plan photography around filtered partial-phase images rather than corona shots.

Nearest totality guides: Bourke, Dubbo.

Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Partial eclipse · begins 11:21 a.m. ACST · maximum 12:53 p.m. ACST · ends 2:19 p.m. ACST · magnitude 0.954

Alice Springs sees a very deep partial phase near midday, close enough to the spectacle to reward careful planning but outside the city-center totality line.

At maximum, only a narrow fraction of the Sun remains uncovered from the city center. That can feel dramatic, but it is still partial, with continuous eye-protection requirements. Use the local timing as a planning anchor, then compare exact viewing coordinates against a path map if you intend to drive toward totality. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 46 degrees above the north horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Alice Springs. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

Long distances make this a logistics-first option. A move from Alice Springs toward totality may involve remote roads, limited services, and changing mobile coverage. Build a route with fuel margins, water, overnight stops, and a fallback site rather than choosing a last-minute pin on a map.

Nearest totality guides: Bourke.

Melbourne, Victoria

Partial eclipse · begins 12:32 p.m. AEST · maximum 1:52 p.m. AEST · ends 3:07 p.m. AEST · magnitude 0.844

Melbourne gets a deep partial phase, but the city is well south of the totality path and will not see the corona from the city center.

Melbourne's eclipse runs from 12:32 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. AEST, with maximum at 1:52 p.m., when the Moon covers roughly four-fifths of the Sun's area. Through solar viewers that conform to ISO 12312-2 that is a dramatic sight: a thick crescent Sun hanging about 29 degrees up in the north-northwest. What it is not is dark. At magnitude 0.844 the remaining sliver of Sun still floods the city with daylight, so expect a subtle greying of the afternoon and perhaps a slight chill, not twilight. Because 22 July 2028 falls on a Saturday, the early-afternoon timing suits family and community viewing without anyone needing time off. The essential caveat never changes: there is no moment in Melbourne when the glasses can come off. The Sun is never fully covered, so the entire two-and-a-half-hour event is filtered viewing from first bite to last, including the deepest minute of maximum. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 29 degrees above the north-northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Melbourne. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

The travel question is sharper for Melbourne than for any other Australian capital: stay for an 80 per cent partial under the country's worst July cloud odds, or commit to totality in New South Wales. The nearest well-serviced totality towns - Dubbo, Orange, and the central-west - sit a bit under 700 kilometres up the Newell Highway, seven to nine hours' driving depending on destination; Sydney is closer to nine hours by road or a short flight. Anyone who has stood in the Moon's shadow will tell you the gap between 80 per cent and 100 per cent is the gap between an interesting afternoon and the best sky event of your life. If that appeals, book accommodation early and travel a day or two ahead. If not, Melbourne's partial is still worth stepping outside for - with filters.

Nearest totality guides: Dubbo, Sydney.

Brisbane, Queensland

Partial eclipse · begins 12:41 p.m. AEST · maximum 2:01 p.m. AEST · ends 3:14 p.m. AEST · magnitude 0.845

Brisbane has a deep partial phase with a relatively favorable cloud-history figure, but the Moon's central shadow misses the city.

Brisbane's eclipse begins at 12:41 p.m. AEST and runs to 3:14 p.m., with maximum at 2:01 p.m. - the same clock minute as Sydney's maximum, which neatly illustrates what geography does. Sydney gets darkness and the corona; Brisbane, sitting well north-east of the path, gets a deep partial at magnitude 0.845, with roughly four-fifths of the Sun's area covered and a bright crescent left burning about 33 degrees up in the north-west. The subtropical winter afternoon will dim slightly and cool a touch at maximum - noticeable if you are paying attention, easy to miss if you are not. Filters stay on for the full two and a half hours, because there is no safe naked-eye moment in Brisbane at any stage. On the upside, 22 July 2028 is a Saturday, and Brisbane's mild, frequently sunny winter makes a relaxed outdoor afternoon event one of the easiest sells in the country. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 33 degrees above the northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Brisbane. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

Here is the heart of the Brisbane decision: the corona is one 90-minute flight or one long day's drive away. Flying to Sydney is the simple option - frequent services, big-city capacity at the far end, totality over the terminal itself. Driving south-west puts you in the path's inland reaches: Dubbo is around 850 kilometres and nine hours away, with the path's northern edge somewhat closer through north-western New South Wales. The drive buys weather flexibility - inland sites carry different cloud odds than the coast - at the cost of a serious winter road trip. Either way, decide early, because eclipse-week flights and path-town accommodation will not wait. Staying home is defensible only if totality genuinely does not interest you; from Brisbane it has rarely been this reachable.

Nearest totality guides: Sydney, Dubbo.

Adelaide, South Australia

Partial eclipse · begins 11:47 a.m. ACST · maximum 1:11 p.m. ACST · ends 2:29 p.m. ACST · magnitude 0.803

Adelaide sees a substantial partial phase around lunchtime, but totality remains well away from the city center.

