On April 8th, 2024, millions of people across the country looked up at the sun through specialized glasses (or some people, unwisely chose not to use the glasses) to see the last solar eclipse for the continent for nearly twenty years. But that left many, especially those who weren’t in the path of totality or missed it because of weather, thinking: when’s the next one?
A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and Sun casting a shadow on certain parts of Earth’s surface, in two different parts called the penumbra and umbra. The penumbra is the larger, less shaded part of the shadow that covers a large path across the surface and is where a partial eclipse occurs. The umbra is the much smaller, darker part of the shadow that follows the path of totality, which is where a total solar eclipse can be seen where the moon completely blocks out the sun and it is dark for around two minutes.
The next total solar eclipse in the United States won’t be until 2044, and the path of totality will pass through significantly fewer states than the 2024 eclipse, mostly in the south like parts of Texas and Florida. However, for people willing to travel far to see this unique event, there will be an eclipse happening in 2026 that will pass through parts of Spain in cities like A Coruña and Ibiza on the Balearic Islands. So, if you’ve also been looking to visit Spain and haven’t yet, this might be a good opportunity because of the very rare event happening in just the right place. Although, you might want to book your hotel rooms now or as soon as possible, because I think it’s safe to assume that prices of everything in the cities in the path of totality will triple as they see floods of tourists arrive to see an eclipse.
Or, if you want to avoid the possibility of paying an extra 150 euros (160 dollars) for your trendy hotel in Ibiza, you could always just go to Greenland and see it there. Statistics show that its population is over 99% smaller than that of Spain, so at least you won’t have to worry about crowds.
Sources: https://nationaleclipse.com/maps/map_08232044.html
