There are two spectaculars coming in the next two summers total solar eclipsesin which for a few minutes the Moon’s disk will completely cover that of the Sun, creating an enchanting “twilight” effect that will affect the entire horizon in broad daylight. The dates to mark in the calendar are August 12, 2026 and the August 2, 2027: the latter, in particular, will have an exceptional duration, with a totality that will reach 6 minutes and 23 secondsthe longest until 2114.
In Italy the two eclipses will be partial: our country does not fall within the totality band and therefore we will only see part of the Sun being covered by the Moon. In both cases, however, we will not have to travel very far to admire the spectacle of the total eclipse: on 12 August 2026 the astronomical phenomenon will be observable in all its power from Spainwhile on August 2, 2027, totality will be in North Africa and the maximum duration will be reached in Egypt.
Where and when to observe the total solar eclipse in 2026
That of 12 August 2026 will be the first total solar eclipse in Europe after that of 1999. The only country in which totality will be visible – excluding Greenland – is Spainincluding a stretch of the island of Majorca. In the image below you can see the line of points where the totality of the eclipse will be observable.
In Italy the eclipse will be partial with coverage until 93% in Val d’Aosta which descend to the South up to 10% around Santa Maria di Leuca.
Where to observe the longest eclipse until the end of the century in 2027
You may have read that the total eclipse of August 2, 2027 will be the longest of the 21st century. Well, that’s not exactly the case: it’s actually the second longest of this century, beaten by the eclipse of July 22, 2009 which he achieved 6 minutes and 39 seconds of totality (13 seconds more than that of 2027) in a small island of about 60 inhabitants in Japan. Let’s say the 2027 eclipse will be the longest of the 21st century visible without moving to an incredibly remote location for us.
You can admire the spectacle of totality in the darkest band that you can see in the image below. The countries affected will be Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen And Somalia. The location with the maximum duration (6 minutes and 23 seconds) will be particularly “lucky” because it will happen about 60 km from Luxorin Egypt, one of the most evocative places in the country.
In Italy the eclipse will be partialwith coverage percentages ranging from 55% in the Triveneto until 99.8% – therefore almost total – in Lampedusa. Technically it will be possible to observe the totality without trespassing from Italian territory, provided that you find a way to travel around 20 km offshore of the southern coast of Lampedusa, just before the border of international waters.
