It’s Never Too Early to Start Planning for the Next Two Solar Eclipses

The total solar eclipse on August 12 produced some of the most spectacular images of this phenomenon in recent years. But the mini golden age of eclipses in Europe is just beginning. The so-called “Iberian eclipse trio” still has two events to go—and both promise to be even more incredible than the one that just occurred.

The next eclipse will occur in 2027 and has been dubbed “the eclipse of the century” due to its extraordinarily long duration, while the last one—set for 2028—will offer a chance to glimpse the “ring of fire” associated with an annular eclipse. Whether you’re in Spain or planning to be there (or elsewhere in the path of totality), it’s not too early to create your viewing plan.

On August 2, 2027, one of the longest total solar eclipses of this century will occur. At its peak, the moon will completely cover the sun for 6 minutes and 23 seconds. To put that in perspective, the totality phase of the August 12 eclipse lasted approximately 2 minutes and 18 seconds. The 2027 eclipse will keep the sun hidden for nearly three times as long, making it the longest eclipse in 100 years.

A narrow band across the planet will be able to view the total eclipse. The path will begin in southern Spain and northern Africa, cross Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, and then continue through Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Somalia. Spain will be the only European country from which the total phase can be observed. (Well, technically, UK residents and visitors in the overseas territory of Gibraltar will also get a view.)

Egypt will see both the peak of the eclipse and the longest duration. The moon’s shadow will fall over ancient Thebes, home to the temples of Karnak and Luxor, and, on the other side of the Nile, the Valley of the Kings. The pyramids of Giza, further north, will lie just outside the path of totality and will experience a partial eclipse.

The third eclipse in the series will occur on January 26, 2028. This time, the moon will not completely cover the sun. Instead, it will leave a bright ring of fire visible around it. The path of annularity will cross South America, from Ecuador and Peru to Brazil, before crossing the Atlantic and ending in Portugal and Spain.

Brazil will offer the longest-lasting spectacle. There, the ring will remain visible for 10 minutes and 27 seconds—a duration that makes this event one of the longest annular eclipses of the century. Spain will experience a shorter but potentially very photogenic version. In cities such as Seville, Córdoba, Albacete, and Valencia, the ring of fire will last about seven minutes and will appear very close to the horizon, shortly before sunset.

This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.