Bathurst Total Solar Eclipse 2028
Bathurst gets about 3 minutes of totality at 1:59 p.m. AEST, with the Sun 30 degrees up in the north-north-west, and it is the largest inland city in the path.
Bathurst on 22 July 2028
Totality in central Bathurst lasts 2 minutes, 59 seconds, at about 1:59 p.m. AEST on 22 July 2028. The partial eclipse runs from 12:37 p.m. AEST to 3:13 p.m. AEST. Of the 3 sites measured below, Bathurst Showground has the longest totality, 3:01, against 2:48 at the shortest.
Bathurst's key decision: Mount Panorama's view or the full three minutes in town?
Bathurst is the largest inland city in the path, but it is near the southern edge and has one of the cloudiest July records here. Watch from town for the full three minutes, or head north toward Mudgee for more time and better odds.
- McPhillamy Park on Mount Panorama gets 2m 48s; the showground 3m 01s.
- Bathurst Ag Station averages 6.6 clear and 11.2 cloudy July days.
- Mudgee (3m 54s) and Lithgow (3m 39s) are within two hours.
Eclipse times in Bathurst
- First contact
- Maximum
- End
- Totality
- 2 minutes, 59 seconds
- Magnitude
- 1.009
In UTC on 22 July 2028: first contact 02:37, maximum 03:59, eclipse ends 05:13. Add to calendar (.ics)
Bathurst in the path of totality
Bathurst sits about 33 km inside the southern edge of the path, so totality grows to the north. The showground measures 3 minutes 1 second and Machattie Park 2 minutes 59 seconds, but McPhillamy Park on top of Mount Panorama gets only 2 minutes 48 seconds, because the mountain lies south-west of town, toward the edge. Lithgow, 60 km east, gets about 3 minutes 39 seconds, and Mudgee, about two hours north, about 3 minutes 54 seconds.
What you will see in the dark sky
During totality the sky over Bathurst darkens to deep twilight. Look for Mercury, 27 degrees up in the north-northwest, only 4 degrees from the eclipsed Sun; Jupiter, 46 degrees up in the northeast. From Bathurst the brightest stars likely to show are Sirius (west), Canopus (southwest), Alpha Centauri (southeast), Arcturus (east-northeast). From Bathurst, Venus is very low in the west-northwest, under 5 degrees up, too low to count on.
| Object | Height | Direction | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 27° | north-northwest | -1.9 |
| Jupiter | 46° | northeast | -1.8 |
| Sirius | 44° | west | -1.5 |
| Canopus | 48° | southwest | -0.7 |
| Alpha Centauri | 38° | southeast | -0.3 |
| Arcturus | 9° | east-northeast | -0.1 |
What makes Bathurst distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?
Bathurst Regional Council is planning an eclipse weekend with talks and themed screenings, has suggested Mount Panorama as a place to gather, and expects the city to be fully booked. The owner of the Bathurst Observatory reported calls from the United States from people wanting to book. Source.
3 Bathurst viewing sites, measured
Terrain is not the issue: every measured site has a horizon of 1.2 degrees toward the Sun, which is 29 degrees clear. The trade-off is between the famous mountain and the extra time in town. Mount Panorama gives a view over the city but costs 13 seconds; the showground and Machattie Park keep the full three minutes and are walkable from the centre.
| Site | Totality | Terrain horizon toward Sun | Sun vs terrain | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McPhillamy Park, Mount Panorama | 2:48 | 1.2° | Clear by 29° | 864 m |
| Bathurst Showground | 3:01 | 1.2° | Clear by 29° | 653 m |
| Machattie Park | 2:59 | 1.2° | Clear by 29° | 675 m |
Each chart traces Bathurst's terrain 30° either side of azimuth 330°, where the Sun stands at maximum; it shows hills, not trees or buildings (how the sites were measured).
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McPhillamy Park, Mount Panorama
The park and lookout at the top of Mount Panorama/Wahluu, about 15 minutes from town, with views over the Central West. The council has suggested the mountain as a gathering place, so expect crowds. Facilities and access.
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Bathurst Showground
Large open grounds on the north-east side of the centre, with the longest measured totality of the three sites. Facilities and access.
