Quick answer: The next total solar eclipse after August 12, 2026 comes on August 2, 2027. Greatest eclipse is at 10:06 UTC at 9°55′ Leo. The path of totality runs from the Atlantic through southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. Near Luxor, Egypt, totality lasts about 6 minutes 23 seconds, the longest total phase visible from land in the 21st century.
Yesterday the Moon's shadow crossed Greenland, Iceland and Spain. If you missed it, the next one is less than a year away, and it is longer. On August 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse crosses the Mediterranean world from Cádiz to the Red Sea. It is the headline eclipse of 2027.
When and where to see it
The eclipse begins over the Atlantic. The shadow reaches the Strait of Gibraltar in the morning, covers southern Spain (Cádiz, Málaga) and Ceuta, then crosses to Tangier in Morocco. From there it runs east through Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, follows the Nile valley in Egypt, crosses the Red Sea to Jeddah and Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and ends over Yemen and Somalia in the afternoon.
Around Luxor the Sun stays hidden for more than six minutes. Outside the band, a partial eclipse is visible across most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and western Asia.
Key facts:
- Date: August 2, 2027
- Greatest eclipse: 10:06 UTC
- Type: total solar eclipse (partial over a much wider region)
- Path of totality: southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia
- Maximum totality: about 6 minutes 23 seconds near Luxor, Egypt
- Position: 9°55′ Leo, near the Moon's south node
Why this eclipse matters
Two things set it apart. The first is length. Most total eclipses give two or three minutes of darkness. This one gives more than six, and no other total eclipse this century offers a longer total phase from land. The second is the map. The path crosses places that are easy to reach and often cloudless in August, from Andalusia to Luxor.
It is also the only headline eclipse of its year. The 2027 eclipse set has five events: an annular solar eclipse on February 6 at 17°37′ Aquarius, three penumbral lunar eclipses (February 20, July 18 and August 17), and this total solar eclipse. No lunar eclipse in 2027 is total or partial, so August 2 stands alone. The 2027 eclipse calendar lists them all in UTC.
Safety
Never look at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses or a properly filtered solar viewer. Ordinary sunglasses are not enough. Totality is the only phase that is safe to view with the naked eye, and only from inside the path. When the first sliver of Sun returns, the glasses go back on. Outside the path the eclipse stays partial the whole time, so the filters never come off.
The astrological meaning of a Leo eclipse
A note on how to read this section. Astrology here is treated as a symbolic and traditional language, a mirror for reflection rather than a tool for prediction. The astronomy above is fact. The meaning below is interpretation.
In that tradition, a solar eclipse is a New Moon with extra weight: a beginning that also closes something. This one falls at 9°55′ Leo, and Leo's themes are familiar:
- Identity and self-expression
- Creativity and play
- Leadership and authority
- The heart, in both the emotional and the courageous sense
- Being seen
What makes 2027 unusual is the repeat. The eclipse of August 12, 2026 fell near 20° Leo. This one falls at 10° Leo, in the same sign, one year later. In traditional reading, eclipses in the same sign in consecutive years return to the same area of the birth chart: the house that holds Leo. Whatever that house governs gets a second visit.
The lunar nodes add a colour. In 2026 and 2027 the north node is in Aquarius (it entered on July 27, 2026) and the south node is in Leo. A solar eclipse near the south node is often read as a release rather than a launch: something personal, proud or creative is let go so that the Aquarius side, the group and the wider view, can take more room.
Who notices it most? Traditionally, people with the natal Sun, Moon, Ascendant or a planet within about 3° of 10° Leo, 10° Aquarius, 10° Taurus or 10° Scorpio. Your birth chart shows whether you have a point there.
How to work with it
You do not need to stand in Luxor to use this date. A few descriptive prompts:
- Look back at what began or ended around August 12, 2026. The 2027 eclipse continues that story in the same chart area.
- Ask where you are performing rather than expressing. Leo eclipses tend to make that difference visible.
- If you want the wider picture of the year, read the 2027 astrology forecast and follow the current sky on the live transits page.
When is the next total solar eclipse?
After August 2, 2027 the next total solar eclipse comes on July 22, 2028, at 29°50′ Cancer. Its path crosses Australia and reaches New Zealand near sunset. The eclipse cycle then leaves the Leo and Aquarius axis for Cancer and Capricorn. Details are in the 2028 eclipse guide and the 2028 eclipse calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the total solar eclipse of 2027?
On August 2, 2027. Greatest eclipse is at 10:06 UTC, with the New Moon at 10:05 UTC. Local times run from mid-morning in Spain to early afternoon in Arabia.
Where is it visible?
The total phase is visible from a band that runs through southern Spain (Cádiz, Málaga), Ceuta, northern Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. A partial eclipse is visible across most of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and western Asia.
What sign is it in?
The eclipse falls at 9°55′ Leo, near the Moon's south node. It is the second Leo total solar eclipse in a row, after the one near 20° Leo on August 12, 2026.
How long does totality last?
Up to about 6 minutes 23 seconds near Luxor in Egypt. That is the longest total phase visible from land in the 21st century.