When Is the Next Solar Eclipse?
The April 8 solar eclipse will cover a wide swatch of the United States, but it isn’t the only eclipse hitting the world in the next decade.
For those based in the U.S., the 2024 solar eclipse is the one to see, but there’s other worldwide destinations getting ready for their own eclipse events in the coming years.
Mark your calendars for Greenland, Iceland, and Spain in 2026.
Solar eclipse fans in the United States have had April 8 circled on calendars for the last seven years. With the return of a total solar eclipse event to the United States seven years after the last one, folks from Texas to Maine have their glasses-covered eyes looking ahead to the big Monday, when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth.
But what if you miss out on the fantastical site on April 8? How long will you have to wait for the next total solar eclipse to spin around? It all depends on your willingness to travel. But if you’re waiting to see the next solar eclipse in the contiguous U.S., you’ll have to wait quite a while.
When Is the Next Solar Eclipse in the U.S.?
The next eclipse after this one to shade American soil will be 20 years later on August 23, 2044, and that will fall on Montana and North Dakota as it mainly blocks out the Sun in Canada. So if you’re going to catch an eclipse in the U.S., the 2024 eclipse is your last opportunity for quite awhile.
But if you’re up for traveling the globe, there’s plenty more big events coming in the next decade.
Aug. 12, 2026: Iceland and Europe
Summer may be a perfect time to visit Greenland or Iceland. And August 12, 2026 may make those trips even more appealing with a coming total solar eclipse. The path of the eclipse is heavily weighted to the far north of the globe, but the path also centers nice and wide over western Iceland, making this a key stopping point for the 2026 event. If that wasn’t enough, the path curves into Spain and Portugal, giving the 2026 offering a little bit of variety for the two minute-plus duration.
Aug. 2, 2027: Northern Africa
If you’re hankering to view a total solar eclipse matches up with a desire to see Africa, start planning for August 2, 2027. That total solar eclipse may be lost to many (a large portion of the path covers the Indian Ocean), but over land, the path clips the top of the African continent. It hits Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, and Egypt while also grabbing the Arabian Peninsula through portions of Saudi Arabia and Yemen. This eclipse could last over six minutes. The northern Africa path also catches the southernmost portion of the Iberian Peninsula, giving Gibraltar (and a miniscule section of Spain) viewing options.
July 22, 2028: Australia
At least some portion of Australia is touched by a total solar eclipse five times in the span of 15 years from 2023 into 2038. The next total solar eclipse to hit the continent will last for about five minutes on July 22, 2028, when the path of totality nicely crosses Western Australia, the Northern Territory, southwest Queensland, and New South Wales. Sydney will be right in the heart of the path for the first time since 1857. But it isn’t just Australia in the 2028 path—New Zealand will also find itself in a prime viewing spot.
Nov. 25, 2030: Australia and Southern Africa
While the Indian Ocean will again see the bulk of the path of totality for a Nov. 25, 2030, total eclipse, a portion of southern Africa and Australia also rest on either end of the event. The path will hit Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, and South Africa early in the event, and will arrive right before sunset in Australia.
March 30, 2033: Russia and Alaska
Alaska is the next U.S. state to get included in a total solar eclipse path of totality, on March 30, 2033. The two-minute-plus event grabs a portion of Russia and western Alaska, with totality visible in Nome, Alaska.
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