When Is the Next Solar Eclipse?
A direct answer, then the full calendar through 2030: what type each eclipse is, how long totality lasts, and whether it reaches the United States, the United Kingdom, or the rest of Europe.
Totality crosses Morocco, Spain, and six other countries. It does not reach the United States or Canada. ISO 12312-2 glasses are required everywhere outside the narrow path of totality itself.
The next solar eclipse, in one paragraph
After the eclipse of August 12, 2026, which crossed the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, and Spain, the next total solar eclipse is on August 2, 2027. The Moon covers the Sun completely along a path that begins in Morocco, crosses the south of Spain, and continues through Algeria, Libya, and Egypt before reaching Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia. Totality lasts up to 6 minutes 23 seconds at the most favorable point on that path, the longest totality of any eclipse in this calendar through 2030.
Outside that narrow path, the eclipse still shows as a partial eclipse across a much wider region: Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and western and southern Asia. That wider zone does not include North America. If you live in the continental United States or Canada, this eclipse is not visible at all on August 2, 2027, not even as a partial eclipse. The full breakdown, including a side-by-side comparison with the 2026 eclipse and what a trip into the path of totality involves, is on our Solar Eclipse 2027 page.
Magnitude 1.079 puts this eclipse slightly ahead of the August 12, 2026 eclipse (magnitude 1.039), and the extra margin shows up directly in the numbers: totality nearly three times as long, and a path that runs much farther south and east, all the way to the Horn of Africa rather than stopping at the North Atlantic. Both eclipses share one thing in common that matters for planning: Spain sits inside the path of totality both times, which makes it the shortest realistic trip for a US or UK traveler who wants to see a total eclipse in person rather than read about one.
What this site covers
One evergreen calendar page, two eclipse-specific guides, and a full safety guide for eclipse glasses.
Next Solar Eclipse
Every eclipse date through 2030, in order, with the type, duration, and path of each one. Start here if you just want the next date and nothing else.
Read the calendar →Solar Eclipse 2027
Full detail on the August 2, 2027 total eclipse: the 6-minute-23-second path from Morocco to Somalia, why it misses North America, and what a trip to see totality involves.
Read the guide →Solar Eclipse 2028
The January 26, 2028 annular eclipse: a 10-minute-27-second ring of fire from Ecuador to Portugal, and why the glasses stay on the whole time, even inside the path.
Read the guide →Eclipse Glasses
The ISO 12312-2 standard explained, a checklist to verify any pair before you trust it, and the full list of what does not protect your eyes, sunglasses included.
Read the guide →The solar eclipse calendar through 2030
Date, type, magnitude, maximum duration, the narrow path of totality or annularity, and the wider zone where the eclipse is visible at least partially.
| Date | Type | Magnitude | Max duration | Path of totality / annularity | Partial-visibility zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 12, 2026 | Total | 1.039 | 2m 18s | Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain | Northern North America, west Africa, Europe |
| Aug 2, 2027 | Total | 1.079 | 6m 23s | Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia | Africa, Europe, Middle East, west & south Asia |
| Jan 26, 2028 | Annular | 0.921 | 10m 27s | Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, Spain, Portugal | East North America, Central & South America, west Europe, NW Africa |
| 2029 | — | — | — | — | No eclipse reaches Europe: 4 partial eclipses worldwide, touching North America, the Scandinavian Arctic, and South America |
| Jun 1, 2030 | Annular | 0.944 | 5m 21s | Algeria, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Russia, north China, Japan | Europe, north Africa, Middle East, Asia, the Arctic, Alaska |
How to read this table: the path is the narrow corridor where the eclipse reaches 100% (total) or leaves a complete ring (annular). Inside the wider zone but outside that path, the eclipse is only partial. None of the five dates above puts a path of totality or annularity across the continental United States or the United Kingdom. The closest the table gets to US soil is Alaska, inside the partial-visibility zone for June 1, 2030, and the eastern half of North America, inside the partial-visibility zone for January 26, 2028.
Total or annular: why the difference matters for your eyes
Magnitude measures how much of the Sun's diameter the Moon covers at maximum. Above 1, the Moon's disk is larger than the Sun's: it covers the Sun completely, the eclipse is total, and for a few minutes, naked-eye viewing becomes possible again, but only inside the path and only during that window. Below 1, the Moon is too small to cover the whole Sun even at the best possible alignment: a ring of light stays visible the entire time, the eclipse is annular, and there is no moment, anywhere, when it is safe to remove your glasses.
The four rated eclipses in this calendar split evenly: two sit above magnitude 1 and two sit below it.
- TAug 2, 2027, magnitude 1.079: total, the widest margin above 1 in this calendar.
- TAug 12, 2026, magnitude 1.039: total, the narrowest margin above 1.
- AJun 1, 2030, magnitude 0.944: annular, the closest any eclipse here comes to covering the whole Sun without succeeding.
