Longest Totality -- For About A Century -- Coming Up On August 2, 2027... Over The Ruins At Luxor, Egypt. Who's Up For A... [Long] Road Trip?!

We last saw a stunning-totality in the Shawnee National Forest wilderness of north-western Kentucky, in August of 2017. That was under three minutes, but it was spectacular. Other commitments kept us away from the Sea of Cortez, in April of 2024. . . but we WILL make the sojourn, to Egypt (that nation has been on the bucket-list, anyway -- for decades!) -- and spend perhaps four weeks, all in (before and after the eclipse), there.

We likely won't be alive (even with personalized gene therapy -- heh!) for the 2114 one (which will be longer by only about eight seconds). . . thus this is our "best" shot. Heh. Here's a bit, from Astronomy magazine's tour solicitation:

. . .With available spots left to travel to Egypt and witness the grand spectacle of a total solar eclipse filling up fast, I was happy to learn that Astronomy magazine’s tour provider, Eclipse Traveler, has added another trip. This one, called 2027 Luxor, is a 5-day/4-night adventure beginning July 30 and ending August 3, 2027.

August 2, of course, is the significant date in this span. That’s when the group will witness 6 minutes 22 seconds of totality from just outside Luxor. That duration of totality is the longest anyone will witness until June 3, 2114, when the Moon will cover the Sun for 6 minutes 32 seconds. You probably don’t want to wait for that one. . . .

Now you know. I will likely arrange to be in Egypt by mid-July 2027. . . see the sites, and travel a bit first, then at Luxor for the totality -- and onward, down the Nile. . . into Africa's Blue Nile territories through the end of August that year. Sweet -- bucket list item -- checked!

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