A total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, will reach a maximum totality of 6 minutes and 23 seconds, making it the longest since 1991 and the second-longest of the 21st century.

The eclipse will travel along a corridor from southern Spain and Morocco through North Africa into the Middle East, with the shadow touching the coast of Somalia; areas outside this path will see a partial eclipse.

A broader list of upcoming eclipses is provided, detailing dates and regions for totality or partial visibility across 2026, 2028, 2033, 2034, 2035, 2037, 2038 and 2045.

The report notes the original story appeared in WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.

Observers should use certified solar filters and follow local guidance; never look at the Sun except during the brief totality, and expect notable changes in temperature, light, and animal behavior along the path.

Solar eclipses are natural and predictable events with no health or planetary impact, and Mars and its moons also experience eclipses.

Luxor, Egypt, is highlighted as a popular destination due to its long totality and proximity to major archaeological sites.

The unusually long duration results from a favorable alignment: the Moon will be near perigee and appear relatively large, while Earth is slightly farther from the Sun, reducing the Sun’s apparent size.

Specifically, the long totality arises because the Moon is near perigee and the geometry of the Earth–Moon–Sun system allows a larger apparent lunar diameter and extended totality.

The peak of totality is expected in southern Egypt near Luxor and Aswan, where daylight will darken substantially and the Sun’s corona will be visible around the Moon’s silhouette.

NASA provides the authoritative path and timing, including comparisons to shorter recent eclipses and outlining the sequence of countries the eclipse will traverse and the peak duration.

Interestingly, the August 2, 2027 eclipse path intersects with the March 20, 2034 eclipse path, a rare overlap in total eclipse trajectories.