Still feeling a little giddy from the magical moment of totality during Monday’s solar eclipse? Or have the clouds rolled in to block your view? You just might not get on the path of totality this time. No matter what, the question now is “Where and when will it happen again?”
“People who haven’t seen it before, the first words out of their mouths after the whole thing is ‘I have to see another one, it’s incredible, it’s incredible.’ That’s when you get addicted to these things and travel wherever the next one is,” said Joseph Rao, a eclipse chaser and guest lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium.
So, if like Mr. Rao, you’ve developed a raging case of umbraphilia — the love of eclipses — you’ll have three chances in the next four years to see the moon blot out the sun. The first, on August 12, 2026, will start over Greenland, then strap the west coast of Iceland and move into the Atlantic Ocean and over Spain. Almost a year later, in Aug. 2, 2027, another will pass the Mediterranean coast of North Africa then cross Egypt and part of the Arabian Peninsula. The third, on July 22, 2028, will cross Australia and the southern tip of New Zealand.
Last week, as Victoria Sahamithe owner of Journey to Sirius, is preparing to guide a group of tourists to Mazatlán, Mexico, for Monday’s big event, he’s also planning for these other upcoming eclipses. Ms. Sahami joined the ranks of the eclipse-obsessed when he witnessed one in Venezuela in the 1990s. “Like many people, I was hooked. There is no going back,” he said.
Total solar eclipses occur regularly — about every one to two years — in locations scattered around the world. “That’s the great thing about them: You get to go places you wouldn’t normally go,” Ms. share
A major spoiler is the weather, which will be a big variable in the 2026 eclipse — a Greenland, Iceland and Spain will be visible.
“Iceland usually has a lot of clouds at that time of year,” said Paul Maleyrunning Ring of Fire Expeditions. “The data shows that Spain has the highest good weather prospects of all three. However, the sun is low in the sky and the eclipse ends as the sun hits the horizon at sunset.”
Due to Iceland’s mercurial meteorology, the Ring of Fire Expedition continues to Spain, with a 10 day excursion on the mainland. Sirius Travel offers not only a five days trip in Majorca but a eight day tour around Iceland. It will be based in Reykjavik, and the itinerary will remain flexible on the day of the eclipse so that the tour can easily pivot to the location with the least cloud cover. Recommended by Ms. The trip is great for those who already have a few eclipses under their belt and would be happy to see the sights of Iceland if the weather doesn’t cooperate.
The 2027 eclipse, on the other hand, promises to be a real star: Luxor, Egypt — the site of many ancient temples as well as the Valleys of the Kings and Queens — sits right in the middle of the path of totality and will be bathed. in the dark for a full 6 minutes 23 seconds. In the weather, this is what Ms. Sahami is “a slam dunk.” “You know you’ll see it. You know you’re not going to get any clouds,” he said.
But for all its potential, those considering Egypt should be aware that the State Department has a Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” warning for the country because of the danger of terrorism.
The 2028 eclipse will darken the sky over Sydney, Australia, for 3 minutes 49 seconds. This is the first time the city has experienced a total solar eclipse since 1857. Ms. Sahami focused on a trip based there, while Mr. Maley chartered a cruise ship on the northwest coast of Australia. It will be winter there, he said, but that doesn’t mean bad eclipse-viewing weather.
If you want to see any (or all) of these eclipses, you should start planning and booking now, especially if you want to sign up for a trip organized by a tour company. One of Sirius Travel’s Luxor excursions is fully booked.
Check refund policies and check insuring your trip. Some companies will fully refund your deposit if you cancel a year early. A lot can happen, said Ms. Sahami, “but if you think you’re going, why not?”
