Eclipses 2027: All Five Dates and What the US Will See

Five eclipses, three of them barely there: the honest count

Many 2027 roundups list four eclipses. That undercounts. Astronomically there are five: two solar and three lunar. The fifth, on July 18, is a so-called near-miss. The Moon grazes the outer edge of Earth's penumbral shadow so lightly that no one will notice anything, and some catalogs do not count it at all. It is in the tables; it is not in the sky.

We list it anyway, because that difference is the whole point. An eclipse list that prints every event in the same size type is useless for planning. For most readers in the United States, exactly two of the five are worth setting an alarm for: the lunar eclipse that rises with the Full Moon on February 20, and, if you are willing to travel, the great solar eclipse of August 2.

August 2, 2027: the longest totality of the century over land

On Monday, August 2, 2027, the Moon's dark inner shadow sweeps from the Atlantic across southern Spain and Gibraltar, over Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, through Egypt, across Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and out over Somalia into the Indian Ocean. Near Luxor, the Sun is completely covered for 6 minutes and 23 seconds (some calculations give 6:22). No other solar eclipse of the 21st century reaches such a long totality at a point on land.

Why so long? Three things line up. In early August Earth is near its farthest point from the Sun, so the Sun's disk looks small. The Moon is close to Earth at the same time and looks large. And the shadow runs near the equator, where Earth's rotation carries the ground along in the same direction the shadow travels, so it lingers over each spot a little longer.

In Europe the path of totality clips only the far south: Cádiz, Málaga, Gibraltar, and across the strait in Tangier. If you want to stand in the shadow, you will have to travel, and plan early. Before the 2017 and 2024 eclipses here at home, lodging inside the path sold out months ahead; expect the same along the Costa del Sol and in the Nile Valley.

What the United States will see on August 2

Almost nothing. The edge of the Moon's outer shadow reaches North America only at its far northeastern corner: a small partial eclipse is visible around sunrise from the extreme eastern tip of Maine and from Atlantic Canada. Everyone else in the US misses this one entirely.

If you were counting on a US eclipse, the next ones on home soil are further out. The next total solar eclipse in the contiguous United States comes on August 23, 2044, over Montana and North Dakota, followed on August 12, 2045 by a coast-to-coast path from California to Florida.

Eye safety is not a formality. If you travel to see the partial phases, or catch the sliver in Maine, the uncovered part of the Sun is bright enough to burn the retina, and it does not hurt while it happens because the retina has no pain receptors. Sunglasses, smoked glass, emergency blankets, exposed film and phone screens do not protect you. You need eclipse glasses or a solar viewer that meets the ISO 12312-2 standard, bought from a vendor the American Astronomical Society lists as reputable. Only during the minutes of full totality, inside the path, is it safe to look without them. Never look through binoculars or a telescope without a proper solar filter on the front.

February 20, 2027: the lunar eclipse that rises with the Full Moon

On Saturday, February 20, 2027, the Full Moon slides into Earth's penumbra, the pale outer part of our shadow. Penumbral eclipses usually count as unspectacular because the Moon only dims a little. This one is deeper than most: at maximum, about 93 percent of the Moon's diameter sits inside the penumbra, enough for a soft, smoky shading to show along one edge.

The catch for American viewers is timing. The eclipse runs from 4:12 to 8:13 p.m. EST, with its deepest point at 6:13 p.m. EST. That means the Moon is rising, or has not yet risen, while the eclipse is under way. On the East Coast the Full Moon comes up around sunset already inside the shadow, near maximum, and stays shaded low in the east for the next two hours. In the Central time zone you catch the second half after moonrise. In the Mountain states only the last minutes, and on the West Coast the eclipse is over before the Moon clears the horizon.

The Full Moon itself is exact at 6:23 p.m. EST that evening: the February Full Moon, traditionally called the Snow Moon, in Virgo. Unlike a solar eclipse, a lunar eclipse needs no eye protection at all. Find an open view to the east, give your eyes ten minutes to adjust to the dark, and look. Binoculars help; a telescope is unnecessary.

