The total solar eclipse expected on August 2, 2027 will be the longest total eclipse most people alive today will ever see, according to Dr. Ryan French, a solar astrophysicist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado.
French, co-author of "The Little Book of Eclipses," said the event is unmissable because it will be the longest eclipse of the rest of most people's lives. Totality, when the moon's shadow completely blocks the view of the sun, could last more than six minutes.
Interest in eclipse travel has been building since last week's total solar eclipse, which French watched from Spain while celebrating his birthday.
According to the National Solar Observatory, the path of totality for the 2027 eclipse will cross southern Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen.
The eclipse will pass directly over the Valley of the Kings in Luxor and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, as well as over Mecca in Saudi Arabia, French said.
Clear skies are almost guaranteed in August along the entire path of the eclipse, French added, because much of the area is desert.
A partial eclipse, in which only part of the sun's light is blocked and it appears more like a crescent, will be visible across most of Europe, much of Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, as well as eastern Canada and northern Maine in North America, according to NASA.
Eclipses Around the World
Spain may have had luck on its side with eclipse visibility this year and next, but other countries are about to have their turn, French said.
He said Australia will see an incredible run of four total eclipses in ten years starting in 2028, all of them passing over major cities.
French urged eclipse chasers to book early, especially for accommodation. He said eclipse paths are relatively narrow, so hotels and lodging tend to fill up and become very expensive well before flights do.
In Brazil, a total solar eclipse will occur in parts of the North and Northeast regions on August 12, 2045.
Future Eclipses Worth Traveling For
- July 22, 2028: Australia and New Zealand
- November 25, 2030: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho and Australia
- March 20, 2034: Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and China
- September 2, 2035: China, North Korea, South Korea and Japan
- July 13, 2037: Australia and New Zealand
- December 26, 2038: Australia and New Zealand
- August 12, 2045: Brazil
