Total Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2028

Totality crosses northwestern and central Australia, passes directly over Sydney, then crosses the Tasman Sea to the South Island of New Zealand. A partial eclipse covers all of Australia, New Zealand and much of southeast Asia and the western Pacific.

Sydney has not stood inside a total solar eclipse path since 1857; five million people will be able to watch totality from home.

Where the shadow goes

The shadow makes landfall on the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, runs diagonally across the continent through the Northern Territory, southwestern Queensland and New South Wales, and puts all of Sydney inside the path in the mid-afternoon. It then crosses the Tasman Sea and sweeps over Queenstown and Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island before leaving Earth.

For an interactive map of the track, and your own distance from the center line, open our Eclipse Explorer.

Timeline at the point of greatest eclipse

These contact times apply at the single point where the eclipse is deepest; along the rest of the track they shift by minutes to hours. The location panel below computes them for your own coordinates.

Central durations here are computed at the point of greatest eclipse with the engine's standard solar and lunar radii; published limb-corrected path maxima can differ by a few seconds.

What a total solar eclipse is

In a total solar eclipse the Moon covers the whole face of the Sun. Along a narrow track called the path of totality, day turns briefly to deep twilight, the brightest stars and planets come out, and the Sun's corona, its outer atmosphere, hangs visibly around the black disk of the Moon. Outside the path, observers see only a partial eclipse, which is interesting but not remotely the same event.

Eye safety is not optional

Looking at the Sun without proper protection damages the retina painlessly and permanently. For every partial phase of a solar eclipse, and for the whole of an annular eclipse, you need eclipse glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 standard, or a pinhole projector, or a solar filter fitted to the FRONT of any binoculars or telescope. Sunglasses, smoked glass, exposed film and stacked filters are not safe, no matter how dark.

The single exception: during the minutes of totality in a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely covers the Sun, it is safe and unforgettable to look with the naked eye. The instant the first sliver of Sun returns, the glasses go back on.

Frequently asked questions

When is the total solar eclipse of July 2028?

Greatest eclipse comes on July 22, 2028 at 02:55 UTC. What you see, and when, depends on where you stand; use the location panel on this page for your own local timeline.

Where will the July 2028 solar eclipse be visible?

Totality crosses northwestern and central Australia, passes directly over Sydney, then crosses the Tasman Sea to the South Island of New Zealand. A partial eclipse covers all of Australia, New Zealand and much of southeast Asia and the western Pacific.

Do I need eclipse glasses for this eclipse?

Yes, for every partial phase. Only during the minutes of totality, with the Sun completely hidden inside the path, is it safe to look without protection. Outside the path of totality, protection is required the whole time.

What is a Saros series?

Eclipses repeat in families called Saros series: 6,585.3 days (about 18 years 11 days) after any eclipse, the Sun, Moon and lunar nodes return to nearly the same geometry and produce a near-copy shifted a third of the way around Earth. This eclipse belongs to Saros series 146. Our Saros cycle profile explains the whole mechanism.

Keep exploring: the Eclipse Explorer for any date and location, our Saros cycle profile for why eclipses repeat, and how eclipses work from first principles.