Total Solar Eclipse 2027: August 2 Path, Times and Where to See It

The 2027 solar eclipse is a total solar eclipse on Monday, August 2, 2027. The Moon's full shadow crosses southern Spain, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, with up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality in Egypt, according to NASA.

It is not visible from the United States or anywhere in the Americas. Much of Europe, including the UK, sees a partial eclipse, while southern Spain is inside the path of totality. Below are the path of totality, official times and durations for Spanish cities, the weather odds, and how to watch safely. Every figure on this page comes from NASA, Spain's national observatory (IGN) or the other sources listed at the end, checked on October 22, 2026.

Where is the path of totality?

The path of totality is a band up to 259 km (161 miles) wide in NASA's path table. Only inside it does the Moon cover the Sun completely. It starts at sunrise over the North Atlantic and runs east through the eight countries NASA lists, starting with Spain and Morocco on either side of the Strait of Gibraltar, then Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia, before the shadow leaves Earth over the Indian Ocean.

In Spain, IGN puts almost all of Cádiz province, much of Málaga province and the southernmost areas of Granada and Almería inside the path, plus the cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the African coast. For the predicted path limits, see NASA's path table for the 2027 eclipse and IGN's map and city list for Spain. NASA notes that its tabulation leaves out the mountains and valleys on the Moon's edge, which can shift the limits by about 1 to 3 km, so do not pick an edge-of-path site from that table alone. Check your own spot rather than going by a city name.

Totality times and durations in Spain

IGN publishes official local times (mainland Spain and Balearic summer time, CEST, which also applies in Ceuta and Melilla) and durations for Spanish cities in the path:

IGN says the longest totality in Spanish territory is in Ceuta. We have not listed figures for cities in Morocco, North Africa or the Middle East, because we could not check them against an official source; for those, use NASA's path table or the national observatory of the country you visit.

Why is totality so long?

Three things line up. The Moon is near perigee, its closest point to Earth. NASA's JPL Horizons puts it about 357,360 km away a few hours before the eclipse, so it looks large enough to cover the Sun with room to spare. Earth passed aphelion, its farthest point from the Sun, on July 5, 2027 (US Naval Observatory), so the Sun looks slightly small. And at greatest eclipse the Sun stands about 82° high over Egypt (NASA), so the shadow falls almost straight down and Earth's rotation carries the ground along with it, which slows how fast it sweeps past.

News outlets have nicknamed it the "eclipse of the century". It is a long eclipse, but not a record. NASA's catalog lists the July 22, 2009 total eclipse, for example, at 6 min 39 s. What matters for planning is the NASA maximum of 6 min 23 s in Egypt and the shorter figures toward the edges of the path.

Weather: where are the clearest skies?

The weather odds are unusually good. Eclipsophile, the eclipse-weather site, rates cloud cover along this track among the lowest it has analysed. Its highlights, east to west:

• Egypt and Libya: in Eclipsophile's climatology, some parts of the eclipse track over Libya and western Egypt recorded no cloud on the eclipse date in the 23-year sample, with Siwa and Bahariya the most reliable sites. That is past weather, not a forecast. Luxor's cloud fraction is essentially zero, though high cirrus can soften photos of the corona. Sky & Telescope adds that dust and haze matter more than cloud here, and that August temperatures in parts of Egypt and Libya regularly exceed 40°C (104°F).
• Saudi Arabia and Yemen: the Tihamah coastal plain averages just over 10% cloud, with dust a concern; Yemen near Marib is about 20%. Bosaso, Somalia averages about 50%.
• Morocco: the risk is coastal morning low cloud; Chefchaouen has the lowest values.
• Spain: inland Spain averages under 15% cloud, and Cádiz had the Sun visible on 88% of days. The Strait of Gibraltar is the cloudiest part of the western track, and moving even a short distance inland can improve your odds.

What you will see from the UK and Europe

Outside the path, the Moon covers only part of the Sun. NASA lists Europe among the regions that see the partial eclipse, and much of Europe, including the UK, sees one in the morning. How much of the Sun is covered grows the farther south and east you are, and IGN says everywhere in Spain gets at least 70%. For an exact percentage and time for your town, use your national observatory or IGN's tools; we have not listed city figures we could not check against an official source.

A partial eclipse never gets dark the way totality does, and you need eclipse glasses or a filtered telescope for the whole event, from start to finish.

Can I see the 2027 solar eclipse from the US?

No. NASA's map of where the partial eclipse is visible covers Africa, Europe, the Middle East and western and southern Asia, and leaves out the Americas entirely. To see any part of it, you have to travel. For US travellers, Spain and Morocco are the closest countries in the path, and Egypt has the longest totality and the best weather odds.

If you stay home, the next eclipse you can see from the US is a faint penumbral lunar eclipse on the evening of February 20, 2027, when the Moon slides through the outer edge of Earth's shadow and dims only slightly (NASA).

