Total Eclipse MapWhy it is called “the eclipse of the century”
Because of its length. At greatest eclipse, near Luxor, totality lasts 6 minutes 23 seconds. It is the longest total eclipse visible from land between 1991 and 2114. The only longer one this century was on 22 July 2009 (6 min 39 s), but its maximum fell in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
For comparison, most total eclipses last two to four minutes. The 2024 eclipse in the United States peaked at 4 min 28 s.
Why it lasts so long
Three things line up:
- The Moon looks big. It will be close to its nearest point to Earth, so its disc covers the Sun with room to spare.
- The Sun looks small. Earth passes its farthest point from the Sun in early July and is still close to it on 2 August.
- The shadow crosses near the equator around midday. There Earth spins fastest and “chases” the shadow, which slows it down over the ground. In Luxor the Sun will be 82° high, almost overhead.
A sibling of the 1991 and 2009 eclipses
Eclipses repeat in families called Saros series: every 18 years and 11 days the Moon, Sun and Earth return to almost the same position. The 2027 eclipse belongs to series 136, the same one that produced the 1991 Mexico eclipse and the 2009 eclipse in Asia, two of the longest of the past hundred years.
Ten countries in three hours
The shadow touches down at sunrise in the Atlantic, enters through the Strait of Gibraltar and crosses southern Spain, northern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. It then crosses the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, passes over Somalia and leaves Earth over the Indian Ocean. About 89 million people live inside the path, more than three times as many as for the great 2024 American eclipse.
Spain, at the heart of a unique run
Spain gets three central eclipses in under two years: the total eclipse of 12 August 2026, this one on 2 August 2027, and an annular “ring of fire” eclipse on 26 January 2028. In southern Spain totality arrives mid-morning with the Sun about 38° high: high enough to see well and low enough to photograph with the landscape.
Not the pyramids, but the temples
Greatest eclipse falls near Luxor, ancient Thebes. A few kilometres away are Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut. In August the chance of cloud in Luxor is close to zero; the challenge will be heat, with highs above 40 °C.
Cairo and the pyramids of Giza are outside the path: the Sun will be 94% covered there, but it will not get dark.
What you notice during totality
- Light drops suddenly and a 360° sunset glow appears on the horizon.
- Venus, Jupiter and the brightest stars appear in broad daylight.
- The temperature can drop several degrees within minutes.
- Animals behave as at dusk: birds fall silent and settle.
- The solar corona, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, appears around the Moon, visible to the naked eye only during totality.
And outside the path
Across most of Europe the eclipse will be partial: 86% of the Sun covered in Madrid, 74% in Rome, 51% in Paris, 42% in London and 34% in Berlin. However close it gets, a partial eclipse is nothing like a total one: it does not get dark and you do not see the corona. To really see it you need to be inside the path.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called the eclipse of the century?
Because with 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality it is the longest total eclipse visible from land between 1991 and 2114.
Is it the longest eclipse of the 21st century?
Over land, yes. The longest of the century overall was on 22 July 2009, at 6 min 39 s, but its maximum fell over the Pacific Ocean.
Where does the 2027 eclipse last longest?
Near Luxor, Egypt, with 6 minutes 23 seconds. In Spain the maximum is in Ceuta and Tarifa, at around 4 minutes 40-50 seconds.
When will there be another eclipse this long?
Over land, not until 2114.