It has been two years total solar eclipsebut another one is coming in August — and with it, a special addition that doesn’t happen very often. Some people will see a solar eclipse during sunset, which gives them a strange sight. The only problem is, you might have to go on summer vacation to see it.
The total solar eclipse will grace the shores of only a few countries. According to NASA, the total solar eclipse on August 12 will hit Greenland, Iceland, the northern part of Spain and one corner of Portugal. Spain is at the tail end of the eclipse and, as a result, it will occur later in the day at sunset, giving Spanish viewers a spectacular view.
Other countries in Europe and Africa will also get the show. Most of Europe and much of northern Africa are still partially eclipsed, which will occur as the sun sets. That means tens of millions of people will be in the right place to see a partial or total eclipse at sunset.
Russia is a very lucky country in this regard. The eclipse begins at sunrise near the uninhabited Taymyr Peninsula, which circles the globe all day long, and Russians on the other side of the country are in the path of partial sunset at sunset, making Russia the only country that will see the eclipse at both sunrise and sunset.
How often does a sunset occur?
Sunsets don’t happen very often, at least where people can see them. There are two reasons for this.
The first is that eclipses usually last only a few hours, and the time to be there at sunset is very rare.
Another reason is that solar eclipses have long paths, and sometimes those paths cross oceans or uninhabited areas. In the past 15 years, only a handful of total solar eclipses remain in that Venn diagram of occurring late enough in the day to occur at sunset, while also occurring where people can see them.
The most recent solar eclipse in North America was in 2014, but it was only a small eclipse. The most recent for South America was in July 2019, when people in Chile and Argentina had the best view of the solar eclipse that occurred at sunset, while most of the country had a partial view. The most recent one in Asia was in December 2019.
In short, this is a once-in-a-decade event all over the world.
The path of the sunset this year crosses the northern parts of the Earth before the end of Europe. North Americans won’t see much.
Will this eclipse be visible in North America?
North America is a long way from the big action, but a few states are on the way. The math is a bit complicated, but if you look at a map of the US and draw a line from Alaska to North Carolina, all states north of that line will receive a small eclipse (less than 20%), and all states south of that line sit out.
If you live on the trail and want to check it out, be sure to follow it eclipse viewing safety protocols are appropriate so you don’t hurt your eyes.