How to watch safely: glasses, filters and cameras

Looking at the partly covered Sun without protection can injure your eyes. The American Astronomical Society (AAS) safety rules are short:

• Use eclipse glasses or a handheld viewer that meets ISO 12312-2, from a supplier on the AAS list of suppliers of safe solar viewers and filters. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe.
• Inspect them before use. If a filter is scratched, punctured or torn, throw it away. Supervise children.
• Take them off only during totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun's bright face, and put them back on as soon as the bright Sun starts to reappear. Outside the path there is no safe moment to look without them.
• Never look through a telescope, binoculars or a camera without a solar filter on the front, even while wearing eclipse glasses; AAS calls that combination extremely dangerous. The finder scope must be capped, removed or filtered too. Inside the path, remove a telescope or binocular filter only during complete totality, and securely reinstall it seconds before totality ends, before any bright sunlight reappears (Celestron).
• Never use a filter that screws into the eyepiece. AAS calls these dangerous, and Celestron warns they can crack from the concentrated heat; if you own one, discard it.

For telescopes, binoculars and camera lenses, our guide to the best solar filters for telescopes explains how to size a front-mounted filter, and lists the ones we found in stock.

How to plan your trip

• Pick your priority. For the longest totality and the best weather odds, aim for Egypt, or western Egypt and Libya. For the shortest trip from Europe, southern Spain or Ceuta, where IGN's figures run from 1 min 48 s in Málaga to 4 min 48 s in Ceuta, with more cloud risk on the Strait.
• Stand near the centre line, not the edge. Totality is longest along the middle of the path and drops to nothing at the edges. Check your hotel or viewing spot on IGN's map; near an edge, do not rely on NASA's table alone, because lunar terrain can move the limits by about 1 to 3 km.
• Book flights and rooms early. Eclipse dates are fixed years ahead, and the narrow path concentrates visitors into the same towns on eclipse day.
• Plan for heat and dust in Egypt and Libya. Bring water and shade, and a way to protect your gear from dust.
• Travel light with your gear. Sky & Telescope's advice is to bring only essential equipment, keep it compact and clearly for personal use, and be ready to explain its purpose.
• Rehearse. Practice putting your filter on and taking it off at home, so you do not lose seconds of totality fumbling with straps.

While you are there, the 2027 Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 13, eleven days after the eclipse (IMO). See our Perseid meteor shower guide, our Stargazing 101 guide for the year's other sky events, and these facts about shooting stars. The Geminid meteor shower in December is the year's other big shower.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 solar eclipse?

Monday, August 2, 2027. The whole eclipse runs from 07:30 to 12:43 UT (9:30 to 14:43 CEST, mainland Spain and Balearic summer time). Totality begins at 10:45 CEST in Cádiz and Ceuta and 10:48 CEST in Málaga and Melilla (IGN).

Where is the best place to see the 2027 total solar eclipse?

Inside the path of totality and close to its centre line. Egypt has the longest totality, up to 6 minutes 23 seconds (NASA), and in Eclipsophile's climatology some parts of the eclipse track over Libya and western Egypt recorded no cloud on the eclipse date in the 23-year sample (past weather, not a guarantee). From Europe, southern Spain and Ceuta are the closest options, with up to 4 minutes 48 seconds in Ceuta (IGN).

Why is the 2027 eclipse called the eclipse of the century?

It is a media nickname for an unusually long eclipse that crosses easily reached places. It is not a record. NASA lists up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality in Egypt, and its catalog shows the July 22, 2009 total eclipse at 6 minutes 39 seconds.

Will America see the 2027 solar eclipse?

No. No part of the eclipse, not even the partial phase, is visible from the United States or anywhere in the Americas. You would need to travel to Europe, Africa or the Middle East.

How long will totality last?

Up to 6 minutes 23 seconds in Egypt (NASA). In Spain, IGN gives 4 minutes 48 seconds in Ceuta, 4 minutes 34 seconds in Melilla, 2 minutes 54 seconds in Cádiz and 1 minute 48 seconds in Málaga. Outside the path there is no totality at all.

Is there an annular solar eclipse in 2027?

Yes, on February 6, 2027. NASA lists the annular path across Chile, Argentina and the Atlantic, with up to 7 minutes 51 seconds of annularity, and a partial eclipse over South America, Antarctica and western and southern Africa. It is not visible from the US either.

Can I use sunglasses to watch the eclipse?

No. Ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the Sun. Use eclipse glasses or a handheld viewer that meets the ISO 12312-2 standard, from a supplier on the AAS list, and a front-mounted solar filter for any telescope, binoculars or camera.

Sources

All checked October 22, 2026.

• NASA: solar eclipses 2021 to 2030 (countries in totality, where the partial eclipse is visible, the February 6 annular eclipse), 2027 August 2 eclipse elements (greatest eclipse, maximum duration, Sun altitude), path table (path width), solar eclipse catalog 2001 to 2100 and lunar eclipses 2021 to 2030.
• IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional), total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027 (Spanish cities, the path in Spain, start and end of the eclipse, partial coverage in Spain).
• NASA JPL Horizons (Moon distance) and the US Naval Observatory 2027 seasons data (aphelion).
• Eclipsophile: total solar eclipse 2027 (weather and cloud climatology).
• Sky & Telescope, Jamie Carter, August 2, 2026 (dust, heat and travel advice).
• International Meteor Organization 2027 meteor shower calendar (Perseid peak).
• American Astronomical Society: eye safety, using telescopes, binoculars and cameras, and suppliers of safe solar viewers and filters.