On August 2, 2027, the Moon will cover the Sun for observers in parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The total phase of the eclipse will last up to 6 minutes 23 seconds — making it the longest total solar eclipse visible from land between 1991 and 2114.

Because of its unusually long total phase and the vast area over which the Moon’s shadow will pass, the eclipse is already being called the “eclipse of the century.” The path of totality will include southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and small parts of Sudan and Somalia.

Where the total phase will pass

The Moon’s shadow will be about 258 km wide and will cross a significant part of the planet in roughly 3 hours 20 minutes. It will first touch Earth in the Atlantic Ocean, then pass through southern Spain and North Africa, cross the Middle East, and move into the Indian Ocean east of the Chagos Archipelago.

The duration of totality will depend greatly on the specific location. For example:

·       Malaga — 1 minute 52 seconds;

·       Cadiz — 2 minutes 51 seconds;

·       Tarifa — 4 minutes 39 seconds;

·       Tangier — 4 minutes 50 seconds;

·       Oran — 5 minutes 6 seconds;

·       Sfax — 5 minutes 41 seconds;

·       Benghazi — 6 minutes 7 seconds;

·       Sohag — 6 minutes 22 seconds;

·       Luxor — 6 minutes 19 seconds;

·       Jeddah — 6 minutes 2 seconds;

·       Mecca — 5 minutes 10 seconds.

The maximum duration of totality — 6 minutes 23 seconds — will be reached near the point of greatest eclipse.

Egypt will be an especially interesting place for observation. The point of greatest eclipse lies not far from Luxor, a city on the banks of the Nile, near which are the Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon.

Egypt offers nearly perfect weather — but you’ll have to endure the heat

For eclipse chasers, not only the duration of totality matters, but also the chance of seeing it without clouds. And here, central Egypt looks especially attractive.

According to climate data, the probability of cloud cover around Luxor in August is extremely low — about 0.7%. In eastern Libya and western Egypt, conditions are also usually almost cloudless.

The main problem is the heat. During the day in August, temperatures in Egypt can reach 43 °C. Totality in Luxor will occur at about 13:02 local time, so observers will need to find ways to shelter from the scorching sun before the eclipse begins.

Another possible factor is dust. Even in the absence of clouds, the atmosphere may be quite hazy because of dust aerosols. How strongly this affects observations will depend on the wind on the day of the eclipse itself.

On the other hand, during the eclipse itself, temperatures in the dry climate may drop quickly.

Good conditions are also expected over the southern part of the Mediterranean Sea — in particular, south of Italy and Malta, as well as off the coasts of Tunisia and Libya.

In the area of the Strait of Gibraltar, the situation is less predictable. Here the probability of cloud cover in August is significantly higher — about 30%. In addition, a characteristic cloud known as the Levante cloud may appear over Gibraltar.

Millions of people will see the eclipse at least partially

The total phase will be visible only within a relatively narrow path, but the partial eclipse will cover a much larger area of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

For example, in Madrid the Moon will cover about 86% of the solar disk, in Lisbon — 93%, in Paris — 52%, in London — 42%, and in Berlin — 34%.

Even closer to the edge of the path of totality will be Rabat, where about 98% of the Sun will be covered, and Algiers and Tripoli — about 99.9%.

But even 99.9% is still a partial eclipse. For an observer, the difference is fundamental: only during totality is the solar disk completely covered by the Moon and a short period of total darkness begins.

According to estimates, about 88.9 million people will live directly within the path of totality — more than three times as many as during the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, in North America.

Therefore, the 2027 eclipse will become not only an astronomical event for travelers and skywatching enthusiasts, but also a mass phenomenon for millions of people.

When to expect the next similar event

After August 2, 2027, total solar eclipses will continue almost every year, but most of them will occur over oceans or remote regions.

The next one will occur on July 22, 2028 — totality will be visible on Christmas Island, the Cocos Islands, in Australia, and in New Zealand.

Then total eclipses will occur on November 25, 2030, in southern Africa and Australia, on March 30, 2033, in Russia and Alaska, and on March 20, 2034 — across several countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

But in terms of the duration of totality, the eclipse of August 2, 2027, will remain a special event: more than six minutes of totality visible from land will not be seen again until much later.