How to See the 2028 Total Solar Eclipse: A First-Timer's Plan
You get one chance at this one. Here is the complete plan for seeing totality on Saturday 22 July 2028, written for people who have never stood in the Moon's shadow before.
Quick answer: To see the 2028 total solar eclipse you must be inside the path of totality on Saturday 22 July 2028. In Australia that means Sydney, the Blue Mountains, or inland New South Wales towns like Dubbo and Bourke; in Aotearoa New Zealand it means Queenstown or Dunedin. Everywhere else sees only a partial eclipse, which requires solar viewers that conform to ISO 12312-2 for the entire event.
What happens on 22 July 2028?
On Saturday 22 July 2028, the Moon's shadow crosses Australia from the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, through the Northern Territory and outback Queensland, down across inland New South Wales, and directly over Sydney — the city's first total solar eclipse since 1857. The shadow then crosses the Tasman Sea and sweeps over the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, including Queenstown and Dunedin, before leaving Earth near sunset. NASA's map of the 2028 eclipse path traces the full track.
Inside that path, day turns to deep twilight for up to four minutes while the Sun's corona — its outer atmosphere — hangs in a darkened sky. In Sydney, the partial phase begins at 12:40 p.m. AEST, totality peaks at 2:01 p.m., and the event ends at 3:14 p.m. In Queenstown totality arrives at 4:16 p.m. NZST, barely an hour before winter sunset.
Outside the path, every major city — Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch — sees a partial eclipse only. A deep partial is interesting; totality is life-changing. They are not the same event, and a 90 percent partial eclipse delivers roughly zero percent of the totality experience.
Evidence: NASA 2028 path table.
Where should you watch the 2028 eclipse from?
There are three broad strategies, each with a full city guide on this site:
- Sydney and the urban path. Sydney offers 3 minutes 48 seconds of city-centre totality and extensive transport and services. The trade-offs are a less mobile plan and weather that must be judged from current forecasts. Start with the Sydney guide, or the nearby Penrith and Wollongong guides. Newcastle sits just outside the path itself, but is a common staging point for this route.
- Inland New South Wales. Totality reaches 4 minutes 6 seconds at Bourke, while Dubbo offers regional-city services and several road directions. The weather evidence page publishes the unequal BOM station records and their limits; it does not convert them into viewing odds.
- The South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. Totality arrives over alpine and coastal scenery with the Sun about 10 degrees high at Queenstown and 8 degrees at Dunedin. Horizon geometry and current forecasts matter more than an unsourced historical percentage.
Compare every city's times, durations, and sun heights on the city guides hub, and calculate circumstances for a chosen coordinate on the interactive path map.
Evidence: NASA 2028 path table, Bureau of Meteorology climate data, MetService forecasts and warnings.
When should you book accommodation and transport?
Book once your region and cancellation terms are acceptable; do not wait for a promised sell-out date that nobody can verify. Capacity, transport schedules, event controls, and minimum-stay rules will change before 2028.
Practical booking guidance:
- Prefer refundable or changeable accommodation so a forecast-led move remains possible.
- Check airline and rail schedules when operators publish them, and avoid relying on same-day arrival.
- Allow substantial time after the event rather than assuming ordinary traffic conditions.
- If mobility is part of the plan, reserve a suitable vehicle and verify kilometre, road, and cancellation restrictions.
Evidence: NASA 2028 path table.
What should you bring on eclipse day?
July is mid-winter in both countries and the partial phases keep observers outside for hours. Pack for the official local forecast rather than assuming a particular temperature or eclipse-driven drop.
- Compliant solar viewers for every person, plus spares. The eclipse glasses guide explains verification, and the American Astronomical Society's eye-safety guidance identifies reputable suppliers and unsafe substitutes.
- Warm, adjustable layers and weather protection. Use the latest official forecast and account for wind exposure at the exact site.
- Printed local circumstances for the chosen coordinate, plus an offline copy of the route and meeting point.
- Food, water, medication, seating, and a light. Match supplies to the site's facilities and access rules.
Evidence: American Astronomical Society eye safety, NASA eclipse safety.
Your eclipse-day timeline
Using Sydney's times as the example — adjust for your city from its guide page:
- Morning: check the satellite picture and short-range forecast (see the weather guide). If your site is under cloud and a clear alternative is reachable within a couple of hours, move early — not at midday.
- 11:30 a.m.: be at your site, settled, with a clear view toward the north-northwest where the Sun will stand about 29 degrees high at maximum.
- 12:40 p.m. — first contact: the Moon takes its first bite. Glasses on for every look at the Sun from now on.
- 1:50 p.m.: light turns strange and silvery. Shadows sharpen. Temperature falls. Watch the western horizon for the approaching shadow.
- About 1:59 p.m. — totality begins: when the last bead of sunlight vanishes, glasses come off. Look up. For 3 minutes 48 seconds, centred on the 2:01 p.m. maximum, you can safely look at the eclipsed Sun with naked eyes. Look around too — the 360-degree sunset, planets appearing, the crowd reaction.
- End of totality: the instant the first sliver of bright Sun returns, glasses back on.
- 3:14 p.m. — last contact: eclipse over. Let the first wave of traffic leave without you.
Evidence: NASA 2028 path table, Bureau of Meteorology climate data.
Five mistakes first-timers make
- Treating a deep partial as good enough. Ninety-nine percent coverage still leaves the sky bright and the corona invisible. If totality is feasible for you, travel into the path.
- Spending totality behind a camera. Three minutes and forty-eight seconds evaporates. First-timers should watch, not fiddle — the photography guide explains how to automate shots if you must have them.
- Buying glasses late or from marketplace sellers. Counterfeits flood in before every eclipse. Order certified viewers early from accredited manufacturers.
- Having no weather fallback. One site is a bet; a primary site plus a reachable alternative in a different weather regime is a plan.
- Leaving immediately after totality. You will sit in traffic while the beautiful final partial phases play out above you. Stay, watch, and drive home later.
Evidence: American Astronomical Society eye safety.
Common Questions
Do I need eclipse glasses during totality?
No - totality is the one phase you view with naked eyes, and only inside the path of totality. Glasses are essential for every partial phase before and after totality, and for the entire event anywhere outside the path. See the eye safety guide for the full routine.
What time is the 2028 eclipse in Sydney?
In Sydney the partial eclipse begins at 12:40 p.m. AEST on Saturday 22 July 2028, totality runs for 3 minutes 48 seconds around maximum at 2:01 p.m., and the eclipse ends at 3:14 p.m.
Can I see the total eclipse from Melbourne, Brisbane, or Perth?
No. Those cities see only a partial eclipse - the Sun is never fully covered and glasses are required throughout. To see the corona you must travel into the path, for example to Sydney, inland New South Wales, or the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.
What happens if it is cloudy during totality?
The sky still goes eerily dark and the temperature still drops, but the corona is hidden. That is why serious plans include a mobile fallback: check forecasts 48 and 24 hours out and be willing to drive to clearer sky.