Orange Total Solar Eclipse 2028
Orange is a Central Tablelands totality option near the path edge; local duration changes considerably with position.
Orange on 22 July 2028
Totality in central Orange lasts 2 minutes, 10 seconds, at about 1:58 p.m. AEST on 22 July 2028. The partial eclipse runs from 12:36 p.m. AEST to 3:12 p.m. AEST. Of the 4 sites measured below, Orange Showground has the longest totality, 2:15, against 0:59 at the shortest.
Orange's key decision: tablelands base or plains-side flexibility?
Orange is a practical regional base inside totality, but its elevation and road distance make a late change costly. Where you stand in Orange changes totality by more than a minute, so the site choice is about duration as much as weather.
- Stay on the north-east side of the city: the showground gets about 2 minutes 15 seconds.
- Mount Canobolas gets only about 59 seconds, because it lies closer to the path edge.
- Bathurst, 55 km east, gets about 3 minutes, and Dubbo, under two hours away, 3 minutes 50.
Eclipse times in Orange
- First contact
- Maximum
- End
- Totality
- 2 minutes, 10 seconds
- Magnitude
- 1.004
In UTC on 22 July 2028: first contact 02:36, maximum 03:58, eclipse ends 05:12. Add to calendar (.ics)
Orange in the path of totality
Orange sits near the path's southern edge, so totality changes quickly with position: about 2 minutes 10 seconds at the city centre, rising toward the north-east and shrinking toward the south-west. The sites measured below show how much: 2 minutes 15 seconds at the showground on the north-east side, 1 minute 43 at Lake Canobolas and only 59 seconds on the Mount Canobolas summit.
What you will see in the dark sky
During totality the sky over Orange 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 Orange the brightest stars likely to show are Sirius (west), Canopus (southwest), Alpha Centauri (southeast), Arcturus (east-northeast). From Orange, 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 Orange distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?
At 862 metres, Orange is unusually high for inland NSW, giving it a cool, frost-prone climate that supports a Geographical-Indication wine region requiring a minimum 600 metres altitude. Nearby Mount Canobolas, an extinct volcano reaching 1,395 metres, is described as the highest point between the Blue Mountains and the Indian Ocean coast - a striking backdrop, though not itself a factor in eclipse visibility. Source.
4 Orange viewing sites, measured
In Orange, choosing a site means choosing how much totality you want. Terrain is not a problem: every site measured has the 31-degree Sun clear by more than 28 degrees. The trade-off is duration: Mount Canobolas, the most spectacular viewpoint, gives the shortest totality, about 59 seconds, because it lies closer to the path's edge. For the longest totality, stay on the north-east side of the city: the showground and Cook Park.
| Site | Totality | Terrain horizon toward Sun | Sun vs terrain | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Canobolas summit | 0:59 | -1.0° | Clear by 32° | 1,393 m |
| Lake Canobolas reserve | 1:43 | 1.9° | Clear by 29° | 891 m |
| Cook Park and Orange Botanic Gardens | 2:06 | -0.2° | Clear by 31° | 885 m |
| Orange Showground | 2:15 | 1.3° | Clear by 29° | 864 m |
Each chart traces Orange'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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Mount Canobolas summit
The 1,395 m extinct volcano south-west of the city, reached by a sealed, winding road. There are no toilets at the summit, and the conservation area closes in bad weather and high fire danger. Being near the path edge, it gets only about 59 seconds of totality. Facilities and access.
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Lake Canobolas reserve
A council reserve 7 km south-west of the city, with picnic tables and toilets. The measured totality is about 1 minute 43 seconds, more than half a minute short of the city's north-east side. Facilities and access.
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Cook Park and Orange Botanic Gardens
Central parks with toilets and visitor facilities. Cook Park's mature trees shade much of it; the botanic gardens have more open lawns. The measured totality is about 2 minutes 6 seconds. Facilities and access.
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Orange Showground
The council's event venue on the north-east side of the city, with level ground and the longest totality of the sites measured, about 2 minutes 15 seconds. Ask the council about public access on the day. Facilities and access.
