This interactive simulator calculates the geometry of the August 2, 2027 total solar eclipse from any point in Europe or North Africa: it provides contact times, magnitude, obscuration, Sun altitude and azimuth, and the distance to the totality band.
On the morning of August 2, 2027, the Moon will pass between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow on a band 200 to 260 km wide crossing the Atlantic, the Strait of Gibraltar, then sweeping across the far south of Spain (Cádiz, Gibraltar, Ceuta, Melilla, parts of Málaga, Granada and Almería), Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. This is where the eclipse will be total - up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of complete darkness in Egypt, near Luxor, the longest totality of the 21st century.
From mainland France, the event will be partial: the Moon will cover between 50% and 80% of the solar disc depending on latitude, with a maximum in late morning, between 10:50 and 11:00 AM CEST. The South is best positioned: Perpignan (~76%) and the Mediterranean coast lead, ahead of Toulouse and Marseille (~72-73%) and Bordeaux (~68%). Paris will see about 51% of the Sun covered.
Caution: even at 70-80% obscuration, the residual light intensity remains dangerous. ISO 12312-2 certified glasses are essential throughout the event, including in France.
The total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027 is one of the major astronomical events of the century: its totality band, centered on the Strait of Gibraltar, offers up to 6 minutes 23 seconds of complete darkness in Egypt, the longest duration observable from Earth before 2114. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes exactly between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow on the Earth's surface: total where the lunar disc completely covers the Sun, partial everywhere else within the area swept by the shadow.
On August 2, 2027, the totality band enters Europe through the Strait of Gibraltar and covers the far south of Spain - Cádiz, Tarifa and Gibraltar (up to 4 min 30-40 s of totality), Ceuta and Melilla (up to 4 min 48 s), and a strip of Málaga (~1 min 50 s, at the band's edge) - before crossing Morocco (Tangier, ~4 min 50 s), Algeria (Oran, ~5 min), Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. From France, the event will be partial: magnitude will reach about 0.81 in the South (Perpignan) and drop to around 0.61 in Paris.
To safely observe a partial solar eclipse, certified eclipse glasses are essential. These glasses, compliant with ISO 12312-2 standard, filter 99.99% of visible, ultraviolet and infrared solar radiation. Never use ordinary sunglasses, photographic film or improvised filters: retinal damage caused by direct observation of the Sun is irreversible. Our interactive simulator lets you calculate the magnitude, duration and exact time of the maximum from any point in Europe or North Africa.
Looking for a viewing spot in the Aveyron? The Gîte de la Viguerie, in Pruines, has a clear, unobstructed south-facing view over the Dourdou valley - ideal for following the partial eclipse of August 2, 2027 in the morning (about 69% of the Sun covered, maximum around 10:56 AM CEST). Click here to reload the map above with the gîte's GPS coordinates and see directly the time of maximum, the magnitude and the Sun's position from this exact spot.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes exactly between the Earth and the Sun, casting its shadow on the Earth's surface. It is total where the lunar disc completely covers the Sun, and partial everywhere else within the area swept by the shadow.
The totality band enters Europe through the Strait of Gibraltar: it covers the far south of Spain (Cádiz, Gibraltar, Tarifa, Ceuta, Melilla and parts of Málaga, Granada and Almería), then crosses Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt (up to 6 min 23 s near Luxor, a record for this century), Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia.
The totality band, 200 to 260 km wide, only touches the far south of Spain before continuing into Africa. Mainland France lies entirely outside this band, so it will only see a partial eclipse, even though the obscuration is significant in the South (up to 76% at Perpignan).
Each total eclipse follows a different path, determined by the precise orbital geometry of the Sun, Earth and Moon on that day. There is no progression rule: on August 12, 2026, the shadow crossed northern Spain (Galicia, Basque Country); on August 2, 2027, it crosses the far south, centered on the Strait of Gibraltar.
