Gilgandra Total Solar Eclipse 2028

Gilgandra, at the junction of the Newell, Oxley and Castlereagh highways, gets 3 minutes 52 seconds of totality at 1:57 p.m. AEST, close to the centre line and longer than Dubbo.

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

Gilgandra on 22 July 2028

Totality in central Gilgandra lasts 3 minutes, 52 seconds, at about 1:57 p.m. AEST on 22 July 2028. The partial eclipse runs from 12:34 p.m. AEST to 3:12 p.m. AEST. Totality varies by less than five seconds across the 3 Gilgandra sites measured below, so choose on sightline and access.

Gilgandra's key decision: a near-centre-line town or Dubbo's services?

Gilgandra is close to the centre line, with almost four minutes everywhere in town and highways in three directions. Dubbo, 45 minutes south, has the airport and most of the beds.

Every measured site gets 3m 52s to 3m 53s.
Every direction within about 50 km stays inside the path.
Dubbo's long record averages 11.5 clear and 10 cloudy July days.

Eclipse times in Gilgandra

First contact: 12:34 p.m. AEST
Maximum: 1:57 p.m. AEST
End: 3:12 p.m. AEST
Totality: 3 minutes, 52 seconds
Magnitude: 1.020

In UTC on 22 July 2028: first contact 02:34, maximum 03:57, eclipse ends 05:12. Add to calendar (.ics)

At maximum eclipse, the Sun stands about 32 degrees above the north-northwest horizon as seen from Gilgandra.

Gilgandra in the path of totality

Gilgandra lies about 20 km from the centre line, so totality hardly varies across the town: 3 minutes 52 to 3 minutes 53 seconds at every measured site. That is slightly more than Dubbo, 65 km south-east, and about a minute more than Coonamble, 95 km north.

What you will see in the dark sky

During totality the sky over Gilgandra darkens to deep twilight. Look for Mercury, 29 degrees up in the north-northwest, only 4 degrees from the eclipsed Sun; Jupiter, 47 degrees up in the northeast. From Gilgandra the brightest stars likely to show are Sirius (west), Canopus (southwest), Alpha Centauri (southeast), Arcturus (east-northeast). From Gilgandra, Venus is very low in the west-northwest, under 5 degrees up, too low to count on.

Planets and bright stars above Gilgandra at maximum eclipse
Object	Height	Direction	Magnitude
Mercury	29°	north-northwest	-1.9
Jupiter	47°	northeast	-1.8
Sirius	45°	west	-1.5
Canopus	47°	southwest	-0.7
Alpha Centauri	36°	southeast	-0.3
Arcturus	9°	east-northeast	-0.1

Positions for Gilgandra at 03:57:12 UTC, from JPL's DE421 ephemeris, listing objects brighter than magnitude +1 and at least 5 degrees up.

What makes Gilgandra distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?

Gilgandra is where the Coo-ee March began: on 10 October 1915 a small group of men set out to walk to Sydney to enlist, gathering recruits in each town along the way. The town's museum has a gallery on the march, and nearby Warrumbungle National Park, reached via Tooraweenah, was Australia's first dark sky park. Source.

3 Gilgandra viewing sites, measured

The ground is flat and the Sun is 32 degrees up: no measured horizon toward it is higher than 0.1 degrees. Any open park works. The showground has the most space; Hunter Park and Apex Park are in town.

Measured at each site for maximum eclipse, when the Sun is about 32° high at azimuth 330°.
Site	Totality	Terrain horizon toward Sun	Sun vs terrain	Ground
Gilgandra Showground	3:53	0.1°	Clear by 32°	287 m
Hunter Park	3:52	0.1°	Clear by 32°	285 m
Apex Park	3:53	-0.0°	Clear by 32°	289 m

Each chart traces Gilgandra'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).

Gilgandra Showground

Open showground on the western side of town with space for a large group and the longest measured totality, by one second. Facilities and access.
Hunter Park

The park on Castlereagh Street in the town centre, with toilets, on the highway through town. Facilities and access.
Apex Park

A park on the southern side of town. Facilities and access.

