Coonamble Total Solar Eclipse 2028

Coonamble, on the Castlereagh River north of Dubbo, gets 2 minutes 51 seconds of totality at 1:56 p.m. AEST, and towns a short drive south get almost a minute more.

By Mark Mayo, who has stood in the Moon's shadow at three total solar eclipses. Published 3 November 2026. Updated 3 November 2026.

Coonamble on 22 July 2028

Totality in central Coonamble lasts 2 minutes, 51 seconds, at about 1:56 p.m. AEST on 22 July 2028. The partial eclipse runs from 12:33 p.m. AEST to 3:12 p.m. AEST. Totality varies by less than five seconds across the 3 Coonamble sites measured below, so choose on sightline and access.

Coonamble's key decision: stay in town or drive south for more time?

Coonamble is near the northern edge of the path. Gulargambone and Quambone, under an hour away, gain 45 to 50 seconds.

Every measured site has a flat horizon; the showground gets 2m 54s.
Gulargambone (3m 36s) is 45 km south on the Castlereagh Highway.
Coonamble averages 12.7 clear and 6.8 cloudy July days (1965–2010).

Eclipse times in Coonamble

First contact: 12:33 p.m. AEST
Maximum: 1:56 p.m. AEST
End: 3:12 p.m. AEST
Totality: 2 minutes, 51 seconds
Magnitude: 1.008

In UTC on 22 July 2028: first contact 02:33, maximum 03:56, eclipse ends 05:12. Add to calendar (.ics)

At maximum eclipse, the Sun stands about 33 degrees above the north-northwest horizon as seen from Coonamble.

Coonamble in the path of totality

Coonamble lies only about 30 km inside the northern edge of the path, so its totality is short for this part of New South Wales. The three measured sites vary by four seconds, from 2 minutes 54 seconds at the showground to 2 minutes 50 at Lions Park. Gulargambone, 45 km south on the Castlereagh Highway, gets about 3 minutes 36 seconds, and Gilgandra, 95 km south, 3 minutes 52.

What you will see in the dark sky

During totality the sky over Coonamble darkens to deep twilight. Look for Mercury, 30 degrees up in the north-northwest, only 4 degrees from the eclipsed Sun; Jupiter, 47 degrees up in the northeast. From Coonamble the brightest stars likely to show are Sirius (west), Canopus (southwest), Alpha Centauri (southeast), Arcturus (east-northeast). From Coonamble, Venus is very low in the west-northwest, under 5 degrees up, too low to count on.

Planets and bright stars above Coonamble at maximum eclipse
Object	Height	Direction	Magnitude
Mercury	30°	north-northwest	-1.9
Jupiter	47°	northeast	-1.8
Sirius	46°	west	-1.5
Canopus	47°	southwest	-0.7
Alpha Centauri	35°	southeast	-0.3
Arcturus	9°	east-northeast	-0.1

Positions for Coonamble at 03:56:30 UTC, from JPL's DE421 ephemeris, listing objects brighter than magnitude +1 and at least 5 degrees up.

What makes Coonamble distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?

Coonamble was proclaimed as a town in 1861 on the Castlereagh River, which John Oxley named in 1818. Its heritage walk passes the old police station, now the museum, and the bridge over a river that is often dry in winter. Source.

3 Coonamble viewing sites, measured

The plains are flat: no measured site has a horizon above zero degrees toward the Sun, which is 33 degrees up. Any open ground in Coonamble works, so choose for toilets and parking, or drive south for more time.

Measured at each site for maximum eclipse, when the Sun is about 33° high at azimuth 331°.
Site	Totality	Terrain horizon toward Sun	Sun vs terrain	Ground
Coonamble Showground	2:54	-0.1°	Clear by 33°	185 m
Coonamble Sportsground	2:51	-0.0°	Clear by 33°	182 m
Lions Park, Castlereagh River	2:50	-0.1°	Clear by 33°	180 m

Each chart traces Coonamble's terrain 30° either side of azimuth 331°, where the Sun stands at maximum; it shows hills, not trees or buildings (how the sites were measured).

