The 2027 total eclipse
The path of totality, country by country
On Monday 2 August 2027 the moon's shadow touches down in the Atlantic, crosses the south of Spain and Gibraltar mid-morning, then runs across northern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, over the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and leaves land at the tip of Somalia. The path is about 258 km wide. The longest totality, 6 minute seconds 23.2s, falls in Egypt, where the sun is also at its highest, about 80° up. In Luxor totality lasts 6m 20s; in southern Spain it is under five minutes with the sun about 38° up.
West to east
Totality city by city along the track
Seville, Tunis and the other cities marked “partial” sit just outside the path. Every time is that country's own clock on 2 August 2027.
| City | Country | Totality | Totality begins | Sun height | Clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seville | Spain | Partial, 98.35% | Max 10:47 | 38° | UTC+2 |
| Cádiz | Spain | 2m 54s | 10:45 | 37° | UTC+2 |
| Málaga | Spain | 1m 51s | 10:48 | 39° | UTC+2 |
| Tarifa | Spain | 4m 38s | 10:45 | 38° | UTC+2 |
| Gibraltar | Gibraltar | 4m 27s | 10:45 | 38° | UTC+2 |
| Tangier | Morocco | 4m 50s | 09:44 | 38° | UTC+1 |
| Chefchaouen | Morocco | 4m 13s | 09:45 | 39° | UTC+1 |
| Oran | Algeria | 5m 08s | 09:51 | 43° | UTC+1 |
| Tunis | Tunisia | Partial, 97.08% | Max 10:10 | 55° | UTC+1 |
| Kairouan | Tunisia | 2m 43s | 10:08 | 55° | UTC+1 |
| Sfax | Tunisia | 5m 39s | 10:08 | 56° | UTC+1 |
| Djerba | Tunisia | 4m 24s | 10:09 | 57° | UTC+1 |
| Benghazi | Libya | 6m 09s | 11:27 | 68° | UTC+2 |
| Luxor | Egypt | 6m 20s | 13:02 | 82° | UTC+3 |
| Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | 5m 59s | 13:22 | 76° | UTC+3 |
| Mecca | Saudi Arabia | 5m 08s | 13:24 | 75° | UTC+3 |
| Taif | Saudi Arabia | 3m 53s | 13:26 | 75° | UTC+3 |
| Abha | Saudi Arabia | 6m 03s | 13:34 | 71° | UTC+3 |
| Sanaa | Yemen | 2m 19s | 13:44 | 67° | UTC+3 |
Near an edge a few kilometres matter: Málaga has under two minutes and Seville none. For exact times anywhere in Egypt, use our times page and calculator.
Why it matters
Why it is called the eclipse of the century
- 1The longest totality over land until 2114. No total eclipse visible from land will last longer until 3 June 2114.
- 2Not the longest of the century overall. The eclipse of 22 July 2009 reached 6 minutes 39 seconds, but over the Pacific.
- 3Its longest point is in Egypt. NASA puts the greatest duration, 6m23.2s, on the centre line in the desert west of the Nile, north-west of Sohag.
- 4Most totalities are far shorter. Two or three minutes is typical. Four is long; six is exceptional.
- 5Spain's second in a year. The 12 August 2026 path crossed northern Spain. The 2027 path crosses the far south instead.
The choice
Egypt against Spain, Morocco, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia
Egypt gives the longest totality, the highest sun and very nearly the driest sky on the track. The cost is heat: early afternoon in Upper Egypt in August is about as hot as travel gets.
| Where | Totality | Sun height | Time of day | What to weigh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxor, Egypt | 6m 20s | 82° | Early afternoon | Longest totality, temples, the Nile; average high on 2 August 42°C |
| Tarifa, Spain | 4m 38s | 38° | Mid-morning | Easy access from Europe; coastal cloud and fog possible; shorter totality |
| Tangier, Morocco | 4m 50s | 38° | Mid-morning | Close to Spain; marine cloud can reach the coast |
| Sfax, Tunisia | 5m 39s | 56° | Late morning | Among the clearest skies in the west of the track |
| Jeddah, Saudi Arabia | 5m 59s | 76° | Early afternoon | Long totality; more cloud and haze than Egypt |
On weather, the eclipse climatologist Jay Anderson finds that August cloud is almost unknown over Libya and western Egypt, and that the cloud fraction only begins to climb above zero as the track reaches Luxor. Average cloudiness rises by more than 40 per cent between the southern Egyptian coast and Jeddah, and the Tihamah plain in Saudi Arabia carries the most dust. In Spain, inland sites average under 15 per cent cloud, while the coasts of Spain and Morocco can catch marine cloud.
Libya and Yemen are on the track, but many governments advise against travel to both, so check your own government's advice before planning there.
Across Egypt
How the path crosses Egypt
The shadow enters Egypt from Libya over the Western Desert, crossing Siwa and Bahariya, reaches the Nile around Minya, runs down the valley past Sohag, Abydos, Dendera, Qena, Luxor, Esna and Edfu, and leaves the river between Kom Ombo and Aswan. Across the Eastern Desert it meets the Red Sea coast from just north of El Quseir, south past Marsa Alam and Berenice. Cairo, Alexandria, Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh and Aswan are all outside.
See which Nile boats are inside the path on the day, where to watch in Luxor and what to do if you are staying in Cairo or on the Red Sea.
Asked often
The 2027 eclipse path, answered
- Which countries will see the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027?
- Spain (the far south), Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the tip of Somalia, plus open ocean. A much wider area of Europe, Africa and the Middle East sees a partial eclipse.
- Where is the longest totality of the 2027 eclipse?
- In Egypt. NASA puts the greatest duration, 6m23.2s, in the desert west of the Nile, north-west of Sohag. Luxor, the nearest big tourist city, gets 6m 20s.
- Is Spain or Egypt better for the 2027 eclipse?
- Egypt has the longer totality (6m 20s in Luxor against 4m 38s at Tarifa), a much higher sun and drier skies. Spain is easier to reach from Europe and cooler, but its coast can catch marine cloud and its totality is shorter and lower in the sky.
- How wide is the path of totality in 2027?
- About 258 km at its widest, in Egypt. Totality is longest along the centre line and shortens towards each edge, slowly at first and then quickly in the last few kilometres.
- Does the 2027 eclipse pass over Cairo or the pyramids?
- No. Cairo and Giza are about 200 km north of the path and see a partial eclipse of about 95 per cent.
