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The sky will darken in broad daylight across a wide swath of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East with a total solar eclipse that now has a date on the astronomical calendar. The event is expected to be one of the longest in the coming decades.
According to Space, on Aug. 2, 2027, the moon’s central shadow will sweep across southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. At its point of greatest totality, it will last 6 minutes and 23 seconds, the longest total solar eclipse visible from land from 2009 until 2114.
To witness it, you have to be in the right place at the right time, and Spain plays a major role in its path. The path of totality will pass through southern Andalusia, with the longest durations farther east, in North Africa.
The ‘eclipse of the century’ will pass over these locations in August 2027
The path of totality will begin over the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Azores and Madeira, and end west of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean. The path will stretch for 15,227 kilometers, and the central shadow, about 258 kilometers wide, will take three hours and 20 minutes to cross the planet.
About half the route will pass over land. According to Time and Date, 88.9 million people live within the path of totality, which includes Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somaliland, Somalia, and the Chagos Islands.
Where will the eclipse be visible in Spain?
Millions of people will watch it from Andalusia, although the path of totality lies south of cities such as Seville, Cordoba, and Granada. Malaga and Cadiz will see brief totality, and the best spots are at the far south, late in the morning, and with the sun about 37 degrees above the eastern horizon.
These are the durations of totality at each location:
- Malaga, 1 minute and 52 seconds
- Cadiz, 2 minutes and 51 seconds
- Gibraltar, 4 minutes and 25 seconds
- Tarifa, 4 minutes and 39 seconds
Algeciras, along with Tarifa and Gibraltar, will also offer an extended totality. Those who want to add Morocco can cross the strait by ferry from Tarifa to Tangier, or from Algeciras to Tangier Med.
Egypt and North Africa will have the longest periods of totality
As the phenomenon moves east, it lasts longer. Tangier will see about 4 minutes and 50 seconds of totality, and Oran, Algeria, about 5 minutes. In Tunisia, Sfax will top 5 minutes and 40 seconds, and Benghazi, Libya, will come close to 6 minutes.
The maximum will come in southeastern Luxor, Egypt, with 6 minutes and 23 seconds, and with the sun about 82 degrees above the horizon. Luxor, Sohag, and the Red Sea coast will be around 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Egypt will be the eclipse’s top destination because of its monuments and the low chance of clouds in August.
Many major cities in North Africa are outside the path of totality. Algiers will see a 99.7% partial eclipse, Tunis 96%, and Cairo 94%. The pyramids of Giza, near the latter, are also outside the path.
The shadow will reach Mecca and end in the Indian Ocean
After Egypt, the totality will cross the Red Sea and reach Saudi Arabia. Jeddah will have more than 6 minutes of darkness, and Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, more than 5. Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, will see a brief totality of just over 2 minutes.
Then the shadow will cross the Gulf of Aden and the tip of Somalia, pass over the Chagos Islands, and end west of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, with a sunset totality of up to 3 minutes and 4 seconds.
How to view the eclipse safely and without risk
During the partial phases of the eclipse, looking directly at the sun is dangerous without special glasses for solar eclipses. Regular sunglasses do not provide enough protection, and binoculars, telescopes, or cameras should not be used without proper solar filters.
Only during the minutes of totality, when the sun is completely covered by the moon, can you look without protection. As soon as the first flash of sunlight reappears, the glasses must be put back on, and when choosing a viewing spot, it is important to make sure you are inside the path of totality.