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Machattie Park
The Victorian park in the city centre, laid out in 1890 on the site of the old gaol, with mature trees: pick an open lawn with a clear view north-north-west. Facilities and access.
July weather in Bathurst: the station record
The long-term July record at Bathurst Ag Station Comparison shows 6.6 clear days, 4.5 eighths of the sky clouded at 3 p.m., 7 days with at least 1 mm of rain and a mean 3 p.m. temperature of 10.5°C.
| July | Bathurst Ag Station Comparison |
|---|---|
| Clear days | 6.6 days 37 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| Cloudy days | 11.2 days 37 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| 3 p.m. cloud cover | 4.5 oktas 37 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| 9 a.m. cloud cover | 4.4 oktas 89 yrs, 1909–2011 |
| Days with 1 mm or more of rain | 7.0 days 116 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Rainfall | 47.8 mm 117 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Mean maximum | 11.3°C 109 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Mean 3 p.m. temperature | 10.5°C 37 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| Mean minimum | 0.6°C 113 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Days at or below 0°C | 12.9 days 118 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Mean 3 p.m. wind | 9.0 km/h 34 yrs, 1969–2010 |
The Agricultural Station on the city's edge holds Bathurst's long clear-day record. Sources: Bathurst Ag Station Comparison, whose averages describe past Julys rather than the sky on 22 July 2028.
If cloud threatens Bathurst: go north toward Mudgee, decided the evening before
Bathurst has one of the cloudiest July records on the path: the Agricultural Station averages 6.6 clear and 11.2 cloudy July days, and satellite records show cloud increasing toward the Great Dividing Range. If the forecast shows a cloud band over the tablelands, the Castlereagh Highway north toward Mudgee gains both time and distance from the ranges. Make the call the evening before; Mudgee is about two hours away and will have its own crowds.
Eclipse day in Bathurst
First contact is at 12:37 p.m. AEST, totality runs from about 1:57 to 2:00 p.m. and the partial phase ends at 3:13 p.m. Mornings are often frosty and foggy, but the eclipse is in the early afternoon. Dress for a maximum around 11 degrees, which will feel colder as the light drops.
Getting to Bathurst
Bathurst is about 200 km and three hours west of Sydney on the Great Western Highway, which crosses the Blue Mountains and will be very busy on eclipse weekend. NSW TrainLink runs trains and coaches from Sydney. Orange is 55 km further west, and Lithgow, 60 km east, is also in the path.
Who Bathurst suits
Bathurst suits people who want a large regional city with hotels, restaurants and events, within a morning's drive of Sydney. It is less suited to anyone whose priority is clear-sky odds or the longest totality; Mudgee and the plains further north-west do better on both.
Safety in Bathurst
The hazards are winter roads and crowds: ice and fog are common on the tablelands on July mornings, and the Great Western Highway will be congested. If you go up Mount Panorama, remember it is a public road with traffic. See the eye safety guide.
Questions about Bathurst
Where is the best place to watch the eclipse in Bathurst?
Of the measured sites, Bathurst Showground has the longest totality, 3:01. The Sun clears the terrain at every Bathurst site measured, so trees, buildings and facilities decide the rest.
Is Mount Panorama a good place to watch the eclipse?
It is a good view, but it gets 2 minutes 48 seconds of totality against about 3 minutes in town, because the mountain is closer to the southern edge of the path. The council has suggested it as a gathering place, so expect crowds and traffic.
Where is the nearest longer totality to Bathurst?
Lithgow, 60 km east, gets about 3 minutes 39 seconds, and Mudgee, about two hours north, about 3 minutes 54 seconds.
Further reading
- Inland NSW road trip
- First-timer's eclipse plan
- Eclipse weather strategy
- Build your eclipse-day plan — turn Bathurst's contact times and your fallback route into a printable checklist.
Nearby city guides
Compare Orange, Katoomba, Penrith, or browse all city guides.
Sources
Bathurst's eclipse times are calculated from NASA GSFC Besselian elements (path table) and compared with the Astronomical Society of Australia's timing table. The Bathurst site horizons use the terrain model behind the visibility map, with coordinates from OpenStreetMap.