Dunedin Total Solar Eclipse 2028

Dunedin is a South Island totality city with a late-afternoon event and nearly three minutes of total phase at the city center.

By Mark Mayo, who has stood in the Moon's shadow at three total solar eclipses. Published 7 June 2026. Updated 28 October 2026.

Dunedin on 22 July 2028

Totality in Dunedin lasts 2 minutes, 51 seconds at the city centre, at about 4:17 p.m. NZST on 22 July 2028. The partial eclipse runs from 3:09 p.m. NZST to 5:20 p.m. NZST. Of the 5 sites measured below, Taieri Plain, Mosgiel to Outram has the longest totality, 2:51, against 2:45 at the shortest. From Blueskin Bay and Warrington, terrain hides the Sun.

Dunedin's key decision: coastal base or a clearer low western sightline?

Dunedin's totality occurs with the Sun very low, so a distant ridge or cloud bank matters more than a wide view overhead. Compare a safe city site with a pre-scouted alternative that changes both terrain and exposure toward the north-west.

Mount Cargill has the clearest measured horizon: the Sun is 8 degrees clear.
Avoid Warrington and the south-facing city beaches: hills hide the Sun from both.
Rehearse on a clear mid-July afternoon at 4:15 p.m.; the Sun will be in the same place.

Eclipse times in Dunedin

First contact: 3:09 p.m. NZST
Maximum: 4:17 p.m. NZST
End: 5:20 p.m. NZST
Totality: 2 minutes, 51 seconds
Magnitude: 1.022

In UTC on 22 July 2028: first contact 03:09, maximum 04:17, eclipse ends 05:20. Add to calendar (.ics)

At maximum eclipse, the Sun stands about 8 degrees above the northwest horizon as seen from Dunedin.

Dunedin in the path of totality

Dunedin gets about 2 minutes 51 seconds of totality at 4:17 p.m., with the Sun only about 8 degrees above the north-west horizon, the lowest of any city in this guide. Eight degrees is roughly a fist held at arm's length. The eclipse ends at about 5:20 p.m., right at sunset. Totality is almost identical across the city; horizon height is what separates good sites from blocked ones.

What makes Dunedin distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?

Dunedin's 2028 eclipse is unusually significant: Dr Ian Griffin, astronomer and director of Otago Museum, has stated that the last total solar eclipse visible from Dunedin was on 27 December 1163 - making 22 July 2028 the first here in more than 850 years. NASA's own eclipse catalogue confirms a total eclipse did occur on that December 1163 date. This site's history page examines what that record does, and does not, establish for Dunedin specifically. Source.

5 Dunedin viewing sites, measured

Five Dunedin sites were measured. Mount Cargill's summit is the clear winner: its horizon toward the Sun is 0.4 degrees, leaving 8 degrees to spare. Signal Hill (6.3 degrees clear), the Taieri Plain at Mosgiel (5.9) and Unity Park in Mornington (5.0) all work. Warrington, at Blueskin Bay, does not: hills 1.3 km to the north-west rise to 8.8 degrees and hide the Sun. The city's south-facing ocean beaches, such as St Clair, have the hill suburbs between them and the Sun.

Measured at each site for maximum eclipse, when the Sun is about 8° high at azimuth 310°.
Site	Totality	Terrain horizon toward Sun	Sun vs terrain	Ground
Mount Cargill summit	2:50	0.4°	Clear by 8°	636 m
Signal Hill high ground	2:51	2.1°	Clear by 6°	309 m
Unity Park, Mornington	2:51	3.4°	Clear by 5°	99 m
Taieri Plain, Mosgiel to Outram	2:51	2.6°	Clear by 6°	20 m
Blueskin Bay and Warrington	2:45	8.8°	Sun hidden by terrain	27 m

Each chart traces Dunedin's terrain 30° either side of azimuth 310°, where the Sun stands at maximum; it shows hills, not trees or buildings (how the sites were measured).

Mount Cargill summit

The 676 m summit north of the city, reached by a sealed road with a small car park and a Department of Conservation track. The measured horizon toward the Sun is 0.4 degrees, the clearest of any Dunedin site. Facilities and access.
Signal Hill high ground

A council lookout and reserve on Signal Hill Road, about 4 km from the Octagon. The measured horizon is 2.1 degrees, leaving the Sun about 6 degrees clear. Facilities and access.
Unity Park, Mornington

A council lookout and sports field in the hill suburbs. The measured horizon is 3.4 degrees, leaving the Sun 5 degrees clear. Facilities and access.
Taieri Plain, Mosgiel to Outram

Flat farmland west of the city, much of it private. Measured at Mosgiel, the horizon toward the Sun is 2.6 degrees, leaving about 6 degrees clear. Use a public reserve or ask the landowner. Facilities and access.
Blueskin Bay and Warrington

Warrington Domain is a designated camping area; its grassed vehicle area closes in wetter months. At the domain the hills to the north-west reach 8.8 degrees, above the 8.4-degree Sun: the Sun is hidden. Facilities and access.