February 6, 2027: the ring of fire we will not see

Two weeks earlier, on Saturday, February 6, 2027, an annular solar eclipse crosses the Southern Hemisphere: Chile and Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil, the open Atlantic, and a strip of the West African coast through Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria. None of it is visible from North America.

Annular means the Moon is far enough from Earth on that day that its disk cannot cover the whole Sun. A bright ring stays visible around it, the familiar "ring of fire." At the point of greatest eclipse, in the Atlantic off the Brazilian coast, that ring lasts 7 minutes and 51 seconds, itself an unusually long value.

The same date carries two more markers. It is the New Moon in Aquarius, and it is Lunar New Year, the start of the Year of the Fire Goat, celebrated through the Lantern Festival on February 20, the very evening of the lunar eclipse. That a New Moon and a solar eclipse coincide is not a coincidence but a requirement: a solar eclipse is a New Moon that happens to sit exactly on the line between Earth and Sun.

August 16–17, 2027: the one the whole country can see, if you know where to look

Two weeks after the great solar eclipse comes the year's last one, and for once the geometry favors the Americas. On the night of Monday, August 16, into Tuesday, August 17, the Full Moon passes through the penumbra while it is up over the entire United States. The eclipse begins at 1:24 a.m. EDT (10:24 p.m. PDT on the 16th), is deepest at 3:14 a.m. EDT (12:14 a.m. PDT), and ends at 5:03 a.m. EDT (2:03 a.m. PDT).

Here is the honest part: this one is shallow. Only about 55 percent of the Moon's diameter enters the penumbra, and penumbral shading that light is hard to notice with the naked eye. Around the deepest moment, look for a faint grayish dusking on one side of the Moon, easier to see in binoculars or in a photo compared against one taken an hour earlier. If you are already awake, it costs you nothing. If you are not, it is not worth a 3 a.m. alarm.

The two eclipse seasons of 2027

Eclipses come in pairs. Because the Sun, Earth and Moon hold the right alignment for a few weeks at a time, a solar eclipse is usually followed or preceded within about two weeks by a lunar one. Modern spiritual practice calls the stretch in between an eclipse portal or eclipse corridor; astronomers simply call it an eclipse season.

In 2027 there are two:

• February 6 to February 20, 2027, from the annular solar eclipse to the lunar eclipse. Lunar New Year, Valentine's Day and the Lantern Festival all fall inside it.
• August 2 to August 17, 2027, from the great solar eclipse to the penumbral lunar eclipse. The Lion's Gate on August 8 falls inside this one.

What such a season means astronomically: nothing beyond geometry. What it means in practice is set out below, kept apart from what can be measured.

How eclipses are read, and where the reading stops

In many traditions eclipses count as threshold times, days when something shows that otherwise stays hidden in the light. Babylonian astronomers kept eclipse records for centuries because they treated eclipses as omens concerning the king. In modern astrological practice a solar eclipse is read as a new beginning with a long lead time, a lunar eclipse as an ending that can no longer be held back. For the fuller picture of those readings, see our guide to the spiritual meaning of eclipses.

That is tradition and lived interpretation, not a law of nature. There is no evidence that eclipses affect mood, health, relationships or decisions. What does exist is a very human mechanism: an announced date focuses attention. People who set themselves a date to end or start something follow through more often. The calendar works through intention, not through the shadow.

Practical: how to use these dates

For February 20, 2027 (lunar eclipse): East of the Mississippi, pick a spot with a low, open horizon to the east and be outside by sunset. The Moon will rise already shaded and brighten slowly over the next two hours. Anyone who burns incense usually does it before the eclipse starts, not during it. If you work with intentions, lunar eclipses are traditionally tied to closing things out, not to planning.

For August 2, 2027 (solar eclipse): If you are traveling to Spain, Morocco or Egypt, buy certified eclipse glasses well ahead. Before big eclipses, reputable filters sell out and counterfeits circulate; in 2024 the American Astronomical Society warned about fake glasses weeks before the event. If you want to do something ritual from home, write down before August 2 what you want to leave behind over the next six months, and read it again at the moment of maximum. That is all it takes.

