On August 2, 2027, a rare and spectacular total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. This exceptional event will feature an unusually long duration of totality, lasting up to 6 minutes and 23 seconds. According to Metro, it will be one of the longest total solar eclipses visible from land between 1991 and 2114, making it a significant celestial occurrence of the century.
Solar Eclipse 2027
The 2027 total solar eclipse will be a rare event where the Sun fully disappears behind the Moon, creating a moment known as totality. As the Moon blocks out the Sun's light, a line of totality will slowly move across the world, bringing darkness to the daytime sky for a brief period. The path of totality will cover parts of southern Europe and northern Africa, where approximately 89 million people live.
This phenomenon will be visible in countries, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia. According to Greg Brown, a senior astronomer at the Royal Museums Greenwich, the eclipse will last an impressive six minutes, which is exceptionally long for such a cosmic event.
"It varies from only a few seconds at its shortest to a theoretical maximum of 7.5 minutes. This variation is due to the Moon and Sun varying in apparent size, itself due to their slightly changing distance from the Earth during the Moon's orbit around the Earth and the Earth's orbit around the Sun," Mr Brown said.
What is a Solar Eclipse?
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, blocking part or all of the Sun's light. This can only happen during a new moon, when the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun. Solar eclipses are relatively rare because the Moon's orbit is tilted, so it usually passes above or below the Sun in the sky. There are three types of solar eclipses:
1. Total Solar Eclipse: The Moon completely blocks the Sun's light, revealing the Sun's corona.
2. Partial Solar Eclipse: The Moon partially covers the Sun, creating a partial shadow on Earth.
3. Annular Solar Eclipse: The Moon appears smaller than the Sun, creating a ring of light around the Moon.
