Next Total Solar Eclipse in Australia: When and Where to See It

August 14, 2026 | 11:53 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Millions of people recently gathered across Europe to watch a rare total solar eclipse, as the Moon passed between the Earth and the Sun and briefly plunged parts of the continent into darkness.

The spectacle may have left Australians wondering when they will next have the chance to witness a total solar eclipse.

Total solar eclipses are rare anywhere in the world and even less common in Australia. The country has seen only five total solar eclipses in the past 50 years, in 1974, 1976, 2002, 2013 and 2023.

However, many of those events were visible only from limited parts of the country. The 2023 eclipse, for example, passed just off Western Australia’s North West Cape before moving northeast across Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.

The next eclipse will offer a much broader viewing opportunity.

When Is Australia’s Next Total Solar Eclipse?

Australia’s next total solar eclipse will occur on July 22, 2028.

The event, sometimes referred to as the Great Australasian Eclipse, will cross a large section of the Australian continent. The path of totality will begin in the Kimberley region of northern Western Australia before moving across the Northern Territory, southwestern Queensland and New South Wales.

The path will eventually pass directly over Sydney.

For observers within this path, the Moon will completely cover the Sun for several minutes. Totality is expected to begin at around 11 a.m. Australian Western Standard Time in the Kimberley and at around 2 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time in Sydney.

The total eclipse will last for around four minutes.

What Is a Total Solar Eclipse?

A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, aligning the three celestial bodies so that the Moon completely blocks the Sun from view for observers within a narrow area known as the path of totality.

During totality, the sky can become dark even though the event occurs during the daytime. The Sun’s outer atmosphere, known as the corona, can also become visible around the Moon.

A partial solar eclipse occurs under a similar alignment, but the Moon covers only part of the Sun. Observers outside the path of totality therefore see the Sun partially obscured rather than experiencing complete darkness.

Why Is the 2028 Eclipse Significant?

The 2028 event will be particularly significant for Sydney, which will experience its first total solar eclipse since 1857.

According to NASA, the next total solar eclipse visible from Sydney after 2028 will not occur until June 3, 2858, meaning the 2028 event will be an exceptionally rare occurrence for the city.

The eclipse will also be the second in a series of five total solar eclipses visible from Australia between 2023 and 2038.

Later that day, the eclipse will move across New Zealand, passing over Dunedin. It will be the first total solar eclipse visible from the city since 1163.

Where Will the 2028 Eclipse Be Visible?

The path of totality will cross the Kimberley in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, southwestern Queensland and parts of New South Wales before reaching Sydney.

People outside the path will still be able to see the eclipse, but only as a partial solar eclipse.

Residents of Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Hobart and Canberra will see the Moon cover part of the Sun, but they will not experience the complete darkness associated with totality.

In other words, all of Australia will experience at least a partial solar eclipse in 2028, while only people within the path of totality will see the Moon completely obscure the Sun.

Anyone planning to observe the eclipse should use proper solar viewing equipment. Looking directly at the Sun without appropriate protection can cause serious and permanent eye damage.

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