For both eclipse seasons: Traditional practice prefers to schedule big, hard-to-reverse decisions before or after the season rather than inside it. That is not a rule or a warning, only a widespread habit whose one provable benefit is that it makes you look twice.

What we do not promise

We do not promise you any energetic effect. Eclipses are shadows cast through space, calculated exactly for centuries in advance. There is no evidence that they affect sleep, mood, health, relationships or luck. If you feel persistently exhausted, irritable or low in these weeks, please do not look for the cause in the calendar: February and August have plenty of ordinary reasons of their own, and lasting strain belongs in a conversation with a doctor or therapist, not in an eclipse table. If you are in crisis, you can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time. Incense, candles and rituals do not replace treatment.

What we do promise: correct dates, sources in the open, and an honest note when something will not be visible from here.

Frequently asked questions

Is the August 2, 2027 solar eclipse visible in the United States?

Barely. A small partial eclipse is visible around sunrise only from the extreme eastern tip of Maine, as well as from Atlantic Canada. The path of totality runs across southern Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, with the longest totality, 6 minutes 23 seconds, near Luxor in Egypt.

How many eclipses are there in 2027?

Five: two solar eclipses (annular on February 6, total on August 2) and three lunar eclipses (February 20, July 18 and August 17). The July 18 event is a near-miss that cannot be seen in practice. From the US, the February 20 lunar eclipse is visible at moonrise, best from the East Coast, and the August 17 lunar eclipse is visible nationwide but faint.

What time is the February 20, 2027 lunar eclipse in the US?

It runs from 4:12 to 8:13 p.m. EST, deepest at 6:13 p.m. EST. Because the Moon rises around sunset, the East Coast sees the Moon come up already shaded near the deepest point; the Central time zone sees the second half; the West Coast misses it.

Do I need eclipse glasses for a lunar eclipse?

No. A lunar eclipse is completely safe to watch with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. Eclipse glasses meeting ISO 12312-2 are needed only for solar eclipses, whenever any part of the Sun's disk is uncovered.

What is an eclipse portal or eclipse season?

The stretch between two eclipses that belong to the same pair, usually about two weeks. In 2027 there are two: February 6 to 20 and August 2 to 17. Astronomically it follows from orbital geometry. In spiritual practice it is treated as a time to hold off on big decisions, a tradition with no proven effect.

When is the next total solar eclipse in the United States?

On August 23, 2044, over Montana and North Dakota. It is followed on August 12, 2045 by a path of totality running from California to Florida.

Keep going

• Full Moon calendar 2027: every date, time and name
• Wheel of the Year 2027: all eight sabbats
• Mercury retrograde 2027
• What eclipses mean spiritually

Sources

• Wikipedia, "Solar eclipse of August 2, 2027": path of totality, maximum duration near Luxor, partial visibility in far eastern Maine and Atlantic Canada (accessed September 23, 2026)
• Wikipedia, "Solar eclipse of February 6, 2027": annular path, 7 min 51 s maximum, greatest eclipse 16:00 UTC (accessed September 23, 2026)
• Wikipedia, "February 2027 lunar eclipse": penumbral magnitude 0.929, contacts 21:12 and 01:13 UTC, greatest eclipse 23:13 UTC, visibility at moonrise over the Americas (accessed September 23, 2026)
• Wikipedia, "August 2027 lunar eclipse": penumbral magnitude 0.548, contacts 05:24 and 09:03 UTC, greatest eclipse 07:14 UTC, fully visible over the Americas (accessed September 23, 2026)
• Wikipedia, "July 2027 lunar eclipse": near-miss, not visible in practice (accessed September 23, 2026)
• American Astronomical Society, Solar Eclipse Across America: safe solar viewers and reputable vendors, ISO 12312-2
• Full Moon time for February 20, 2027 computed with the PyEphem astronomical library (23:23 UTC)

A note on accuracy: all US times are converted from UTC and rounded to the minute; moonrise times vary by location, so check a local almanac for your town. Current as of September 23, 2026.