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On April 8 , 2024 , atotal solar eclipsewill be visible in parts of Mexico , the U.S. and Canada , and all of North America will see at least a partialsolar occultation . The maximal length of sum — when the sun ’s typeface is completely blocked by the moon — will be 4 minutes , 28 seconds , which will take place close to the village of Nazas in northwesterly Mexico . That ’s relatively retentive , but it ’s nowhere near the record .
So what is the longest entire eclipse in history ? And what ’s the long possible entire solar eclipse ?
The August 2017 solar eclipse as seen by ESA’s Sun-watching Proba-2 satellite.
The long totality on record book was 7 minutes , 28 seconds onJune 15 , 743 B.C. , which hap in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya and Somalia in Africa , according to calculations fromNASA .
But in possibility , totality can be a chip longer . Mathematically speaking , the longest sum potential on Earth is 7 minute , 31 seconds , harmonize to occultation calculator Jean Meeus . That ’s potential within 5 degrees north of the equator in July , when the sun is at aphelion , its utmost point from Earth — and so more or less smaller in the sky — while the moon is at perigee , its closest point to Earth . Moreover , to have this , the observer would have to be at the point of great occultation , with the eclipse happen directly overhead around midday .
bear on : Total solar eclipse April 2024 : The 10 biggest city within the route of totality
NASA’s map shows the path of two solar eclipses over North America in 2023-2024.
There is no record of such a long eclipse happening , at least not over the last several thousand years . But more than 150 years from now , we may get closer to that bound . entire solar occultation have been computed far into the future , and one that will cross the Atlantic Ocean off the seashore of French Guiana onJuly 16 , 2186 , is predicted to result in a aggregate lasting 7 minutes , 29 s .
" During the 2186 occultation , the moon ’s trace will occur above the center of the Earth , " Dan McGlaun , an occultation expert atEclipse 2024 , which has aninteractive mapping and occultation simulatorfor the upcoming occultation , recount Live Science . " The moon will be really boastful because it will be comparatively skinny and the sun will be really little because it will be comparatively far . All of those thing will come together to make totality during the 2186 occultation extremely long . "
The 2186 eclipse will occur in July , whenthe sunis utmost from Earth and penny-pinching to the equator — two characteristic that all passing long - duration eclipse have in common . It will be a product ofSaros 139 , a family of solar eclipses responsible for 71 event between 1843 and 2601 . It sees a moonlight shadow projected onto Earth every 18 year , 11 day and eight 60 minutes , one of which will also occur on April 8 , 2024 .
" On April 8 , we will get one in of a series of progressing solar eclipses within the Saros 139 occultation bicycle , culminating in the remarkable total solar eclipse of July 16 , 2186 , " Michael Zeiler , an occultation map maker atGreatAmericanEclipse.com , tell Live Science . " total for the 2186 occultation will last up to an astonishing 7 minutes and 29 seconds , very close to the theoretical limit of 7 and a half minutes . "
Although the tenacious occultation in history occurred thousands of twelvemonth ago and an even long one wo n’t happen for more than a century , it is potential to shaft if you have a supersonic jet . OnJune 30 , 1973 , seven scientist in the supersonic jetConcorde 001flew at Mach 2 to extend totality on the ground in Niger from 7 minutes , 4 seconds to a banging 74 minutes .
— These eclipse - themed position will experience totality on April 8 , 2024
— Total solar occultation April 2024 : The 10 big cities within the path of totality
— When is the next solar occultation ?
That total solar eclipse was a product ofSaros 136 , as are the following three total solar occultation of extreme duration . The next one will occur onAug . 2 , 2027(maximum totality of 6 minute , 23 seconds near Luxor , Egypt),Aug . 12 , 2045(maximum aggregate of 6 minutes , 6 instant off the coast of Florida and the Bahamas ) andAug . 24 , 2063(maximum totality of 5 minutes , 49 second in the North Pacific Ocean ) . The long totality of the 21st century — 6 minutes , 39 s — occurredJuly 22 , 2009 , cheeseparing to Japan ’s Ishinomura - Kitaio Island .