The timing is convenient for a local public viewing event because it begins before noon and ends mid-afternoon. The city-center magnitude is high enough to be memorable through certified glasses, but all direct viewing must remain filtered. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 34 degrees above the north-northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Adelaide. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

Adelaide can serve as a departure point for inland plans, but distances to totality are significant. Build any road trip around rest stops, winter daylight, fuel, and accommodation. If the priority is certainty of totality, compare flying east or north with attempting a long drive.

Nearest totality guides: Dubbo.

Perth, Western Australia

Partial eclipse · begins 9:58 a.m. AWST · maximum 11:24 a.m. AWST · ends 12:51 p.m. AWST · magnitude 0.620

Perth sees a morning partial eclipse from the city center, useful for public viewing but well south of the totality path.

Perth's eclipse is a mid-morning event: first contact at 9:58 a.m. AWST, maximum at 11:24 a.m., and the last of the Moon gone by 12:51 p.m. At magnitude 0.620 the Moon covers about 62 per cent of the Sun's diameter - a little over half its area - with the Sun roughly 36 degrees up in the north-northeast. Be honest with expectations: without glasses, nothing will look different. Daylight at just-over-half coverage is indistinguishable from an ordinary morning, and the whole event passes unnoticed by anyone not deliberately looking. Through suitable solar viewers, though, it is a genuine and satisfying sight - a clean bite out of the Sun growing and then receding over almost three hours. Because 22 July is a Saturday, maximum lands mid-morning amid weekend sport and market hours, which makes casual community viewing easy to organise and easy to join. Filters stay on for every minute of it. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 36 degrees above the north-northeast horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Perth. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

No capital in this guide is further from totality than Perth. The path's only Western Australian landfall is over the remote far-north Kimberley, more than 2,000 kilometres away by road with minimal services - an expedition, not a weekend drive. For almost everyone the realistic totality route is a flight east: about four hours to Sydney, with the whole New South Wales path then within reach by road or rail. That makes the Perth decision the cleanest in the country. Either book flights and accommodation months out and treat 22 July 2028 as the anchor of an eastern-states winter trip, or settle in for a pleasant morning partial at home. There is no in-between option, and no last-minute fix if you change your mind in July.

Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Partial eclipse · begins 12:37 p.m. AEST · maximum 1:58 p.m. AEST · ends 3:20 p.m. AEST · magnitude 0.924

Canberra sees a deep partial eclipse near 2 p.m. AEST, but the central shadow misses the city center.

The partial phase will be obvious through proper filters, but it never becomes safe to view without eye protection from Canberra. Treat the city event as a long filtered-viewing session unless you travel into the totality path. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 29 degrees above the north-northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Canberra. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

For totality, compare road options north toward central New South Wales with travel to Sydney or other path towns. Build in winter daylight, traffic, fuel, and accommodation rather than planning a tight same-day dash.

Nearest totality guides: Orange, Sydney, Wollongong.

Newcastle, New South Wales

Partial eclipse · begins 12:39 p.m. AEST · maximum 2:00 p.m. AEST · ends 3:21 p.m. AEST · magnitude 0.997

Newcastle sits just north of the path of totality: NASA's path table puts the northern limit roughly 25km south of the city centre, so Newcastle sees a very deep partial eclipse rather than totality.

NASA's own path table for 22 July 2028 places the northern edge of the umbra at about 33.1 degrees south at Newcastle's longitude - the city centre, at 32.93 degrees south, sits just outside it. In practice that means well over 99% of the Sun's diameter will be covered at 2:00 p.m. AEST, producing a deep, eerie dusk without the corona, dark sky, or safe filters-off interval that full totality gives. Because the photosphere never fully disappears here, certified solar viewers must stay on for the entire event, including at maximum. Anyone who wants to see actual totality has a short drive: Sydney, Penrith, and Wollongong all sit comfortably inside the path and are under two hours away. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 30 degrees above the north-northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Newcastle. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

Expect demand from across the Hunter and Central Coast for the partial event itself, plus through-traffic from Novocastrians heading south on the M1 to reach genuine totality at Sydney, Penrith, or Wollongong. If staying in Newcastle, parking near Nobbys and Fort Scratchley will still be tight on the day; light rail and suburban trains handle the inner-city sites better than cars. If travelling south for totality, treat it as a full day trip: confirm the route, a fallback viewing site, and a late-morning departure well before eclipse-day congestion builds on the M1.

Nearest totality guides: Sydney, Penrith, Wollongong.

Hobart, Tasmania

Partial eclipse · begins 12:40 p.m. AEST · maximum 1:56 p.m. AEST · ends 3:07 p.m. AEST · magnitude 0.781

Hobart sees a deep partial eclipse in the early afternoon, with roughly three-quarters of the Sun covered, but Tasmania sits well south of the 2028 totality path.