July weather in Dunedin: the station record

The long-term July record at Dunedin (Musselburgh) shows 10 days with at least 1 mm of rain and a median 4 p.m. temperature of 9.3°C.

An average July, from NIWA (1981–2010 normals) station records.
July	Dunedin (Musselburgh)	Dunedin Airport (Momona)
Days with 1 mm or more of rain	10 days 30 yrs, 1981–2010	8 days 30 yrs, 1981–2010
Rainfall	57 mm 30 yrs, 1981–2010	46 mm 30 yrs, 1981–2010
Median 4 p.m. temperature	9.3°C 30 yrs, 1981–2010	–

Coastal suburban station; normals for 1981-2010. Inland Taieri Plain station, about 25 km south-west of the city. Sources: Dunedin (Musselburgh), Dunedin Airport (Momona), whose averages describe past Julys rather than the sky on 22 July 2028.

If cloud threatens Dunedin: coast or Taieri, decided by early afternoon

Keep two directions open. State Highway 1 south-west reaches Mosgiel and the Taieri Plain in 20 minutes if sea cloud covers the city, and the plain has open north-west horizons. Mount Cargill Road is narrow and the summit car park small, so go early or choose another site. Decide by early afternoon; the partial phase starts at 3:09 p.m. and winter daylight leaves no slack.

Eclipse day in Dunedin

Choose your hill early and get there early. Be in place before first contact at 3:09 p.m.; totality is at about 4:17 p.m. and darkness follows soon after. Rehearse on any clear mid-July afternoon at 4:15 p.m.: the Sun will be in almost exactly the same place, so you can check your horizon by eye.

Getting to Dunedin

Dunedin Airport, on the Taieri Plain, has flights from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, . The city has rooms in every price range and less ski-season pressure than Queenstown. Carry a torch: you will be leaving your site in twilight.

Who Dunedin suits

Dunedin suits visitors and locals who want South Island totality with urban services, accommodation depth, and less resort-season pressure than Queenstown, and who are willing to make horizon scouting the centrepiece of their planning. It rewards methodical people: the rehearsal trick works perfectly here. It is less suited to anyone wanting a stroll-out-the-door eclipse - the city's own hills work against casual viewing - or who cannot arrange mobility between the coast and the Taieri on the day.

Safety in Dunedin

The low Sun is the trap. Near the horizon it looks dim and orange, and people who would never stare at a midday Sun will be tempted to watch the partial phases unfiltered. Atmospheric dimming is not eye protection - filters stay on until totality begins, every time, even minutes before sunset. See the eye safety guide.

Questions about Dunedin

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

Of the sites measured on this page, Taieri Plain, Mosgiel to Outram has the longest totality, 2:51. The Sun clears the terrain from Mount Cargill summit, Signal Hill high ground, Unity Park, Mornington, Taieri Plain, Mosgiel to Outram; from Blueskin Bay and Warrington it is hidden.

Does the eclipse finish before sunset in Dunedin?

Only just. Totality ends at about 4:19 p.m. and the final partial phase ends at about 5:20 p.m., the same time the Sun sets on a sea-level horizon. From most sites, hills will hide the last few minutes.

Can I watch from St Clair or the other city beaches?

No. They face south and south-east, with the hill suburbs between them and the low north-west Sun. Use Mount Cargill, Signal Hill, Unity Park or the Taieri Plain.

Is Mount Cargill or the Taieri Plain the better choice?

Mount Cargill has the clearer horizon: 8 degrees of clearance against about 6 on the plain. The plain is quicker to reach and easier to move across if cloud shifts. Choose the summit for certainty and the plain for flexibility.

Nearby city guides

Compare Queenstown, Sydney, Auckland, or browse all city guides.

Sources

Eclipse times are calculated from NASA GSFC Besselian elements (path table) and compared with Timeanddate for Dunedin. The Dunedin site horizons use the terrain model behind the visibility map, with coordinates from OpenStreetMap. Circumstances shift measurably across Dunedin's spread-out terrain, and horizon altitude matters as much as clock time here. Verify your exact site's times and Sun position against the source page and a sun-position app.