NASA reveals that day will turn into night with the longest total solar eclipse of the century.

The 2027 solar eclipse promises a rare duration and passage over populated regions, attracting global interest as it turns day into night for several minutes.

On August 2, 2027, a total solar eclipse will turn day into night for up to 6 minutes and 23 seconds along a strip that crosses the Atlantic, southern Spain, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East.

Although the phenomenon cannot be seen from Brazil, the combination of its long duration and passage through densely populated areas has already led to this event being informally referred to as the eclipse of the century in several countries.

In practice, this is one of the longest total eclipses of the 21st century and the one with the longest period of darkness in history. accessible dry land, with the peak predicted for the Luxor region in Egypt.

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The area of ​​maximum shadow will cross historic cities, tourist areas, and large urban centers, which should mobilize scientists, amateur observers, and the tourism sector across several continents.

Where will the eclipse be fully visible?

The totality zone will begin over the Atlantic OceanIt will still be offshore and will reach the mainland via the Strait of Gibraltar.

From there, the Moon’s shadow moves across southern Spain and countries in North Africa, continues to the Middle East, and ends in the Indian Ocean.

In the European continent, only southern Spain It will be within the range of complete darkness.

The total solar eclipse of 2027 will have more than six minutes of darkness and will pass over Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, attracting worldwide attention.

Cities and areas such as the province of Cádiz, parts of Málaga, as well as Ceuta and Melilla, will experience a few minutes of daylight turning into night, with durations ranging from about 2 to almost 5 minutes, depending on the exact observation point.

Soon after, the path to wholeness continues through Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, crossing the north of the African continent.

Next, it crosses Egyptian territory, where the maximum duration approaches… 6 minutes and 23 seconds in areas near Luxor, in the Nile River valley.

This region is home to famous archaeological sites, such as ancient temples, which should attract a large influx of visitors interested in seeing the sky darken over millennia-old ruins.

After Egypt, the shadow reaches Saudi Arabia and Yemenpassing through cities like Jeddah and areas near Mecca, it continues towards the Horn of Africa, reaching parts of Somalia.

The journey ends over remote islands in the Indian Ocean, where the eclipse will already be in its final phase.

For the Brazilian public, the event will only be accessible remotely, through live streams and recordings of scientific missions.

The geometry of the alignment between the Sun, Moon, and Earth causes the shadow band to remain entirely in the Eastern Hemisphere, with no visibility, not even partial, in South America.

Global schedule for the eclipse of August 2, 2027

Considering the planet as a whole, the reference times for the eclipse are calculated in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

The first region of Earth will begin to see the Sun partially covered at around 7:31 UTC, which corresponds to 4:31 pm Brasilia time.

Shortly after, around 8:24 UTC (5:24 AM in Brasília), the path of totality effectively begins, when the Moon completely covers the solar disk at one point along its trajectory.

The moment of maximum eclipse is predicted to be around… 10:07 UTC, equivalent to 7:07 AM Brasília time, when the duration of darkness reaches its maximum.

The final part of the phenomenon occurs as the shadow moves away from the Earth’s surface.

The last location to experience totality should emerge from darkness around 11:50 UTC (8:50 AM in Brasília), while the final vestige of a partial eclipse disappears around 12:44 UTC, which corresponds to… 9:44pm in Brasilia time.

After this time, the Sun reappears fully in all parts of the globe.

Each city along the entire range has its own start, maximum, and end interval, adjusted to the local time zone and exact geographic location.

In cities in southern Spain, for example, total darkness occurs at the end of the morning, while in parts of Egypt the peak occurs around local noon.

Why does day turn to night during a total solar eclipse?

The total solar eclipse of 2027 will have more than six minutes of darkness and will pass over Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, attracting worldwide attention.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the The moon aligns itself exactly between the Earth and the Sun., so that its apparent disk in the sky is slightly larger than that of the Sun.

In this configuration, the Moon casts a main shadow, called the umbra, on a narrow strip of the Earth’s surface.

Anyone within that area will see the sun disappear for a few minutes, and the sky will darken as if it were night.

Outside this central area, a wider region is covered only by partial shade, the penumbra.

In these areas, the Sun appears “bitten,” with a fraction of the disk obscured, but without complete darkening of the environment.

The transition between fully visible Sun, partial coverage, and totality is gradual, and the entire phenomenon usually lasts more than two hours in the same location, although the total darkness phase is usually no more than a few minutes.

Despite attracting a lot of attention, solar eclipses are not so rare when you consider the entire planet.

On average, Total eclipses occur approximately every 18 months., while partial eclipses occur at least twice a year.

However, at the same point on the globe, the repetition of a total eclipse takes hundreds of years.

This local rarity explains why most people see, at most, one or two total eclipses in their lifetime without traveling to see the phenomenon.

Comparison with recent eclipses and record durations.

In April 2024, a total solar eclipse crossed North America, passing through Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

At that event, the maximum total duration was around 4 minutes and 28 seconds, a time already considered long.

The eclipse of August 2, 2027 will surpass that mark, reaching… 6 minutes and 23 seconds in the darkest region.

Still, he is not the absolute record holder of the 21st century.

The longest eclipse of this century occurred during the eclipse of July 22, 2009, which lasted approximately 6 minutes and 39 seconds, primarily over the Pacific Ocean.

Therefore, astronomers describe the 2027 event as the second longest total eclipse of the 21st century, but the longest in [context missing – likely referring to a specific event or event]. areas with easy access by landespecially in Egypt.

Safety and ways to follow the eclipse

Before observing a solar eclipse, experts emphasize that Looking directly at the sun without adequate protection can cause permanent damage to your vision..

Only glasses with certified filters, such as those that follow the ISO 12312-2 standard, or indirect projection methods are safe during partial phases.

During totality, when the Sun is completely obscured, experienced observers often remove the shielding for a few moments to see the solar corona.

As soon as even the smallest ray of sunlight reappears, the protection should be replaced immediately.

Anyone in Brazil on August 2, 2027, will be able to follow the shadow’s progress in real time through broadcasts from observatories, space agencies, and educational projects.

Knowing this so far in advance, can you imagine yourself traveling to see the night fall in broad daylight, or would you prefer to experience it all on screen?