Next Solar Eclipse: Dates and Where to See Them
The eclipse of 12 August 2026 is over. This page gives the next solar eclipse worldwide, the next one for your country, and the full list to 2030. Updated 12 October 2026.
When is the next solar eclipse?
The next solar eclipse is an annular eclipse on 6 February 2027. The Moon is too far away to cover the Sun, so a ring of light shows along a path over southern Chile, Argentina and the South Atlantic. A partial eclipse shows across South America, Antarctica and western and southern Africa. Nobody in the UK, mainland Europe or the United States sees it, though the Canary Islands and Madeira catch a thin partial eclipse at sunset.
The next one you can see from the UK and the rest of Europe is the total eclipse of 2 August 2027. Totality lasts up to 6 minutes 23 seconds, the longest of the four total eclipses from 2026 to 2030, along a path over southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. Outside the path it is a partial eclipse across most of Europe, and about 42% of the Sun is covered in London (calculated from NASA data). Our page on the total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027 covers the path and trip planning.
Next solar eclipse by country
The first eclipse you can actually see from where you live is often not the next one on the calendar.
| Where | Next eclipse you can see | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| UK and Ireland | 2 Aug 2027 | Partial. London: starts about 9.03am BST, peak about 10am, ends about 11am, roughly 42% of the Sun covered |
| Southern Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco | 2 Aug 2027 | Total. Ceuta 4m 48s, Cádiz 2m 54s, Málaga 1m 48s |
| Rest of Europe | 2 Aug 2027 | Partial across most of the continent |
| Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen | 2 Aug 2027 | Total, up to 6m 23s near Luxor |
| United States | Partial: 2 Aug 2027. Total: 2044 | Northern Maine sees a partial eclipse in 2027. Totality crosses Montana and North Dakota in 2044 and the southern states on 12 Aug 2045 |
| Canada | 2 Aug 2027 | Partial in the east. Totality reaches northern Canada in 2044 |
| Chile, Argentina | 6 Feb 2027 | Annular ring along the path |
| Australia, New Zealand | 22 Jul 2028 | Total |
| Botswana, South Africa | 25 Nov 2030 | Total |
Sources: NASA's eclipse catalogue and future eclipses page, Spain's Instituto Geográfico Nacional for the Spanish durations, Royal Museums Greenwich for the London times.
Solar eclipse calendar, 2026 to 2030
Every solar eclipse in the period, with the narrow path where it is total or annular and the wider zone where it shows as partial.
| Date | Type | Magnitude | Max duration | Path of totality or annularity | Partial zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Feb 2026 (past) | Annular | 0.963 | 2m 20s | Antarctica | Southern Argentina and Chile, southern Africa |
| 12 Aug 2026 (past) | Total | 1.039 | 2m 18s | Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Spain | Northern North America, western Africa, Europe |
| 6 Feb 2027 | Annular | 0.928 | 7m 51s | Chile, Argentina, Atlantic | South America, Antarctica, western and southern Africa |
| 2 Aug 2027 | Total | 1.079 | 6m 23s | Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia | Africa, Europe, Middle East, western and southern Asia |
| 26 Jan 2028 | Annular | 0.921 | 10m 27s | Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Suriname, Spain, Portugal | Eastern North America, Central and South America, western Europe, north-west Africa |
| 22 Jul 2028 | Total | 1.056 | 5m 10s | Australia, New Zealand | South-east Asia, East Indies, Australia, New Zealand |
| 14 Jan 2029 | Partial | 0.871 | None | None | North America, Central America |
| 12 Jun 2029 | Partial | 0.458 | None | None | Arctic, Scandinavia, Alaska, northern Asia, northern Canada |
| 11 Jul 2029 | Partial | 0.230 | None | None | Southern Chile and Argentina |
| 5 Dec 2029 | Partial | 0.891 | None | None | Southern Argentina and Chile, Antarctica |
| 1 Jun 2030 | Annular | 0.944 | 5m 21s | Algeria, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey, Russia, northern China, Japan | Europe, north Africa, Middle East, Asia, Arctic, Alaska |
| 25 Nov 2030 | Total | 1.047 | 3m 44s | Botswana, South Africa, Australia | Southern Africa, southern Indian Ocean, East Indies, Australia, Antarctica |
Source: NASA Goddard eclipse catalogue (decade 2021 to 2030). Magnitude is the share of the Sun's diameter covered at the peak. Above 1 the eclipse is total, below 1 it is annular or partial. Durations are for the central phase at the best point on the path. NASA's text for 2 August 2027 does not name Tunisia and Gibraltar, which the band also crosses. Note that 2029 is not empty for Europe: the 12 June 2029 partial eclipse reaches Scandinavia.
Next solar eclipse in the UK
2 August 2027: a morning partial eclipse
Royal Museums Greenwich gives these London times: the partial eclipse begins at 9.03am BST, peaks at 10am and ends around 11am. The maximum is about 42% of the Sun covered, a figure calculated from NASA data. Space.com puts the maximum at 48% in southern England, so expect a few points of difference between sources and between towns. The Moon takes a bite out of a still very bright Sun, so the light barely dims. You need glasses or a pinhole projector the whole time.
Then January 2028, June 2029 and June 2030
- 126 January 2028: a partial eclipse at sunset, up to 56% of the Sun covered, best seen from the west such as Cornwall and Wales (Space.com). The ring itself is annular over Portugal and Spain, covered on our January 2028 annular eclipse page.
