Total solar eclipse of 2 August 2027: times, sign and symbolism

Some celestial appointments are prepared for well in advance. On Monday 2 August 2027, a total solar eclipse will cross the Strait of Gibraltar, North Africa and Egypt, where night will fall in broad daylight for more than six minutes. From the UK, the show will be partial, but very real: between a quarter and nearly half of the Sun’s disc will disappear behind the Moon in the middle of the morning. Here is everything you need to know, from city-by-city times to the astrological reading of this new moon in Leo.

The eclipse of 2 August 2027 in figures

The data below has been calculated from astronomical ephemerides, in UK time (British Summer Time).

• Date: Monday 2 August 2027.
• Type: total solar eclipse.
• Greatest eclipse: 11:06 UK time, in southern Egypt, near Luxor.
• Duration of totality: more than six minutes near Luxor, making it an exceptionally long eclipse.
• Position: Sun and Moon together at 9°55' Leo.

Where will the eclipse be total?

The path of totality will pass over, among other places:

• southern Spain: Cádiz (nearly 3 minutes of totality), Tarifa (more than 4 and a half minutes) and Málaga (less than 2 minutes);
• Gibraltar and northern Morocco, with nearly 5 minutes of totality in Tangier;
• northern Algeria and Tunisia, a little south of Algiers and Tunis, for example in Blida or Kairouan;
• Libya, with more than 6 minutes in Benghazi;
• Egypt, with more than 6 minutes in Luxor, closest to the maximum;
• Saudi Arabia, with more than 6 minutes in Jeddah.

Algiers and Tunis, just north of the path, will see a very deep partial eclipse, at more than 95%. If you dream of experiencing totality, southern Andalusia and Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory where totality will last almost four and a half minutes, are the closest destinations to the UK: the eclipse will be total there at around 09:45 UK time.

Times in the UK, city by city

Across the UK, the eclipse will be partial everywhere. The further south you are, the larger the part of the Sun that will be hidden. The percentage shows the share of the surface of the Sun’s disc covered by the Moon at maximum. Times are in UK time (BST).

Further north, Lerwick, in Shetland, will see only about 15% of the Sun covered, around 10:04. In Ireland, Dublin will see about 36% of the Sun covered around 09:56, and Cork about 40%; in Jersey, St Helier will reach about 51%, also around 09:56.

Watching the eclipse safely

This is the most important part of this article. Never look directly at the Sun, even when it is largely covered: the remaining sliver is enough to burn the retina, painlessly and sometimes permanently.

• Use certified eclipse glasses (ISO 12312-2 standard), in good condition, with no scratches.
• Sunglasses, even very dark ones, offer no protection at all.
• Never look through binoculars, a phone or a telescope without a suitable solar filter fitted at the front.
• The simplest method is projection: a pinhole in a piece of card projects the image of the nibbled Sun onto a white sheet. The leaves of a tree produce the same effect, with dozens of little crescents on the ground.

Only observers within the path of totality may take off their glasses, and only during the few minutes when the Sun is completely hidden. In the UK, as the eclipse remains partial, your glasses must stay on from beginning to end.

An eclipse in Leo: the astrological reading

In astrology, a solar eclipse is a particularly intense new moon. The one on 2 August 2027 forms at 11:05 UK time, at 9°55' Leo, right in the season of this Fire sign ruled by the Sun. Leo speaks of radiance, creativity, the heart and self-confidence. An eclipse in this sign traditionally invites us to ask: where do I want to shine in my own way, and which roles have I played for long enough?

Several details of the sky that day enrich the reading:

• Venus is also in Leo, at 7°16', very close to the Sun and the Moon: tenderness, pleasure and emotional bonds come to the fore.
• Mercury leaves Cancer and enters Leo that very day, at around 11:52 UK time: words gain in confidence.
• Mars, at 10°41' Libra, and Uranus, at 9°09' Gemini, each form an almost exact sextile with the eclipse: a breath of daring and novelty, flowing rather easily.
• Pluto, at 5°51' Aquarius, stands opposite: what is being transformed collectively resonates with our personal stories.
• The eclipse takes place near the Moon’s South Node, at 11°29' Leo that day. Tradition sees it as a time for letting go: releasing a habit or a role that has become too narrow, to make room.

The eclipse season of summer 2027

This total eclipse is framed by two penumbral lunar eclipses, subtle to the naked eye: on 18 July 2027 in Capricorn, and on 17 August 2027 in Aquarius. Earlier in the year, an annular solar eclipse will have taken place on 6 February 2027 in Aquarius, invisible from the UK. The Leo-Aquarius axis, that of the personal heart and of the collective, thus colours the whole of 2027. You will find all these dates in our moon calendar.

Which signs are most concerned?

Leo and Aquarius feel this eclipse head-on, especially if they were born around 2 August for Leo or 30 January for Aquarius. Taurus and Scorpio, at a right angle, are invited to adjust a balance. Aries, Sagittarius, Gemini and Libra receive a more harmonious energy. Here is the area of life the eclipse illuminates for each Sun sign, to explore further in your 2027 horoscope:

• Aries: love, creativity, the joy of living.
• Taurus: home, family, where you live.
• Gemini: exchanges, learning, the people around you.
• Cancer: money, talents, self-esteem.
• Leo: yourself, your image, a new personal chapter.
• Virgo: rest, your inner life, what is being prepared behind the scenes.
• Libra: friendships, networks, group projects.
• Scorpio: career, vocation, visibility.
• Sagittarius: travel, studies, the search for meaning.
• Capricorn: intimacy, shared resources, deep transformations.
• Aquarius: relationships, partnerships, new encounters.
• Pisces: daily life, work, wellbeing.

For a finer reading, also look at your rising sign, which you can discover with our free birth chart. And for the days around the eclipse, your daily horoscope will keep you company through Leo season.

A simple ritual for 2 August 2027

There is no need to plan a ceremony: a few minutes are enough. On the evening of the eclipse, take a notebook and answer three questions:

1. What makes me proud of myself, without needing anyone else’s approval?
2. Which role or habit would I like to leave behind?
3. What small creative or joyful thing can I treat myself to this month?

Tradition advises letting eclipse intentions ripen rather than turning everything upside down overnight. Reread your answers at the next full moon, then again at the end of the summer.

An eclipse decides nothing for you. For a moment, it illuminates what was already changing.

In short

On 2 August 2027, the total solar eclipse will be visible from southern Spain to Saudi Arabia, with more than six minutes of totality in Egypt. In the UK, it will be partial, from 24% in Aberdeen to 47% in Penzance, between about 09:00 and 11:00. Astrologically, this new moon at 9°55' Leo invites you to shine in your own way and to let go of what has had its day. If you would like to know how it resonates with your birth chart, Orbelune’s plans offer personal readings calculated from your own sky: see the plans.