What’s The Longest Total Solar Eclipse?

If you hap to find yourself successful Greenland, disconnected nan westbound seashore of Iceland aliases on a constrictive way successful cardinal Spain connected August 12, 2026, past you’re very fortunate (or very adept pinch your scheduling): you’ll get to spot a full star eclipse.

This is without a uncertainty 1 of nan most—if not the most—beautiful astronomical events a quality tin witness. The moon—hidden successful nan daytime entity until its silhouette cuts a constrictive curve astatine nan sun’s edge—slowly slides crossed nan disk of our prima toward totality, nan clip erstwhile nan satellite wholly blocks nan sun. As totality nears, nan ray astir you changes timbre, shadows sharpen, birds extremity chirping and crickets commencement singing arsenic if nighttime is falling. And past nan infinitesimal arrives. The sun’s superb disk is afloat blocked, and nan ethereal wisps of nan corona—the sun’s gaseous atmosphere—come afloat into view. Brighter stars and a fewer planets look successful nan darkened entity arsenic well.

Part of an eclipse’s affectional effect is really fleeting that infinitesimal of totality is; this August’s will max retired astatine conscionable much than 2 minutes. Not that a longer 1 needfully lessens nan feelings—totality during nan “Great American Eclipse” of 2024 lasted much than 4 minutes but was still an unthinkable acquisition for viewers.

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This raises an evident question, however: Just really agelong can an eclipse be?

The reply depends connected a batch of factors. For example, nan satellite orbits Earth connected an elliptical path, truthful sometimes it’s farther from america than different times. When it’s closer, it’s besides bigger successful nan sky, truthful totality takes longer to elapse. Conversely, Earth besides orbits nan sun connected an ellipse, truthful erstwhile our satellite is astatine aphelion (its top star distance), our prima appears astatine its smallest successful nan sky, extending totality.

Latitude matters arsenic well. We unrecorded connected a spinning planet, and nan satellite orbits Earth successful nan aforesaid guidance arsenic that rotation. The lateral velocity of Earth’s rotation is top astatine nan equator, wherever it reaches much than 1,600 kilometers per hour. This maximizes nan magnitude of an eclipse location because a spectator follows on nan moon’s motion.

Complicating matters is that nan satellite is closest to an perceiver (and truthful is largest successful nan sky) erstwhile straight overhead, astatine nan zenith. Earth is astatine aphelion successful July, however—a clip erstwhile it’s intolerable for nan sun to beryllium astatine nan zenith arsenic seen from nan equator! The measurement nan geometry useful out, nan champion spot for a maxed-out “equatorial” eclipse would beryllium astatine a latitude of 5 degrees north.

There are much subtle effects arsenic well—such arsenic gradual changes successful nan style of Earth’s orbit arsenic a consequence of nan gravitational effects of different planets—that make this calculation difficult. But it’s not impossible: Jean Meeus, a Belgian amateur astronomer and bona fide master successful celestial mechanics, did nan math. Across nan clip scope of 2,000 B.C.E. to C.E. 7,000, nan longest eclipse that he recovered was 7 minutes and 35.9 seconds. Unfortunately, we already missed it because it occurred astir 120 B.C.E.

In nan much modern era, the longest eclipse will hap successful bluish South America connected July 16, 2186. This 1 will highest astatine 7 minutes and 29 seconds successful a spot successful nan Atlantic Ocean northbound of Brazil—not excessively bad, though possibly a spot farther successful nan future than those of america live now tin wait.

Mind you, these durations only use if you’re stuck connected nan ground. But what if you flew eastward on nan eclipse path, pursuing its motion? The moon’s protector typically moves astatine astir 1 km/s on nan ground, truthful a cautiously arranged airplane formation could adhd rather a spot of clip to totality. In 1973 the supersonic Concorde pitchy flew on an eclipse way complete Africa, extending nan seven-minute eclipse to an astonishing (and still-held) grounds of 74 minutes!

That must person been rather nan adventure, but I fishy that if an eclipse lasts too long, nan thrill wanes. Humans are cursed to go inured to thing that persists agelong enough, and moreover nan staggering beauty of a full star eclipse whitethorn statesman to slice after, say, an hour.

Which really intends that extending totality tin only return you truthful acold earlier different factors go much important. The astir evident 1 would beryllium location. For example, I saw nan 2017 U.S. eclipse successful Wyoming, which was lovely, but not precisely scenic astatine our location. But in 2045 a full eclipse will play retired complete Arches National Park successful Utah; a canny perceiver (and photographer!) would do good to framework that 1 betwixt towering reddish sandstone buttes.

As different example, nan way of this August’s eclipse crosses complete nan Spanish land of Mallorca. Sure, it will hap during nan island’s scorching summertime, but, connected nan different hand, you’ll beryllium successful Mallorca.

Specific timing would beryllium helpful, too. Basking successful totality astatine sunrise aliases sunset would beryllium spectacular. Malaysian photographer Teoh Hui Chieh created a stunning time-lapse video of an Australian annular star eclipse transpiring astatine sunrise successful 2013. More generally, an eclipse erstwhile nan sun is magnetically active—as it will beryllium for August’s occurrence—means much sunspots and much building successful nan corona, adding a spot of other spice.

More realistically, of course, upwind plays a ascendant role. What’s nan constituent of being coming for a celestially superlative eclipse if a thunderstorm prevents you from decently experiencing it? This intends you should astir apt prioritize those occurring astatine places and times offering nan champion chances for clear skies. Flying successful an airplane helps here, too, because you tin get supra nan weather. Cruise lines commonly person eclipse excursions arsenic well, and they person nan advantage of steaming to a different locale on nan way of totality if nan upwind looks iffy.

For me, I deliberation nan astir awesome position would beryllium an eclipse successful nan entity supra an erupting volcano—two of nature’s astir magnificent displays, some visible simultaneously. Imagine 1 complete Italy’s Mount Etna during a strombolian eruption aliases successful Hawaii pinch Kilauea’s fountains successful nan foreground. Sadly, neither location will big a full eclipse successful nan adjacent decade, though.

Still, contempt each these exotic maneuvers and locations, successful nan end, nan optimal spot to spot an eclipse is wherever 1 tin beryllium seen. Whether it’s nan astir breathtaking spot connected Earth aliases nan astir boring spot imaginable, you get to spot an eclipse—an all-too-rare arena passim nan full star system! And that’s worthwhile each by itself.