From central Hobart the Moon covers about 73% of the Sun's area at maximum (magnitude 0.781), dimming the winter afternoon without bringing true darkness. Certified solar filters are required for the entire event, because the Sun is never fully covered and the partial phase is never safe to view with the naked eye. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 23 degrees above the north-northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Hobart. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

Reaching totality means leaving Tasmania for the central path that crosses inland New South Wales or the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. If you are staying in Hobart for the partial eclipse, pick a spot with a clear, open view toward the north and allow for cold weather and the low winter Sun.

Nearest totality guides: Sydney.

Uluru/Ayer's Rock, Northern Territory

Partial eclipse · begins 11:22 a.m. ACST · maximum 12:53 p.m. ACST · ends 2:25 p.m. ACST · magnitude 0.823

Uluru/Ayer's Rock sees a substantial partial eclipse around midday, but it is outside the city-center totality path.

The partial eclipse is significant but never total at the resort area. Keep suitable solar viewers on throughout and respect site rules, cultural restrictions, park access requirements, and designated viewing areas. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 44 degrees above the north horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Uluru/Ayer's Rock. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

This is a logistics-first location. Confirm accommodation, park passes, road conditions, fuel, water, communications, and emergency plans before building any eclipse itinerary around the region.

Wellington, Wellington

Partial eclipse · begins 3:12 p.m. NZST · maximum 4:19 p.m. NZST · ends 5:26 p.m. NZST · magnitude 0.850

Wellington sees a late-afternoon partial eclipse, with the totality path passing farther south across Aotearoa New Zealand's South Island.

The Sun remains partially visible throughout the event from Wellington, so suitable solar viewers must stay on the entire time. Because maximum occurs late in the day, choose a site with a clear western and northwestern outlook. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 8 degrees above the northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Wellington. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

For totality within Aotearoa New Zealand, compare South Island locations such as Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown. Ferries, flights, vehicles, and accommodation may tighten as eclipse travel increases.

Nearest totality guides: Dunedin, Queenstown.

Christchurch, Canterbury

Partial eclipse · begins 3:08 p.m. NZST · maximum 4:16 p.m. NZST · ends 5:25 p.m. NZST · magnitude 0.758

Christchurch sees a late-afternoon partial eclipse and is a practical South Island base for people comparing local viewing with travel toward totality.

The city center remains outside totality, so direct viewing needs suitable solar viewers throughout. Western horizon clearance matters because the event is late in the winter afternoon. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 9 degrees above the northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Christchurch. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

Christchurch has useful transport capacity for South Island eclipse planning. If totality is the priority, compare road and accommodation options toward Dunedin, Queenstown, or other path locations well before eclipse week.

Nearest totality guides: Dunedin, Queenstown.

Auckland, Auckland

Partial eclipse · begins 3:18 p.m. NZST · maximum 4:23 p.m. NZST · ends 5:23 p.m. NZST · magnitude 0.737

Auckland sees a late-afternoon partial phase, useful for public viewing but outside the South Island totality path.

Auckland's eclipse is a late-afternoon affair: first contact at 3:18 p.m. NZST, maximum at 4:23 p.m., and the final phase ending at 5:23 p.m. with the Sun sitting almost on the horizon. At magnitude 0.737 the Moon covers nearly three-quarters of the Sun's diameter - about two-thirds of its area - but the defining constraint is not depth, it is altitude. At maximum the Sun hangs only about 10 degrees above the north-west horizon, low enough for ridgelines, buildings, and even distant cloud banks to hide it entirely; a carelessly chosen spot sees nothing at all. Winter daylight will be fading through the event anyway as sunset approaches, which muddies the already-subtle dimming a partial produces. Through suitable solar viewers, the sight of a deeply eclipsed Sun sinking toward the Waitematā is genuinely striking - but only from a site with a clean, low north-west line, and only with the filters on throughout. At maximum eclipse the Sun stands about 10 degrees above the northwest horizon.

This site does not publish a comparable named-station cloud series for Auckland. Use the documented BOM station comparison as limited background only, then use current official forecasts, warnings, satellite imagery, and safe local access information.

For eclipse watchers across Aotearoa New Zealand this is the decision of a generation: totality crosses your own South Island, with Dunedin and Queenstown both inside the path around 4:16 p.m. Flights from Auckland reach either in under two hours, which makes flying the obvious route - provided seats are booked long before eclipse winter, because capacity to Queenstown in ski season is tight in an ordinary July, never mind this one. The overland alternative - driving to Wellington, the Cook Strait ferry, then the long run south - takes two full days each way and needs winter-driving margin, but it turns the trip into a proper holiday and gives you a car to dodge cloud with. Staying in Auckland means a low, filtered three-quarter partial. Going south means the corona over Otago.

Nearest totality guides: Dunedin, Queenstown, Sydney.