Tennant Creek Total Solar Eclipse 2028
Tennant Creek gets 3 minutes 25 seconds of totality at 12:49 p.m. ACST, with the Sun 50 degrees up in the north and the most reliable winter sky of any town on the path.
Tennant Creek on 22 July 2028
Totality in central Tennant Creek lasts 3 minutes, 25 seconds, at about 12:49 p.m. ACST on 22 July 2028. The partial eclipse runs from 11:16 a.m. ACST to 2:17 p.m. ACST. Of the 4 sites measured below, Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) has the longest totality, 4:56, against 2:50 at the shortest.
Tennant Creek's key decision: town services or the centre line at Karlu Karlu?
Tennant Creek has the best July sky record of any town on the path with a long station record. Karlu Karlu, 100 km south, adds about 90 seconds but needs a booked campsite or an early drive.
- Town sites get about 3m 23s; Karlu Karlu about 4m 55s.
- Avoid the Old Telegraph Station: it gets only 2m 50s.
- Tennant Creek Airport averages 23 clear and 1.9 cloudy July days (1969–2010).
Eclipse times in Tennant Creek
- First contact
- Maximum
- End
- Totality
- 3 minutes, 25 seconds
- Magnitude
- 1.008
In UTC on 22 July 2028: first contact 01:46, maximum 03:19, eclipse ends 04:47. Add to calendar (.ics)
Tennant Creek in the path of totality
Tennant Creek lies about 30 km inside the northern edge of the path, so totality grows quickly to the south. The Battery Hill Mining Centre and the town oval both measure about 3 minutes 23 seconds, but the Old Telegraph Station, 10 km north, gets only 2 minutes 50 seconds. Karlu Karlu (the Devils Marbles), about 100 km south on the Stuart Highway, sits near the centre line and gets about 4 minutes 55 seconds, as do the Wauchope and Wycliffe Well roadhouses just beyond it.
What you will see in the dark sky
During totality the sky over Tennant Creek darkens to deep twilight. Look for Venus, 28 degrees up in the northwest; Mercury, 48 degrees up in the north, only 4 degrees from the eclipsed Sun; Jupiter, 35 degrees up in the east-northeast. From Tennant Creek the brightest stars likely to show are Sirius (west), Canopus (south-southwest), Alpha Centauri (south-southeast), Capella (north-northwest).
| Object | Height | Direction | Magnitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venus | 28° | northwest | -4.6 |
| Mercury | 48° | north | -1.9 |
| Jupiter | 35° | east-northeast | -1.8 |
| Sirius | 68° | west | -1.5 |
| Canopus | 50° | south-southwest | -0.7 |
| Alpha Centauri | 14° | south-southeast | -0.3 |
| Capella | 13° | north-northwest | +0.1 |
What makes Tennant Creek distinctive for the 2028 eclipse?
Tennant Creek grew out of Australia's last great gold rush in the 1930s, and Battery Hill preserves the government stamp battery that crushed the ore. The Northern Territory Government has set up a working group for the eclipse in the Barkly, is mapping dedicated viewing zones and camping areas, and runs a register of interest for businesses and visitors. Source.
4 Tennant Creek viewing sites, measured
The terrain around Tennant Creek is low and the Sun is 50 degrees up, so no measured site has a horizon above 0.8 degrees. The choice is between staying in town with services and driving south for an extra minute and a half. Avoid the Old Telegraph Station: its position further north costs more than half a minute.
| Site | Totality | Terrain horizon toward Sun | Sun vs terrain | Ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Hill Mining Centre | 3:22 | 0.8° | Clear by 49° | 381 m |
| Tennant Creek football oval | 3:24 | 0.6° | Clear by 50° | 366 m |
| Tennant Creek Telegraph Station | 2:50 | 0.1° | Clear by 50° | 341 m |
| Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) | 4:56 | 0.8° | Clear by 48° | 404 m |
Each chart traces Tennant Creek's terrain 30° either side of azimuth 356°, where the Sun stands at maximum; it shows hills, not trees or buildings (how the sites were measured).
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Battery Hill Mining Centre
The heritage gold-mining centre and visitor information point on Peko Road, on a low rise east of town, with parking and toilets. Facilities and access.
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Tennant Creek football oval
The main oval off Stuart Street in the town centre: open, flat and walkable from most accommodation. Facilities and access.
