WorldClockTools.
Sun Total Solar Eclipse2028-07-22UpcomingNASA Saros 146

Total Solar Eclipse of 2028-07-22

Path of totality crosses Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and importantly directly over Sydney. Continues into the South Pacific, also touching New Zealand's South Island.

The first total solar eclipse directly over Sydney since 1857 — a marquee astrotourism event for the southern hemisphere, with totality lasting just over 3 minutes from the city.

Time to greatest eclipse

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Peak in your local time: 2028-07-22T02:56:40Z

Peak UTC

02:56:40

2028-07-22

Magnitude

1.056

Sun diameter

Max duration

5m 10s

central line

Obscuration

100.0%

Sun area covered

Saros

#146

36 of 76

Gamma

-0.612

Shadow axis (Earth-radii)

Path and visibility

Australia (especially Sydney), New Zealand (South Island)

Central path crosses

Australia - New Zealand

Visible from

AustraliaNew ZealandIndonesiaPapua New Guinea

Watch the totality from

Cities from the WorldClockTools clock catalog that fall in the central path or partial-eclipse band. Each link goes to the local clock page for that city.

Path of totality

Partial-eclipse zone

Astronomical context

NASA Saros series
Saros 146 - 36 of 76
Magnitude (NASA)
1.056 - fraction of Sun diameter eclipsed
Obscuration
100.0% of the Sun's disc area covered at greatest eclipse
Gamma
-0.6121 - shadow-axis offset from Earth's center (Earth-radii)
Max central duration
5m 10s

Observation and photography

Every phase of a solar eclipse outside of totality requires ISO 12312-2 certified solar viewing glasses or an equivalent solar filter on every optical instrument (telescope, binoculars, camera lens). The same standard applies to total solar eclipses. Glasses can come off only during the brief totality window on the central path; they must go back on the instant Baily's beads reappear at third contact.

Central-line duration is 5m 10s. A typical imaging plan brackets exposures from ~1/1000s for the chromosphere and Baily's beads down to ~2s for the outer corona, fired in a programmable sequence so the observer can watch with the naked eye for at least the middle third of totality.

Local sun altitude, the path crossing time of day, and recent weather climatology drive site selection. NASA's interactive eclipse map (linked below) gives the exact altitude and time for any coordinates on the path.

Editorial dossier

First total solar eclipse over Sydney since 1857

Historical significance

The July 22 2028 total solar eclipse is the first total solar eclipse to pass directly over Sydney, Australia, since the March 25 1857 eclipse — a gap of 171 years. The path of totality crosses Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and threads precisely across the Sydney metropolitan area, before continuing over the South Pacific to clip New Zealand's South Island.

Comparison to other eclipses

Australia's most recent total solar eclipses (November 13 2012 over far-north Queensland, April 20 2023 over Exmouth) required outback travel from major population centres. The 2028 event is unique: Sydney is the largest metropolitan area in the southern hemisphere to host a total solar eclipse in modern times, with totality lasting just over 3 minutes from the CBD itself.

Astrophotography context

Peak local time is 14:00 AEST (04:00 UTC adjusted for the date). Sun altitude over Sydney is moderate (~35-40 degrees) in mid-winter, giving good corona contrast against a deep-blue winter sky. New Zealand's South Island sees totality near sunset, offering rare horizon-corona shots over the Southern Alps.

Top viewing destinations

  • - Sydney CBD, Australia — totality from the city itself
  • - Bondi Beach / Manly — east-facing viewing with the harbour as foreground
  • - Christchurch, New Zealand — totality near sunset over the South Island

Sources

  • NASA GSFC eclipse prediction page: https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEgoogle/SEgoogle2001/SE2028Jul22Tgoogle.html
  • Espenak & Meeus, Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses (NASA/TP-2006-214141)

