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THE NEXT TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

There are 4 types of solar eclipse.

  • Total 
  • Partial 
  • Annular 
  • Hybrid 

About the above graphic.
  1. On the left is a total solar eclipse.
  2. In middle is an annular solar eclipse.
  3. A hybrid eclipse appears as either a total or an annular eclipse depending on the observers location.  These only occur once in a decade.
  4. A partial eclipse is to the right.
A total solar eclipse occurs about every 18 months.  However a specific location will see a total eclipse only once every 375 years.  So if you recently saw one, you'll need to travel to see another.  
My wife was born on July 11.  She found out that there would be total eclipse over her Big Island on that day in 1991, so off we flew to Kailua-Kona and stayed at the King Kamehameha Hotel.  Turned out that if we had just watched from the hotel beach, we would have had the best view.  But we had a friend who lived high up on Mauna Loa, so off we went to join him.  But it was so cloudy, that we drove further up the mountain and experienced this total solar eclipse.  But there were were also some clouds now and then.  That cup shows the path of this eclipse.

Wikipedia shows when any state will experience a total solar eclipse.  There was the one we saw occurred on 11July1991.  The next over Hawaii will be on 5November2046.  To see that one, I'll need to be be 106 years old.

Similarly, the last total solar eclipse over the USA was on 8April2024.  Missed that one?  You will need to wait until 22August2044.  However, Alaska will see on 30March2033.  Otherwise total solar eclipses will avoid North America.

There will be a partial eclipse this year, but the next total solar eclipse will not occur until next year.  However, you can become a tourist to see that one.
  • On 12August 2026, the track will begin off Siberia, Russia, sweep across the Arctic Ocean,  brushing the North Pole, pass along 1000 miles of Greenland's northeastern flank, find totality over Keflavik Airport, Iceland and end in landfall over north Spain.
The stripe of darkness will make landfall west of La Coruna, with the path of totality stretching across as far as Bilbao. Oviedo, Leon, Burgos and Peniscola are four of the key cities that are close to the centre and therefore experiencing the longest dark spell. Valladolid, Zaragoza, Tarragona and Valencia will get some totality.
  • Most travelers will go to Spain, so get your accommodations and flights now.
    • Which city is ideal?  Some say the glorious medieval city of Burgos.
    • You could invest $4567 for a five-day       New Scientist trip based in Burgos with Britain's foremost eclipse chaser, the marvelous Dr John Mason. Or pay one-10th as much for a two-night easyJet Holidays break from Manchester to Palma: $453 for your personal miracle, leaving on 11 August and returning two days later. Just pray for clear skies.  Note that Palma is the capital of Mallorca, not La Palma, the island in the Canary Island.
    • I am looking into a journey to Bilbao because this general region of Spain has become a cuisine capital of the world.  Also located here is the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum.  Maybe a desirable ship can be found that goes to Getxo, where there is a new cruise terminal.
On the other hand, we've long wanted to return to Crystal after its bankruptcy.  It's back, and the recently refurbished Crystal Serenit has an itinerary that leaves Ijmuiden (24 miles from Amsterdam)  on an 11-day cruise to Lisbon, from 3August2026 to 14August2026.  I see a cost of $8900, which would be $809/day.
  • What about just seeing a partial eclipse?  That same Dr. Mason mentioned above says:  the difference between a 99 per cent partial eclipse and a total eclipse as far apart as “a peck on the cheek and a night of passion”.
  • There will be several cruises planning to be along this path.  Check with Celebrity, Fred Olsen and Princess, among others.
  • Do you need special eclipse goggles.  YES.  Dark glasses are unsafe.
A final science question:  how is it that our Moon just blocks off the Sun?
  • The Moon is 400 times smaller than the Sun.
  • But the Moon is 400 times closer to Earth than the Sun.
  • This is an astonishing cosmic coincidence.

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