- AJan 26, 2028, magnitude 0.921: annular, the widest margin below 1 in this calendar.
This distinction is not cosmetic. It decides whether there is ever a safe moment to look up without a filter. The full explanation, including what to check on a pair of glasses before you trust it, is on our eclipse glasses guide.
Why doesn't a solar eclipse happen every month?
A solar eclipse can only happen at a new moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. That doesn't happen every month, even though a new moon does. The Moon's orbit is tilted about 5° relative to the plane the Earth travels around the Sun, so most new moons pass slightly above or below the Sun as seen from Earth, and the Moon's shadow misses our planet entirely.
An eclipse only happens when a new moon falls close to one of the two points where the Moon's tilted orbit crosses that plane, known as the lunar nodes. Those points drift slowly over the months, which is why eclipses arrive in seasons roughly twice a year, and why the visibility zone shifts almost every time, depending on exactly where Earth sits on its own orbit when the alignment happens. It's also why some years, like 2029 in this calendar, produce eclipses that never touch a given continent at all.
"Next solar eclipse" means different things to different people
This search covers several different questions depending on who's typing it. Here's how to tell them apart.
Two different events
A solar eclipse happens at the new moon, when the Moon passes in front of the Sun. That's this site. A lunar eclipse happens at the full moon, when the Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon, and runs on a separate schedule not covered here.
A question of location
An eclipse can happen without ever being visible from where you live. This calendar tracks whether a given date reaches the United States, the United Kingdom, or Europe at all, whether partial or total.
What you'll actually see
For every eclipse in this calendar through 2030, no path of totality or annularity crosses the continental United States or the United Kingdom. Seeing the Sun fully covered means traveling into the path.
A totality crossing your own country
Even a wide partial-visibility zone doesn't guarantee a totality path through your country. Mainland France, for reference, isn't due for a direct hit until September 3, 2081.
Get ready: glasses, timing, and what to check
The ISO 12312-2 standard doesn't change from one eclipse to the next, and a pair of glasses in good condition works for every date in this calendar, with one limit: the recommended filter lifespan, three years from the manufacture date printed on the frame. Glasses bought for the August 12, 2026 eclipse still cover August 2, 2027, only a year later. They need a closer look by January 26, 2028, and are probably due for replacement by June 1, 2030.
None of that matters if the pair was never certified in the first place. A lens dark enough to block glare is not automatically dark enough to block the infrared that damages the retina, which is exactly why regular sunglasses, welding glass, and camera filters keep showing up as unsafe substitutes every eclipse season.
Buy as early as possible rather than in the final two weeks before a date. That's when certified stock runs low and counterfeits start turning up on online marketplaces, a pattern already documented before the 2024 United States eclipse. Our eclipse glasses guide covers the ISO 12312-2 standard, a full verification checklist, and what does not protect your eyes despite looking dark enough.
Read the safety guideFrequently asked questions
When is the next solar eclipse?
The next total solar eclipse is on August 2, 2027. It is not visible from the United States or Canada. Totality crosses Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia, with a maximum duration of 6 minutes 23 seconds.
Will the next solar eclipse be visible from the United States?
No. Neither the path of totality nor the wider partial-visibility zone for August 2, 2027 reaches North America. The next date in this calendar that touches the United States at all is June 1, 2030, when Alaska falls inside the partial-visibility zone of an annular eclipse.
What about the United Kingdom?
The partial-visibility zone for August 2, 2027 is listed as covering Europe as a whole, which is wide enough to include the UK, though our source data does not give a UK-specific start time or percentage yet. No path of totality in this calendar crosses the UK.
What is the difference between a total and an annular solar eclipse?
In a total eclipse the Moon looks larger than the Sun and covers it completely for up to several minutes, and naked-eye viewing is possible only during that window, only inside the path. In an annular eclipse the Moon looks smaller than the Sun, a ring of light stays visible throughout, and eclipse glasses never come off.
Is 2029 really a year with no solar eclipse?
For Europe, yes. Four partial solar eclipses happen worldwide in 2029, but none of them reach Europe. Two touch North America and the Scandinavian Arctic, and one touches South America.
Are eclipse glasses from a previous eclipse still good?
Yes, as long as the filter is undamaged and the pair is less than three years old, the recommended lifespan for an ISO 12312-2 filter. Check for scratches, pinholes, or delamination before reusing a pair.
When should I buy eclipse glasses for the next eclipse?
As early as possible, not in the final two weeks before the date. That is when certified stock runs low and counterfeits start showing up on online marketplaces, a pattern already documented before the 2024 United States eclipse.
Is this a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse?
Solar. It happens at the new moon, when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun. A lunar eclipse happens at the full moon, on a separate schedule, and is not covered on this site.
Does any eclipse on this site's calendar touch United States soil?
Only Alaska, and only as a partial eclipse. Alaska falls inside the partial-visibility zone for the June 1, 2030 annular eclipse. No date through 2030 puts a path of totality or annularity across any part of the United States.