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Tennant Creek Telegraph Station
The stone Overland Telegraph station 10 km north of town. It is historic and photogenic, but it gets only 2 minutes 50 seconds because it is closer to the path's edge. Facilities and access.
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Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles)
A conservation reserve about 100 km south, near the centre line, with a campground that must be booked. Most of the reserve is a registered sacred site: the traditional owners ask visitors not to climb the boulders. Facilities and access.
July weather in Tennant Creek: the station record
The long-term July record at Tennant Creek Airport shows 23.2 clear days and a mean 3 p.m. temperature of 23.9°C.
| July | Tennant Creek Airport |
|---|---|
| Clear days | 23.2 days 41 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| Cloudy days | 1.9 days 41 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| Rainfall | 6.3 mm 55 yrs, 1969–2026 |
| Mean maximum | 24.8°C 57 yrs, 1969–2026 |
| Mean 3 p.m. temperature | 23.9°C 41 yrs, 1969–2010 |
| Mean minimum | 12.4°C 57 yrs, 1969–2026 |
| Mean 3 p.m. wind | 15.5 km/h 41 yrs, 1969–2010 |
Tennant Creek Airport has one of the longest July cloud records in the outback. Sources: Tennant Creek Airport, whose averages describe past Julys rather than the sky on 22 July 2028.
The real choice: town services or the centre line at Karlu Karlu
Cloud is unlikely: Tennant Creek Airport averages 23 clear and fewer than two cloudy July days, the best record of any town on the path. So the decision is duration against logistics. Karlu Karlu, Wauchope and Wycliffe Well add about 90 seconds for a 100 km drive down the Stuart Highway, but the campground is small, the roadhouses will be crowded, and the drive back after the eclipse will be busy. If you go, travel the day before and stay put.
Eclipse day in Tennant Creek
First contact is at 11:16 a.m. ACST, totality runs from about 12:48 to 12:51 p.m. and the partial phase ends at 2:17 p.m. Expect a mild day around 25 degrees, but bring hats and water: the Sun is high and there is little shade on open ground.
Getting to Tennant Creek
Tennant Creek is on the Stuart Highway, about 500 km north of Alice Springs and nearly 1,000 km south of Darwin, and the Barkly Highway, which leaves the Stuart at Three Ways just north of town, runs east to Mount Isa. Most visitors will drive; allow a full day from either city and keep fuel topped up, as roadhouses are 100 to 200 km apart.
Who Tennant Creek suits
Tennant Creek suits road-trippers and campers who want the best odds of a clear sky in Australia, and anyone willing to drive to Karlu Karlu for close to five minutes. It is less suited to visitors who need flights, large hotels or a short trip.
Safety in Tennant Creek
Remote-road safety matters more than the eclipse here: carry water, spare fuel and a way to call for help where there is no mobile coverage, and avoid driving at dusk, when cattle and kangaroos are on the road. At Karlu Karlu, stay off the boulders. See the eye safety guide.
Questions about Tennant Creek
Where is the best place to watch the eclipse in Tennant Creek?
Of the measured sites, Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) has the longest totality, 4:56. The Sun clears the terrain at every Tennant Creek site measured, so trees, buildings and facilities decide the rest.
Is Karlu Karlu (the Devils Marbles) in the path of totality?
Yes, near the centre line: about 4 minutes 55 seconds, compared with 3 minutes 25 seconds in Tennant Creek. Most of the reserve is a registered sacred site, the campground needs booking and the traditional owners ask that the boulders are not climbed.
Can I see the eclipse from Alice Springs instead?
Only a 95% partial. The nearest totality is Tennant Creek, about five hours north on the Stuart Highway, so plan to drive up the day before.
Further reading
- Northern Territory regional guide
- First-timer's eclipse plan
- Eclipse weather strategy
- Build your eclipse-day plan — turn Tennant Creek's contact times and your fallback route into a printable checklist.
Nearby city guides
Compare Kununurra, Wyndham, Bourke, or browse all city guides.
Sources
Tennant Creek's eclipse times are calculated from NASA GSFC Besselian elements (path table) and compared with the Astronomical Society of Australia's timing table. The Tennant Creek site horizons use the terrain model behind the visibility map, with coordinates from OpenStreetMap. The Astronomical Society of Australia lists about 3 minutes 23 seconds for Tennant Creek, two seconds less than this calculation for the town centre.