July weather in Gilgandra: the station record

The long-term July record at Gilgandra (Chelmsford Ave) shows 11.5 clear days (at Dubbo (Darling Street)), 4.0 eighths of the sky clouded at 3 p.m. (at Dubbo (Darling Street)), 4.9 days with at least 1 mm of rain and a mean 3 p.m. temperature of 14.3°C (at Dubbo (Darling Street)).

An average July, from Bureau of Meteorology station records.
July	Gilgandra (Chelmsford Ave)	Dubbo (Darling Street)
Clear days	–	11.5 days 77 yrs, 1921–1999
Cloudy days	–	10.0 days 77 yrs, 1921–1999
3 p.m. cloud cover	–	4.0 oktas 77 yrs, 1921–1999
9 a.m. cloud cover	2.9 oktas 49 yrs, 1915–1975	3.5 oktas 92 yrs, 1907–1999
Days with 1 mm or more of rain	4.9 days 131 yrs, 1889–2026	6.1 days 135 yrs, 1870–2009
Rainfall	42.3 mm 125 yrs, 1889–2026	44.3 mm 128 yrs, 1870–2009
Mean maximum	15.6°C 52 yrs, 1915–1975	15.2°C 129 yrs, 1871–1999
Mean 3 p.m. temperature	–	14.3°C 77 yrs, 1921–1999
Mean minimum	2.5°C 52 yrs, 1915–1975	2.7°C 128 yrs, 1872–1999
Days at or below 0°C	9.0 days 11 yrs, 1965–1975	6.0 days 79 yrs, 1921–1999
Mean 3 p.m. wind	–	10.6 km/h 75 yrs, 1921–1999

Gilgandra's station records temperature and rain but not cloud. Dubbo (Darling Street), 65 km south-east, supplies the cloud record. Sources: Gilgandra (Chelmsford Ave), Dubbo (Darling Street), whose averages describe past Julys rather than the sky on 22 July 2028.

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

If cloud threatens: the highways go in three directions

Gilgandra's own station has no usable cloud record; Dubbo's long record averages 11.5 clear and 10 cloudy July days. The town's advantage is choice: the Newell Highway runs north and south, the Oxley Highway north-east and the Castlereagh Highway north-west, and every direction within about 50 km stays inside the path. Pick the direction from the forecast the evening before.

Eclipse day in Gilgandra

First contact is at 12:34 p.m. AEST, totality runs from about 1:55 to 1:59 p.m. and the partial phase ends at 3:12 p.m. Expect a mild afternoon around 16 degrees and a cold evening.

Getting to Gilgandra

Gilgandra is 65 km north of Dubbo on the Newell Highway, about 45 minutes' drive, and about 470 km from Sydney. Dubbo has the nearest airport and rail station, so many visitors will stay in Dubbo and drive up for the extra time.

Who Gilgandra suits

Gilgandra suits people based in Dubbo who want slightly longer totality, and road-trippers on the Newell Highway. It is less suited to large groups who need accommodation in town; there are only a few motels and the caravan park.

Safety in Gilgandra

Expect heavy traffic on the Newell Highway, including trucks, and avoid driving at dusk when kangaroos are active. Park off the highway shoulders. See the eye safety guide.

Questions about Gilgandra

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

Of the measured sites, Apex Park has the longest totality, 3:53. The Sun clears the terrain at every Gilgandra site measured, so trees, buildings and facilities decide the rest.

Is Gilgandra better than Dubbo for the eclipse?

It gets a few seconds more totality and far fewer people. Dubbo has the airport, rail and most of the accommodation, so many visitors will stay there and drive 45 minutes north.

Which nearby towns get even longer totality?

Few nearby towns do. Gilgandra is already close to the centre line; Mudgee, further south-east, gets about 3 minutes 54 seconds, only two seconds more.

Nearby city guides

Compare Dubbo, Coonamble, Orange, or browse all city guides.

Sources

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