Where will you be for the “eclipse of the century?” Eclipse chasers hooked by the events of April 8, 2024, are already making plans for Aug. 2, 2027, when the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century will unfold across North Africa, enveloping an estimated 89 million people.
That spectacular event for the ages is now only 1,000 days away.
While totality earlier this year peaked at four minutes 28 seconds, during the “Great North African Eclipse” the new moon will block the sun for a staggering six minutes 23 seconds.
This time, there will be almost no chance of cloud across much of the 9,462 miles (15,227 km) long track across the southern tip of Spain, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. If you missed the 2024 eclipse in North America due to poor weather, the 2027 eclipse is one not to miss.
Eclipse 2027: Path Of Totality
Beginning in the Atlantic Ocean, the approximately 160-mile (275-km) wide path of totality will make landfall around the Strait of Gibraltar, bringing totality to southern Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco.
Next will come Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, where the sun will be eclipsed at noon at its highest in the sky. After crossing the Red Sea, totality will be experienced in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, then Somalia, before an eclipsed sun will set southeast in the Indian Ocean southeast of the Chagos Islands.
Eclipse 2027: Weather
“Some parts of the eclipse track — over Libya and western Egypt — have seen no August cloud on eclipse day whatsoever in the past 23 years,” writes Jay Anderson, a Canadian meteorologist and eclipse chaser, in a new climate analysis published this week. “Few eclipses come with a guarantee of cloud-free skies, but, in parts, the path of the 2027 total across North Africa comes very close.” Anderson says that cloud cover for this eclipse is among the lowest he’s analyzed over the last 45 years.
The problem with this total solar eclipse is not climate and clouds but temperature and, perhaps, dust storms. The moon’s shadow will bring a momentary drop in temperature, but in August it can reach 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius).
Eclipse 2027: Best Places To Go
For those who want to experience this celestial event but avoid Luxor’s crowds, several other noteworthy places will still offer impressive totality times:
Cadiz, Spain
Totality will last only 2 minutes and 47 seconds, but this historic city will be an attractive proposition for those traveling from Europe, or who want to avoid Africa and the Middle East.
Tangier, Morocco
This bustling coastal city, a gateway to Africa, will enjoy 4 minutes and 48 seconds of totality. It can be visited by ferry from southern Spain.
Oran, Algeria
This coastal city, also reachable by ferry from Spain, will experience 5 minutes and 6 seconds of totality.
Kerkennah Islands, Tunisia
Known for the ruins of Borj el Hissar, totality here will last 5 minutes and 42 seconds.
Siwa Oasis, Egypt
Anderson found no cloud cover nor many dust storms in the historical record for this urban oasis near the Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert. Totality will last 5 minutes 29 seconds.
Luxor, Egypt
with totality close to the maximum at 6 minutes 22 seconds, the site of ancient Thebes features the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple. Luxor Temple and the Temple of Hatshepsut. Brace for thousands of tourists.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The port city on the Red Sea will witness 5 minutes and 54 seconds of totality.
When Is The Next Eclipse In The U.S?
The next total solar eclipse is on Aug. 12, 2026, when Greenland, Iceland, and Spain will witness a maximum 2-minute, 18-second totality.
The next total solar eclipse in the contiguous U.S. (contiguous refers to the lower 48 states in North America, including the District of Columbia) will occur on Aug. 22, 2044. At 281 miles (453 kilometers) wide on average, the path of totality will stretch from Greenland through Canada’s Northwest Territories, with the maximum duration of totality just south of Great Bear Lake at 2 minutes and 4 seconds.
A totally eclipsed sunset will be seen from South Dakota and North Dakota.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