- 212 June 2029: a shallow partial eclipse at sunrise, visible only from Scotland and the north of England, with about 13% of the Sun covered in Edinburgh and 11% in Newcastle (Space.com for the area, NASA data for the figures).
- 31 June 2030: an early-morning partial eclipse across the whole UK with the Sun already up, up to about 49% of the Sun covered in the south-east (Space.com).
Totality in the UK: 23 September 2090
The last total eclipse over the UK was in 1999, and Cornwall was the only part of the UK to see totality (Royal Museums Greenwich). NASA's catalogue lists the next one on 23 September 2090, with a path over Canada, Greenland, the UK and France and 3 minutes 36 seconds of totality at best. Until then, UK observers travel: southern Spain on 2 August 2027 is the nearest path.
The two eclipses of 2027 side by side
Both fall in 2027, six months apart, and they are very different events.
6 February 2027
Magnitude 0.928 and up to 7 minutes 51 seconds of ring. The path crosses Chile, Argentina and the Atlantic. Partial in South America, Antarctica and western and southern Africa. Not visible from the UK, mainland Europe or the United States.
2 August 2027
Magnitude 1.079 and up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality. The path crosses southern Spain, North Africa, Egypt and Arabia. Partial across most of Europe, including the UK, and in northern Maine and eastern Canada.
Eclipse glasses for the next eclipse
Looking at the Sun is safe without a filter only during totality, inside the narrow path of a total eclipse. Every other phase of every solar eclipse needs a filter that conforms to ISO 12312-2: all of a partial eclipse, all of an annular eclipse, and the partial phases before and after totality (American Astronomical Society, AAS). That includes the UK on 2 August 2027. Ordinary sunglasses, however dark, are not safe.
- 1Check the maker: the AAS notes that ISO does not test products, so look for a manufacturer whose viewers were tested by an accredited laboratory, not just an "ISO" print on the frame.
- 2Inspect before use: discard glasses that are scratched, punctured, torn or coming loose from the frame.
- 3Age: the AAS says viewers less than 10 years old, tested and undamaged, can be reused. Follow any shorter period printed by the maker.
- 4Put them on before looking up, and look away before taking them off.
- 5Never use glasses in front of a camera, telescope or binoculars, and never look through unfiltered optics. The concentrated light can damage the filter and your eyes.
No glasses at hand
Project the Sun instead of looking at it. The gaps in a colander, a straw hat or crossed fingers throw small crescent images on the ground, and a leafy tree does the same. Turn your back to the Sun and never look through the holes. Our eclipse glasses guide covers the standard and how to spot fakes.
When is the next lunar eclipse?
Lunar eclipses run on a separate calendar, because they happen at the full moon. Per NASA's lunar catalogue, the next one is a penumbral eclipse on 20 to 21 February 2027, too faint to notice by eye in most cases. The first partial eclipse of the Moon is 12 January 2028, and the first total one is 31 December 2028. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse needs no filter to watch.
Sources
Dates, types, magnitudes, durations and paths come from NASA's solar eclipse catalogue and its future eclipses page. Spanish durations come from the Instituto Geográfico Nacional, London times from Royal Museums Greenwich, and eye-safety rules from the American Astronomical Society. UK percentages for 2028 to 2030 are from Space.com. Local percentages differ between sources by a few points.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next solar eclipse?
The next solar eclipse is the annular eclipse of 6 February 2027, seen as a ring from southern Chile, Argentina and the South Atlantic and as a partial eclipse across South America and western and southern Africa. It cannot be seen from the UK, mainland Europe or the United States. The next total solar eclipse is on 2 August 2027.
When is the next solar eclipse in the UK?
The next solar eclipse visible from the UK is a partial eclipse on 2 August 2027. In London it starts at about 9.03am BST, peaks around 10am with roughly 42% of the Sun covered, and ends around 11am (times from Royal Museums Greenwich). More partial eclipses follow on 26 January 2028, 12 June 2029 and 1 June 2030.
When is the next total solar eclipse?
The next total solar eclipse is on 2 August 2027, with totality of up to 6 minutes 23 seconds across southern Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. After that come 22 July 2028 (Australia and New Zealand) and 25 November 2030 (Botswana, South Africa and Australia). Totality does not return to the UK until 23 September 2090.
When is the next solar eclipse in the United States?
The next total eclipse over the contiguous United States is dated 23 August 2044 in NASA's catalogue and crosses Montana and North Dakota. The one after, on 12 August 2045, crosses the southern states. Before then there are only partial eclipses: 2 August 2027 touches northern Maine, and NASA lists eastern North America for 26 January 2028 and North America for 14 January 2029.
What time is the next solar eclipse?
On 2 August 2027 the partial eclipse in London runs from about 9.03am to about 11am BST. In Cádiz, totality begins at about 10.45am local time and lasts 2 minutes 54 seconds (Spain's Instituto Geográfico Nacional). Times shift with location, so check an official table for your town.
When is the next lunar eclipse?
The next lunar eclipse is a penumbral one on 20 to 21 February 2027, so faint that it is hard to notice (umbral magnitude -0.057 in NASA's catalogue). Two more penumbral eclipses follow in July and August 2027. The next partial lunar eclipses are 12 January 2028 (barely partial) and 6 July 2028, and a total lunar eclipse follows on 31 December 2028.