Iceland must wait until 2196 for next total eclipse

People in Iceland who missed Wednesday’s total solar eclipse because of cloud cover will have to travel abroad to see the phenomenon again, mbl.is reports. Total solar eclipses occur somewhere in the world approximately every 16 months, but the next one visible from Iceland will not occur until 2196.

The next total eclipse will cross northern Africa and southern Spain on August 2, 2027, which falls on Commerce Day, a public holiday in Iceland.

The eclipse will reach Spain before passing over Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. It is widely regarded as one of the decade’s main astronomical events because a total eclipse will not be visible from land for as long again until 2114.

In southern Spain, the eclipse will last four minutes and 39 seconds in Tarifa. In Luxor, Egypt, it will bring up to six minutes and 22 seconds of darkness over an archaeological area that includes the Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple and the nearby Valley of the Kings.

Further eclipses in the next decade

On July 22, 2028, the Moon’s shadow will pass over Christmas Island, Sydney and Australia’s Blue Mountains before crossing the country’s eastern interior and reaching New Zealand’s South Island, where clear skies are expected.

The next total eclipse will begin over the deserts of Namibia on November 25, 2030, and pass over Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho before crossing the Indian Ocean towards Australia.

On November 14, 2031, an unusual hybrid eclipse will take place over the Pacific Ocean. It will begin as an annular eclipse, become total across a narrow area of the Pacific, and then change back into an annular eclipse. Most viewers will need to join a dedicated eclipse cruise from Hawaii to see it.