A Record-Setting Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming in 2027

A day after a total solar eclipse crossed parts of Europe, skywatchers already have their next date circled: an even longer total eclipse is coming Aug. 2, 2027, though most of the U.S. won't get a view of it.

A Rare Eclipse Lasting Nearly Six and a Half Minutes

The Aug. 2, 2027 eclipse will last up to 6 minutes and 23 seconds at its peak, according to NASA, making it the longest stretch of totality until 2114. For comparison, the widely watched April 2024 total eclipse across North America lasted just 4 minutes and 28 seconds at its longest point, while the 1991 eclipse, one of the longest of the 20th century, ran 6 minutes and 53 seconds.

The path of totality will sweep across parts of Africa, Europe and the Middle East, including sections of Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Gibraltar, Libya, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. A wider partial eclipse will be visible across additional parts of those three continents.

Little to See From the U.S. This Time

Unlike Wednesday's eclipse, which offered a partial view across parts of the northern U.S. and Alaska, the 2027 eclipse will barely touch American soil. A partial eclipse will be visible only in parts of Maine, and only briefly, between 5:14 and 5:19 a.m. ET, according to Time and Date. For most of the country, this one will happen entirely out of view.

What's Next

For those hoping to witness totality firsthand, next year's eclipse will require travel to Africa, Europe or the Middle East. Skywatchers in the U.S. looking for a domestic show will need to wait longer: the next total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. isn't expected until 2044.

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