While millions across Europe reveled in the awe of a total solar eclipse, Australians might be curious about when they’ll have the chance to witness such a phenomenal event.
For those eagerly anticipating their turn, there’s exciting news on the horizon: Australia is set to experience its own total solar eclipse, poised to cast its extraordinary spectacle across select regions of the nation.
What is a total solar eclipse?
This breathtaking occurrence takes place when the moon’s orbit brings it between the Earth and the sun. For a few fleeting moments, these celestial bodies align perfectly, allowing the moon to completely eclipse the sun and enveloping the Earth in a dramatic, albeit temporary, darkness.
In contrast, a partial solar eclipse occurs when the alignment is not exact, resulting in the moon covering only a segment of the sun’s glowing face.
Witnessing a total solar eclipse is a rare treat, especially for those down under. Over the past 50 years, Australians have only been treated to five such eclipses—the two consecutive occurrences in 1974 and 1976 being followed by prolonged intervals, culminating in events in 2002, 2013, and most recently in 2023.
Even then, the word “visible” has done some heavy lifting. Most total eclipses only graze the Australian continent, passing over a northern or southern tip. The 2023 total eclipse, for instance, passed just off the North West Cape region of Western Australia and then transited northeast over Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
But in 2028, things will be very different.
Where will the 2028 total solar eclipse be visible in Australia?
The 2028 total solar eclipse, also referred to as the Great Australasian Eclipse in some quarters, will start on Saturday 22 July 2028. As the name suggests, the moon will completely obscure the sun for those on the ground.
It will pass south-west across the Australian continent from the Kimberley in northern Western Australia. The eclipse path will then move across the Northern Territory, south-western Queensland and rural NSW, and finally arrive directly over Sydney.
Why is the 2028 eclipse so significant?
For those in the Kimberley, the total eclipse will begin at around 11am AWST. In Sydney, the total eclipse will start at 2pm AEST. It will last for around four minutes as the moon passes in front of the sun.
To put the rarity of an eclipse path of this kind into context, 2028 will be the first time Sydney has experienced a total solar eclipse since 1857. According to NASA, it won’t happen again for another 800 years — 3 June 2858.
When the 2028 eclipse passes over Dunedin in New Zealand later that afternoon, it will be the first to do so since 1163.
Will Melbourne, Brisbane and other Australian cities see the eclipse?
But what about Australian cities other than Sydney? Will you be able to see the eclipse?
Viewers in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Hobart, and Canberra will all be able to see the partial eclipse. The moon will block part of the sun, but the sky will not turn completely dark as it does during a total eclipse.