July weather in Orange: the station record
The long-term July record at Orange Agricultural Institute shows 6.6 clear days (at Bathurst Ag Station Comparison), 4.5 eighths of the sky clouded at 3 p.m. (at Bathurst Ag Station Comparison), 9.1 days with at least 1 mm of rain and a mean 3 p.m. temperature of 10.5°C (at Bathurst Ag Station Comparison).
| July | Orange Agricultural Institute | 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 35 yrs, 1976–2010 | 4.4 oktas 89 yrs, 1909–2011 |
| Days with 1 mm or more of rain | 9.1 days 59 yrs, 1966–2026 | 7.0 days 116 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Rainfall | 87.8 mm 56 yrs, 1966–2026 | 47.8 mm 117 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Mean maximum | 9.5°C 40 yrs, 1976–2023 | 11.3°C 109 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Mean 3 p.m. temperature | – | 10.5°C 37 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| Mean minimum | 1.6°C 40 yrs, 1976–2023 | 0.6°C 113 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Days at or below 0°C | 7.9 days 51 yrs, 1976–2026 | 12.9 days 118 yrs, 1908–2025 |
| Mean 3 p.m. wind | – | 9.0 km/h 34 yrs, 1969–2010 |
Orange Agricultural Institute has no usable clear-day series. Bathurst, about 55 km east of Orange on lower ground, is the nearest long clear-day record. Sources: Orange Agricultural Institute, Bathurst Ag Station Comparison, whose averages describe past Julys rather than the sky on 22 July 2028.
If cloud threatens Orange: move off the tablelands
Move down off the tablelands. Dubbo, about 150 km and under two hours north-west on the Mitchell Highway, gets 3 minutes 50 seconds of totality and is usually drier and warmer. Bathurst, 55 km east and about 200 m lower, gets about 3 minutes, longer than anywhere in Orange. Decide the night before, and leave early: shaded cuttings on tableland roads stay icy on July mornings.
Eclipse day in Orange
Watch from the north-east side of town unless the Canobolas view matters more to you than a minute of totality. Be in place before first contact at 12:36 p.m.; totality is at about 1:58 p.m. Dress for a cold afternoon: the long-term July mean maximum in Orange is under 10 degrees.
Getting to Orange
Orange is about 255 km west of Sydney, three and a half to four hours by road over the Blue Mountains, with daily flights and the Dubbo XPT train. It has good restaurants and accommodation, but book early: the city is the biggest base near the southern edge of the path.
Who Orange suits
Orange suits travellers who want totality wrapped in a proper regional weekend - restaurants, cellar doors, and a compact, walkable city - and observers drawn to watching the shadow arrive over high country. It is the best-provisioned tablelands base in the path. It suits less well anyone unwilling to accept cold-climate risk: the same elevation that gives Orange its long views also gives it frost, fog, and the most weather-dependent eclipse morning of the inland options.
Safety in Orange
Cold is the safety story at Orange: three or more stationary hours near 860 metres in July invites wind chill, and children and older viewers feel it first. Ice is likely on shaded paths and the summit road, and anyone heading up Mount Canobolas should arrive equipped for winter-alpine conditions. See the eye safety guide.
Questions about Orange
Where is the best place to watch the eclipse in Orange?
Of the measured sites, Orange Showground has the longest totality, 2:15. The Sun clears the terrain at every Orange site measured, so trees, buildings and facilities decide the rest.
Should I watch from Mount Canobolas or town?
Town, unless the view matters more than the eclipse. The summit gets about 59 seconds of totality against about 2 minutes 15 seconds at the showground, because the mountain lies closer to the path's southern edge.
How cold will eclipse day be?
Expect a cold afternoon. Orange's long-term July mean maximum is 9.5 degrees and there are frosts on about eight July mornings. Bring layers, something to sit on and a hot drink for three hours outdoors.
What if cloud threatens?
Head north-west toward Dubbo, under two hours away, where totality is longer and July is drier. Decide the evening before and allow for ice on the early roads.
Further reading
- Inland NSW road trip
- First-timer's eclipse plan
- Eclipse weather strategy
- Build your eclipse-day plan — turn Orange's timing and travel notes into a printable checklist.
Nearby city guides
Compare Bathurst, Katoomba, Dubbo, or browse all city guides.
Sources
Orange's eclipse times are calculated from NASA GSFC Besselian elements (path table) and compared with Timeanddate for Orange. The Orange site horizons use the terrain model behind the visibility map, with coordinates from OpenStreetMap. The NASA-based coordinate calculation uses the coordinates shown in the dataset and zero observer height. Timeanddate lists about 2 minutes 14 seconds for Orange; differences in coordinates and model assumptions can affect the result.