Magnitude measures the fraction of the Sun's diameter covered by the Moon at the eclipse's maximum. A magnitude of 1.0 corresponds to a total eclipse; a magnitude of 0.8 means 80% of the diameter is covered. The August 2, 2027 eclipse reaches 1.079 on the central line, one of the highest of the century.
Magnitude concerns the covered diameter, while obscuration concerns the covered area of the solar disc. For the same eclipse, obscuration is almost always numerically lower than magnitude: a magnitude of 0.81 (Perpignan) corresponds, for instance, to an obscuration of about 76% of the surface.
As long as any portion of the solar disc, however thin, remains visible, the residual radiation is enough to cause irreversible retinal damage within seconds. Only certified ISO 12312-2 glasses filter this radiation safely. Ordinary sunglasses, even stacked, do not protect the eyes.
The South offers the highest magnitudes: Perpignan (~76% obscuration) is best placed, closely followed by Marseille and Toulouse (~72-73%) then Bordeaux (~68%). Use the interactive map above to check the exact magnitude, azimuth and altitude of the Sun from any point.
The maximum is expected around 10:56 AM CEST in Paris, with a magnitude of about 0.61 (roughly 51% of the solar surface covered). Use the simulator above (search for "Paris") to get the exact time, Sun altitude and azimuth at that moment.
In Toulouse, the maximum is expected around 10:56 AM CEST, with a magnitude close to 0.79 (about 73% obscuration). Search "Toulouse" in the simulator for the exact time and obscuration at that specific location.
In Perpignan, the best-placed French city, the maximum occurs around 10:58 AM CEST with a magnitude of about 0.81 (about 76% obscuration). The simulator (search "Perpignan") gives the exact time and magnitude.
The Gîte de la Viguerie, in Pruines (Aveyron), has an ideal south-facing clear view for observing the partial eclipse of August 2, 2027 in the morning (about 69% obscuration, maximum around 10:56 AM CEST). Refresh the map above with the gîte's GPS coordinates to get the exact time of maximum, the magnitude and the Sun's position from this exact spot.
At the edge of the band (Málaga), totality lasts only about 1 min 50 s. At the core of the band - Cádiz, Tarifa, Gibraltar, Ceuta, Melilla - it reaches 2 min 50 s to 4 min 50 s depending on the exact location. Duration keeps increasing across Africa: up to 5 min in Algeria, and up to 6 min 23 s in Egypt, near Luxor.
By convention, this simulator displays all times in French/Spanish summer time (CEST, UTC+2), including for points clicked in Morocco, Algeria or Tunisia. Those countries actually use UTC+1 (no daylight saving) in August: subtract 1 hour from the displayed time to get the real local time there.
It corresponds to the ground projection of the Moon's umbra (the shadow, as opposed to the penumbra which produces the partial eclipse), determined from the precise positions and distances of the Sun, Earth and Moon at the moment of alignment. Its width (200 to 260 km depending on the point along the path) and path depend on that day's exact orbital geometry; this simulator uses the real path published by NASA (F. Espenak, NASA/GSFC).
The Moon's shadow moves from west to east at high speed, so each location is swept at a different moment depending on its longitude. The maximum thus occurs slightly earlier in Cádiz than in Toulouse, and slightly earlier in Toulouse than in Paris.
This interactive simulator calculates the geometry of the August 2, 2027 solar eclipse from any point in Europe or North Africa: contact times (C1 to C4), magnitude, obscuration, Sun altitude and azimuth, and distance to the totality band, in real time or at any time you choose via the timeline.
Yes, but only with a suitable solar filter placed in front of the lens: without one, the sensor can be damaged and the image will be overexposed. Never remove your protective glasses to look at the screen or viewfinder while the device is pointed at the Sun.
Thick cloud cover can hide the phenomenon locally. It's advisable to check weather forecasts as August 2, 2027 approaches and, if possible, plan a backup location a few dozen kilometers away where the sky might be clearer - inland Andalusia and Morocco are statistically clearer in August than the coast.