Coonamble Showground

The showground and rodeo arena on the south side of town, with the most room and the longest measured totality of the three sites. Facilities and access.
Coonamble Sportsground

The town sportsground near the centre, open and walkable from the main street. Facilities and access.
Lions Park, Castlereagh River

A riverside park on the heritage walk, close to the centre, with trees to find shade under between looks. Facilities and access.

July weather in Coonamble: the station record

The long-term July record at Coonamble Comparison shows 12.7 clear days, 3.4 eighths of the sky clouded at 3 p.m., 4.2 days with at least 1 mm of rain and a mean 3 p.m. temperature of 16.0°C.

An average July, from Bureau of Meteorology station records.
July	Coonamble Comparison
Clear days	12.7 days 45 yrs, 1965–2010
Cloudy days	6.8 days 45 yrs, 1965–2010
3 p.m. cloud cover	3.4 oktas 45 yrs, 1965–2010
9 a.m. cloud cover	2.6 oktas 94 yrs, 1907–2010
Days with 1 mm or more of rain	4.2 days 130 yrs, 1878–2010
Rainfall	36.0 mm 129 yrs, 1878–2010
Mean maximum	17.1°C 95 yrs, 1907–2010
Mean 3 p.m. temperature	16.0°C 42 yrs, 1968–2010
Mean minimum	3.7°C 94 yrs, 1907–2010
Days at or below 0°C	3.5 days 46 yrs, 1965–2010
Mean 3 p.m. wind	11.9 km/h 40 yrs, 1965–2010

Coonamble Comparison holds the town's long cloud record. Sources: Coonamble Comparison, whose averages describe past Julys rather than the sky on 22 July 2028.

Mean clear days in July, out of 31: Coonamble's station highlighted against the long-record station for each other totality town.

The easy upgrade: drive 45 minutes south to Gulargambone

Coonamble Comparison averages 12.7 clear and 6.8 cloudy July days over 45 years, about the same as Dubbo. The bigger gain is time: the Castlereagh Highway south to Gulargambone adds about 45 seconds of totality, and Quambone, 55 km west, about 50. Both are small villages, so take everything you need.

Eclipse day in Coonamble

First contact is at 12:33 p.m. AEST, totality runs from about 1:55 to 1:58 p.m. and the partial phase ends at 3:12 p.m. Winter afternoons are mild, around 17 degrees, after cold mornings.

Getting to Coonamble

Coonamble is about 160 km north of Dubbo on the Castlereagh Highway, through Gilgandra, and about 550 km from Sydney. Dubbo has the nearest airport and rail station.

Who Coonamble suits

Coonamble suits people who want a quiet country-town eclipse with services, and are happy to drive a little south on the morning. It is less suited to anyone who wants the longest totality without moving.

Safety in Coonamble

Watch for livestock and kangaroos on the Castlereagh Highway, especially if you drive in early. The river is often low in winter, but keep children back from the banks. See the eye safety guide.

Questions about Coonamble

Where is the best place to watch the eclipse in Coonamble?

Of the measured sites, Coonamble Showground has the longest totality, 2:54. The Sun clears the terrain at every Coonamble site measured, so trees, buildings and facilities decide the rest.

Why does Coonamble get less totality than Gilgandra?

Coonamble is about 30 km from the northern edge of the path, while Gilgandra is about 20 km from the centre line. Near the edge, totality shortens quickly.

Does Coonabarabran see totality?

Only just not: Coonabarabran, east of Coonamble, sees 99.99% of the Sun covered but no totality. Drive west or south into the path.

Nearby city guides

Compare Gilgandra, Dubbo, Brewarrina, or browse all city guides.

Sources

Coonamble's eclipse times are calculated from NASA GSFC Besselian elements (path table) and compared with the Astronomical Society of Australia's timing table. The Coonamble site horizons use the terrain model behind the visibility map, with coordinates from OpenStreetMap.