{"id":622694,"date":"2025-12-09T19:03:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T19:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/622694\/"},"modified":"2025-12-09T19:03:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T19:03:03","slug":"the-longest-solar-eclipse-for-100-years-is-coming-soon-news-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/622694\/","title":{"rendered":"The longest solar eclipse for 100 years is coming soon | News Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\"BRADY,
\n\t\tThe longest solar eclipse of the century will last six minutes and 23 seconds (Picture: Brandon Bell\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Nasa <\/a>has announced the longest solar eclipse<\/a> of the century will happen in less than two years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t be a blink and you miss it moment, either.This celestial event will last six minutes and 23 seconds on August 2, 2027.<\/p>\n

Regions of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East<\/a> will be under the moon<\/a>\u2019s shadow.<\/p>\n

A solar eclipse is a celestial event that happens when the moon passes directly between the sun and Earth, casting a shadow which blocks all or some light.<\/p>\n

How long are eclipses usually?<\/p>\n

Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society told Metro<\/strong>: \u2018This solar eclipse is significant due to its duration.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s unusual to have one this long, and requires the combination of the new moon being close enough to the Earth to cover the sun for a longer than usual time.<\/p>\n

\u2018Eclipse durations vary quite a bit \u2013 if the moon is further away then the apparent size of the silhouetted moon is a bit smaller, so it covers the sun for a shorter time.<\/p>\n

\u2018Beyond a certain distance, the eclipse is annular, and a bright ring of the solar surface is visible even mid-eclipse.\u2019<\/p>\n

The duration of a total solar eclipse always varies.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"MAZATLAN,
\n\t\tThe duration of a solar eclipse varies depending on how far away the moon is (Picture: Hector Vivas\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The April 2024 one that crossed North America<\/a> lasted four minutes and 28 seconds, whereas, one expected in Spain next August will last less than two minutes.<\/p>\n

The longest total eclipse on record was seven minutes and 28 seconds on June 15, 743 B.C.<\/p>\n

This occurred in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya and Somalia in Africa, according to Nasa calculations.<\/p>\n

Eclipse calculator Jean Meeus has previously said that the longest totality possible on Earth is seven minutes and 31 seconds. <\/p>\n

There is no record of an eclipse of this length, at least not in the past several thousand years.<\/p>\n

Where is the 2027 eclipse taking place?<\/p>\n

According to the Nasa map, the eclipse will begin in Morocco<\/a> and southern Spain before advancing through Algeria, Tunisia<\/a>, Libya and Saudi Arabia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"The
\n\t\tMap showing the path of the upcoming longest total solar eclipse in 100 years (Picture: NASA)<\/p>\n

It is then expected to peak in Yemen<\/a> and the coast of Somalia. <\/p>\n

The eclipse\u2019s maximum duration will be recorded in Egypt<\/a>, specifically in Luxor and Aswan.<\/p>\n

Robert explained to Metro<\/strong> that \u2018NASA (and others) use data from organisations like the US Naval Observatory and HM Nautical Almanac Office to calculate the precise position of the Moon in the sky, and how far away it is from the Earth.\u2019<\/p>\n

He said: \u2018Interestingly, the change in rotation of the Earth makes a difference here, something we don\u2019t know far into the future, so the precise track of the shadow of the moon is harder to determine in say ten thousand years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

\u2018But we do know how far away the moon is, and when an eclipse will happen.\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tMore upcoming solar eclipses\t\t\t<\/p>\n