Total solar eclipse: the next chance to see it will be in 2026 – 04/14/2024 – Science

Are you still a little euphoric about the magical moments of totality during the solar eclipse last Monday (8)? Or have the clouds arrived to block your view? Maybe you just couldn’t make it to the path of totality this time. No matter, the question now is: where and when will this happen again?

“For people who have never seen it before, the first words out of their mouths after totality ends are ‘I have to see another one, this is amazing, this is unbelievable.’ That’s when you get addicted to these things and end up traveling wherever next,” said Joseph Rao, eclipse chaser and guest speaker at the Hayden Planetarium.

So if, like Rao, you’ve developed a serious case of eclipse love, you’ll have three chances in the next four years to see the Moon obscure the Sun.

The first, on August 12, 2026, will begin above Greenland, then pass along the west coast of Iceland and head across the Atlantic Ocean and over Spain.

Almost a year later, on August 2, 2027, another will pass along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, crossing Egypt and part of the Arabian Peninsula.

The third, on July 22, 2028, will cut through Australia and the southern tip of New Zealand.

After the latter, you will have to wait until November 2030 to appreciate the phenomenon.

In the first week of this month, as Victoria Sahami, owner of Sirius Travel, prepared to guide a group of tourists in the city of Mazatlán in Sinaloa, Mexico, for the big event on the 8th, she was also making plans for these other eclipses.

Sahami joined the ranks of the eclipse-obsessed when she witnessed one in Venezuela in the 1990s. “Like many people, I was hooked. There was no going back,” she said.

Total solar eclipses happen quite regularly — about one to two years — in locations around the world. “That’s a great part about them: You end up in places you wouldn’t normally go,” Sahami said.

A big spoilsport is the weather, which will be a big variable in the 2026 eclipse — one that Greenland, Iceland and Spain will see.

“Iceland usually has a lot of clouds during this time of year,” said Paul Maley, who runs Ring of Fire Expeditions. “The data shows that Spain has the best good weather prospects of all three. However, the sun is low in the sky and the eclipse ends when the sun reaches the horizon at sunset.”

Due to Iceland’s volatile weather, Ring of Fire Expeditions is going all-in on Spain with a ten-day tour of the continent. Sirius Travel is offering not only a five-day trip to Mallorca, but also an eight-day tour of Iceland. It will be based in Reykjavik, and the itinerary will remain flexible on the day of the eclipse so the tour can easily move to the location with the least cloud cover. Sahami recommends the trip to those who have already seen a few eclipses and would be happy to just enjoy the Icelandic landscapes if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

On the other hand, the 2027 eclipse promises to be truly stellar: Luxor, Egypt, a site of countless ancient temples, lies smack in the middle of the path of totality and will be bathed in darkness for 6 minutes and 23 seconds. In terms of weather, it’s what Sahami called certainty. “You know you’ll see. You know there won’t be clouds,” she said.

But for all its potential, those considering Egypt should be aware that the US State Department has issued a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” warning for the country due to the risk of terrorism.

The 2028 eclipse will darken the skies over Sydney, Australia for 3 minutes and 49 seconds. It will be the first time the city has experienced a total solar eclipse since 1857. Sahami has his sights set on a trip based there, while Maley has chartered a cruise ship off the northwest coast of Australia. It will be winter there, he said, but that shouldn’t mean bad weather for viewing the eclipse.

If you want to see any (or all) of these eclipses, you should start planning and booking now, especially if you want to sign up for a trip organized by a tour company. One of Sirius Travel’s tours to Luxor is already full.

Review refund policies and consider insuring your trip. Several companies will fully refund your deposit if you cancel a year in advance. A lot of things can happen, Sahami said, “but if you think it will, why not?”