Top total solar eclipses to look out for over the next decade

Jamie Carter

Thu, April 11, 2024 at 12:00 PM UTC

6 min read

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Map showing the routes of upcoming total solar eclipses and annular solar eclipses across Earth along with their dates. . — Total and annular solar eclipses in the 2020s and early 2030s. | Credit: Michael Zeiler/GreatAmericanEclipse.com

In the next decade, seven total solar eclipses will occur on Earth, plunging countries as diverse as Australia, Egypt, Spain and Sudan under the central shadow of the moon. The first of these will be on Aug. 12, 2026, and the last will be on March 20, 2034, with maximum durations of totality ranging from 1 minute, 8 seconds to 6 minutes, 23 seconds.

Here are the important details about where, when and how to experience a total solar eclipse in the next decade.

1. Total solar eclipse of 2026

a street lined both sides with houses and buildings with the orange yellow bright glow of a setting sun in the distance.

Total solar eclipse of 2026

When: Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026

Where: Russia, Greenland, Iceland and Spain

Maximum duration of totality: 2 minutes, 18 seconds

Europe's first total solar eclipse for 27 years will coincide with the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower. The path of totality will pass over Greenland, western Iceland and northern Spain. The place to experience maximum totality will be on a cruise ship off the coast of Reykjavik, Iceland. The chances of a clear sky are much higher in northern Spain, but the eclipse will be much lower, so sight lines will be key. From the Spanish island of Mallorca, it will even be possible to see a "sunset totality" featuring a golden corona (as long as there are clear skies).

2. Total solar eclipse of 2027

: In an aerial view, a hot air balloon flies over the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut along the West Bank on February 2, 2023 in Luxor, Egypt.

Total solar eclipse of 2027

When: Monday, Aug. 2, 2027

Where: Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia and British Indian Ocean Territory

Maximum duration of totality: 6 minutes, 23 seconds

Saros 136 is our era's preeminent family of total solar eclipses. It repeats every 18 years, 11 days and eight hours. The next one is on Aug. 2, 2027, with Luxor, Egypt, destined for a clear view of 6 minutes, 23 seconds of totality. Other options include southern Spain; Gibraltar; Tangier, Morocco; Tunisia's Kerkennah Islands; and Jeddah and Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

However, all eyes will be on Luxor, where an eclipsed sun will be visible from the Valley of the Kings, Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Colossi of Memnon and the Temple of Hatshepsut. A whopping 89 million people will experience totality in 2027 — far more than witnessed the 2024 total solar eclipse in North America.

3. Total solar eclipse of 2028

People drinking and eating at the restaurants and bars around the Sydney Opera House and harbor bridge, Sydney, Australia.

Total solar eclipse of 2028

When: Saturday, July 22, 2028

Where: Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, Australia and New Zealand

Maximum duration of totality: 5 minutes, 10 seconds

This solar eclipse — the second of five in 15 years for Australia — will be visible from remote locations such as the Bungle Bungles and Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, respectively, as well as Dubbo, the Blue Mountains and Sydney, where observers will get to witness 3 minutes, 48 seconds of totality. The South Island of New Zealand — including Milford Sound, Queenstown and Dunedin — will also experience totality close to sunset.

4. Total solar eclipse of 2030

The Spitzkoppe is a group of bald granite peaks or inselbergs located between Usakos and Swakopmund in the Namib desert of Namibia. The granite is more than 120 million years old and the highest outcrop rises about 1,728 metres (5,669 ft) above sea level.

Total solar eclipse of 2030

When: Monday, Nov. 25, 2030

Where: Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho and Australia

Maximum duration of totality: 3 minutes, 44 seconds

This eclipse will occur mostly at sea, but it will cross almost 11 million people on two continents. Totality will occur shortly after sunrise from Namibia's Skeleton Coast before moving across Botswana to Durban on the east coast of South Africa. The path of totality will then stretch across a remote part of the Indian Ocean before a low-setting eclipsed sunset is seen from South Australia and the outback of New South Wales and Queensland. It's the perfect opportunity to explore Namibia or take part in a remote safari adventure in Botswana.

5. Hybrid total-annular solar eclipse of 2031

people on the deck of a ship look up to see an eclipsed sun.

Hybrid total-annular solar eclipse of 2031

When: Friday, Nov. 14, 2031

Where: Cruise ship from Hawaii

Maximum duration of totality: 1 minute, 8 seconds

For many people, this remote and short eclipse might not be worth the effort. After all, a brief totality during this very remote eclipse will be visible only from inside a narrow path in the North Pacific Ocean, making a cruise ship from Hawaii the most likely way to experience it.

But this is the most dramatic type of eclipse — a hybrid. A hybrid eclipse, which occurs only seven times in the 21st century, combines an annular (or "ring of fire") solar eclipse and a total solar eclipse. However, the short duration and small shadow are crucial, with informed eclipse chasers destined to enjoy an extended display of Baily's beads and a lingering diamond ring before and after totality. A "ring of fire" will be visible from the coast of Panama for 25 seconds.

6. Total solar eclipse of 2033

Aerial View Top of the World Whale Bone Arch Barrow Utqiagvik Alaska

Total solar eclipse of 2033

When: Wednesday, March 30, 2033

Where: Russia and the U.S. (Alaska)

Maximum duration of totality: 2 minutes, 37 seconds

This is the next total solar eclipse for North America. Because it occurs close to the spring equinox, it will be a great opportunity to explore Alaska during peak northern lights viewing season. An eclipsed sun as low as 8 degrees above the eastern horizon will be seen from locations such as Utqiagvik (Barrow), Sagavanirktok (Prudhoe Bay), Kotzebue and Nome.

7. Total solar eclipse of 2034

Iran, Fars Province, Persepolis, World Heritage of the UNESCO, pillars of the Apadane palace. tall stone pillars rise high against the blue sky. There appears to be a horse head carving on the nearest one.

Total solar eclipse of 2034

When: Monday, March 20, 2034

Where: Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and China

Maximum duration of totality: 4 minutes, 9 seconds

If you want a total solar eclipse to take you off the beaten path, this eclipse will suit you. The path of totality will envelope 109 million people in 13 countries in Central Africa and South Asia. Chief viewing locations will include the Red Sea Coast, in Egypt; the UNESCO World Heritage site of Persepolis, in Iran; and Leh, in the Indian Himalayas.

Additional resources

You can read all about these eclipses in the book "When Is the Next Eclipse? A traveler's guide to total solar eclipses 2024-2034," by Jamie Carter, and on his website, WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com. Other useful resources for eclipse chasers include Eclipse Wise, a website dedicated to predictions of eclipses; cartographer Michael Zeiler's GreatAmericanEclipse.com and Atlas of Solar Eclipses 2020-2045; climate and weather predictions by meteorologist Jay Anderson on Eclipsophile.com; and Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Maps.

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