Tens of millions of Americans gawked at the skies in unison Monday, transfixed by the celestial spectacle of the decade. A total solar eclipse traced a path from Mexico to the Canadian Maritimes, crisscrossing states from Texas to Maine, before vanishing over the Atlantic.
Experiencing eclipses can be addictive, leaving skywatchers hungry for the next opportunity. And there are many people yearning for another chance because either clouds blocked their view or they were unable to travel into the path.
But, unless you’re willing to travel great distances, it’s going to be awhile before the next total solar eclipse within the contiguous United States. Not until Aug. 23, 2044, to be exact. But if you’re willing to travel to some far-flung locations, the wait could be much shorter.
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The next total solar eclipses outside the United States
If you’re willing to exit the United States, your next opportunity to bask in the moon’s shadow will come on Aug. 12, 2026. A total solar eclipse will begin over remote extreme northern Russia, then pass near the North Pole before tracking southeastward over eastern Greenland, clipping western Iceland and eventually concluding over the Iberian Peninsula.
It will be the first total solar eclipse visible in Iceland since 1954, and the last until June 26, 2196. Then it will sweep through northern Spain, sneaking in between Madrid and Barcelona before ending as a spectacular sunset eclipse for the island of Palma. (I’ll be renting a house in Zaragoza)
Conveniently, the August weather will likely cooperate – Spain’s weather tends to be particularly dry, with a 70 to 80 percent chance of sunshine. Even more important is the Perseid meteor shower, which will be in full swing during the eclipse. It’s possible that a few Perseid “fireballs,” or especially-bright shooting stars, will streak across the sky during totality.
After that, there’s a total solar eclipse on Aug. 2, 2027 that passes over the Straight of Gibraltar, then swings through northern Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt before passing over the western Arabian Peninsula. Totality will be visible from western Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The shadow will cross the Gulf of Aden and swing over northern Tunisia. It will be a particularly long-lasting eclipse, with over 6 minutes 22 seconds of totality on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt near Luxor. (I’m planning to travel to this one, too.)
Then there’s one in Australia in 2028 on July 22. Flying into Alice Springs would be a good option, then driving north through the Northern Territory. (I’ll be staying in Tennant Creek. By now, you’ve probably figured out that I’m a full-fledged umbraphile, or solar eclipse addict and chaser. Umbraphile literally translates to “lover of the shadow.”)
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The next total solar eclipses within the United States
The next total solar eclipse in the United States will occur in northwest Alaska on March 30, 2033. Eastern Russia will see it too. Nome, on Alaska’s Seward Peninsula, is on the centerline and slated to receive two and a half minutes of totality. (Nome is home to the Iditarod’s finish line.) Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow – the nation’s northernmost town – is also extremely close to the centerline, and will get 2 minutes 35 seconds of totality. Unfortunately, Alaskan weather is notoriously capricious during the month of March, and it’s not impossible that the entire viewing area would be clouded over.
In the Lower 48, the next eclipse comes on Aug. 23, 2044. During that eclipse, totality will commence in the high Arctic, then trace a C-shaped path through Greenland, northwestern Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and along the British Columbia-Alberta border in Canada. Calgary is in the path. Then the shadow sweeps into Montana, North Dakota and far northwest South Dakota at sunset.
If you’re looking for a cross-country eclipse, you hardly have to wait a year after that – one is coming on Aug. 12, 2045. The shadow sweeps from California to Florida, where totality will last just over six minutes. Totality then passes over the Bahamas, Hispaniola and northeastern South America.
So sure, stateside, you’ll have to wait a couple decades – but consider booking plane tickets and arranging an adventure. Each rendezvous with the moon’s shadow is special, and alignment of sorts between you and the universe. And the best part? Chasing that shadow may take you off the beaten path to parts unknown.
(c) 2024, The Washington Post · Matthew Cappucci
I heard at the office that Dirshu has one planned for next week!
By then, we, as well as our ancestors who will be back soon iy”H, will all be seeing it clearly because the evil ones who were blocking the moon this week (with some black thing) will not be around anymore.