2027 total solar eclipse hailed as 'eclipse of the century' but not the longest of this century

The total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027, has been dubbed the 'eclipse of the century,' but according to Space.com contributor Jamie Carter, it is not the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century. The maximum totality duration in southeastern Luxor, Egypt, will be 16 seconds shorter than the 6 minutes 39 seconds recorded on July 22, 2009, making 2027 the second-longest total solar eclipse of this century. Its path will cross Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, with a maximum totality duration of up to 6 minutes 23 seconds.

Viewing conditions for the 2027 total solar eclipse

The 2027 eclipse remains remarkable in part because its maximum totality duration is only 4% shorter than that of 2009, yet this totality occurs on land beneath some of the clearest skies on Earth. Carter says this is the longest-duration eclipse on land this century. In 2009, the longest totality occurred over the Pacific Ocean. Three cruise ships — Costa Classica, Fuji Maru, and Asuka II — positioned themselves near Iwo Jima, approximately 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from Tokyo.

Costa Classica approached the centerline of maximum duration. Most eclipse chasers chose to view from land, with many traveling to the vicinity of Shanghai in eastern China, where totality lasted nearly six minutes, but thick clouds and rain marred the experience for many. According to Eclipse Chaser Log, only four people claimed to have reached the point of maximum eclipse in 2009.

Background on the Saros eclipse series

Luxor, by contrast, offers the opposite scenario: more than six minutes of totality, convenient travel access, and the temples of ancient Thebes — including Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple — as well as the tombs in the Valley of the Kings, all lying within the eclipse path. According to Time and Date, the average cloud cover on August 2 is 0%. The 2027 eclipse will be the longest maximum totality on Earth since 2009 and the longest until June 3, 2114, when totality in Saudi Arabia will reach 6 minutes 32 seconds.

Carter believes more people will experience the longest totality duration than in 2009.

Both eclipses belong to the same series, Saros 136. The Saros cycle lasts approximately 18 years, 11 days, and 8 hours, after which the Sun, Moon, and Earth return to nearly the same geometric alignment. The extra 8 hours rotates Earth by roughly one-third, so each subsequent eclipse falls about 120 degrees farther west. Saros 136 began in 1360 with a partial solar eclipse, produced its first total solar eclipse in 1721, and peaked in 1955 with a duration of 7 minutes 7 seconds.

Another member of the series crossed Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America on July 11, 1991, with a duration of 6 minutes 53 seconds. The series is now gradually decreasing.

The next member arrives on August 12, 2045, crossing the United States, the Caribbean, and northern South America with a duration of approximately 6 minutes 6 seconds. Cities along the path include Reno, Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Subsequent members will cross Asia and the Pacific on August 24, 2063; Europe and the Middle East on September 3, 2081; and North America on September 14, 2099, with each duration slightly shorter than the last.

Saros 139, which will take over from the April 8, 2024, eclipse in North America, will occur on June 3, 2114.

Viewing advantages of the 2027 total solar eclipse

The 2027 total solar eclipse, hailed as the 'eclipse of the century,' falls short of the 2009 maximum totality duration, but because it crosses land, viewing conditions are more favorable. Luxor's clear skies and convenient travel access will allow more people to experience this astronomical phenomenon. What makes this eclipse special is that it is not only the longest total solar eclipse of the current century but also one of the longest in the coming decades, which will attract large numbers of astronomy enthusiasts and tourists, further enhancing its cultural and tourism value.