Frequently asked questions

Where will the total solar eclipse of 2028-07-22 be visible?
The path of totality crosses Australia, New Zealand. Partial phases are visible from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea.
What time will the 2028-07-22 total solar eclipse reach greatest eclipse?
Greatest eclipse occurs at 02:56 UTC on 2028-07-22 (Coordinated Universal Time). To convert to local time for your city, the conversion uses the IANA timezone for that locale — the WorldClockTools eclipse-calendar page surfaces the conversion automatically for any of the listed cities.
How long will totality last during the 2028-07-22 eclipse?
Maximum totality on the central line lasts 5m 10s. Observers off the central line see shorter durations; NASA's interactive map gives the local figure for any coordinates.
When is the next solar eclipse after the 2028-07-22 total solar eclipse?
The next solar eclipse after 2028-07-22 is the partial solar eclipse on 2029-01-14 (17:13 UTC). It will be visible from north america, central america, northern south america.
Do I need eclipse glasses to watch the 2028-07-22 total solar eclipse?
Yes — for any solar eclipse (partial, annular, or total), looking directly at the Sun without ISO 12312-2 certified solar viewing glasses or an equivalent solar filter is unsafe and can cause permanent retinal damage. During totality only — the brief window when the Moon completely covers the Sun on the central line — it is safe to look at the eclipsed Sun with the naked eye, but glasses MUST go back on the moment Baily's beads reappear.
What is the Saros series for the 2028-07-22 total solar eclipse?
Total Solar Eclipse of 2028-07-22 is member 36 of 76 of NASA Saros series 146. Each Saros series produces an eclipse every 18 years 11 days, with successive members shifted roughly 120 degrees west in longitude. Saros series typically span 12 to 15 centuries and contain 70 to 80 eclipses each.

Eclipse data depth

What the total solar eclipse entry signals

A compact read of the NASA catalog row: Saros context, magnitude / obscuration math, path geometry, and the city / country cross-references that pair total solar eclipse with WorldClockTools local-clock pages.

Saros series context

Total Solar Eclipse 2028-07-22 is member 36 of 76 of NASA Saros series 146. Each Saros member repeats roughly every 18 years 11 days, shifted ~120 degrees west, so adjacent members in the same series land on different continents.

Magnitude and obscuration

Magnitude is 1.056 (NASA convention: fraction of Sun diameter eclipsed), and the Sun's area is obscured by 100.0%. Magnitude is the diameter ratio; obscuration is the area ratio — both come from the same NASA prediction.

Duration on the central line

Maximum totality / annularity duration is 5m 10s on the central line. Off-central observers see shorter duration; precise local duration is on NASA's interactive map.

Path and visibility footprint

The central path crosses australia and new zealand. Partial phases reach a wider 4-country zone in the current catalog cut.

City cross-references

Cross-referenced cities in the WorldClockTools catalog that fall in the path or partial band: Sydney, Christchurch, and Auckland. Each city has its own clock page; pairing the eclipse time with the local clock gives the immediate local-time answer.

Gamma and geometry

Gamma is -0.6121 — the lateral distance of the Moon's shadow axis from Earth's center at greatest eclipse, in Earth-radii. |gamma| < 1.0 places the shadow axis on the Earth disc — a central eclipse with a true path of totality or annularity.

What is notable

The first total solar eclipse directly over Sydney since 1857 — a marquee astrotourism event for the southern hemisphere, with totality lasting just over 3 minutes from the city.

Catalog handoff

Next solar eclipse handoff: partial solar eclipse 2029 01 14. Next eclipse of any kind: total lunar eclipse 2028 12 31. The full eclipse calendar lists 14 upcoming events.

Editorial dossier

An editorial dossier is attached for this event — historical context, comparison to recent and upcoming eclipses, and astrophotography notes are rendered above the FAQ.
Eclipse predictions are deterministic from JPL ephemerides — but local circumstances (exact path edge, sun altitude, weather) change with the kilometer. The NASA interactive map linked below gives precise local circumstances for any coordinates.

Data source: NASA / JPL

Eclipse data from NASA/JPL — Fred Espenak & Jean Meeus, Five Millennium Canon of Solar Eclipses and Five Millennium Canon of Lunar Eclipses (NASA Technical Publications NASA/TP–2006-214141 and NASA/TP–2009-214172). Public domain; re-published here with attribution.

NASA page for this eclipse (path map & circumstances)eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov

Greatest eclipse: July 22, 2028 at 02:56 UTC

Other upcoming eclipses