THE GREAT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF 2027 AUGUST 02

The Great Total Solar Eclipse of 2027 August 02 (the descriptive “Great” is applied to total eclipses of more than 6 minutes duration) is a member of the great Saros 136, which produced eclipses of over 7 minutes during the 20th century. This is Africa´s last chance to experience the umbra of this great Saros cycle. Beginning in the mid Atlantic at sunrise, this eclipse bisects the Straits of Gibraltar, just brushing Morocco before entering Algeria and Tunisia.

Gaining in duration, the eclipse skirts northern Libya before the umbra crosses Egypt where maximum eclipse is reached very close to Luxor.  The umbra leaves Africa for a while and crosses the Red Sea and Arabia, before just clipping the horn of Africa in Somalia.  At local sunset in the Indian Ocean, just south of the equator the umbra of this great Saros leaves the earth´s surface until 2045 when it returns to the USA.  Maximum eclipse is a whopping 6m 22s at 33 deg 14.0´ E and 25 deg 30.2´ N.

Without a doubt, Luxor (on the banks fo the Nile) in Egypt will be THE place to be for this eclipse. Other suitable locations will be in Morocco, Gibraltar and any of the African countries traversed by the eclipse. But certainly, Luxor wil be the most esoteric location of them all. The duration of totality in the Valley of the Kings is 6m 22s.

Path through Straits of Algeria and Tunisia

Path through Egypt and the Valley of the Kings

Path through Saudi Arabia and Yemen