There has not been a total solar eclipse since the “Great American Eclipse” on April 8, 2024 — but now, two are coming up in the next two years.
The first of these total solar eclipses, on Aug. 12, 2026, will grace parts of Greenland, Iceland and Spain. The second, on Aug. 2, 2027, will occur across parts of North Africa, southern Spain and the Middle East and is being dubbed the “eclipse of the century.”
The August 2026 solar eclipse
The 2026 total solar eclipse will begin as an eclipsed sunrise in a remote part of northern Siberia, with the path of totality — the path of the moon’s dark central shadow, where a total eclipse is visible — sweeping across eastern Greenland, the west coast of Iceland and northern Spain, before concluding as an eclipsed sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.
For European observers, this marks the first total eclipse visible from mainland Europe since 1999. In Spain, cities like León, Burgos and Valladolid will be the best places to witness totality.
The eclipse will be visible about 10 degrees above the horizon, which is about the width of your fist held at arm’s length.
Totality there will occur close to sunset, and clear skies are likely for both the eclipse and the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower later that night. It may even be possible to spot a meteor in the twilight-like skies of totality, which will last less than two minutes.
Travelers seeking the longest totality — just over two minutes — may head to Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula or the fjords of eastern Greenland. At these latitudes in August, the nights are too short for reliable meteor spotting. However, the northern lights may make an appearance during the brief night or, perhaps, during a fleeting totality.
August 2027: The ‘eclipse of the century’
Although any total solar eclipse is special, the 2027 event is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.
The Aug. 2, 2027 total solar eclipse will last up to an extraordinary 6 minutes, 22 seconds and will be seen from a path of totality that touches parts of Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.
This eclipse is already being billed as the “eclipse of the century,” with observers near Luxor, Egypt, enjoying the longest land-based totality of the 21st century. Besides being the longest total solar eclipse of this era, this event is special for another reason: The climate in the path of totality means clear skies are likely throughout the region.
While these two total solar eclipses are already getting skywatchers excited, a lesser-known totality lies just beyond. On July 22, 2028, a total solar eclipse will cross Australia and New Zealand, with Sydney witnessing its first totality since 1857. For eclipse chasers across the globe, a boom time beckons.
